Originals rule

MANILA, Philippines - Originals rule. 

This mantra goes well for artists Sabrina, Eurika, and Myrus who are all talented yet lacking in TV exposure. 

All three share the common delight of having real good-recall original songs on FM radio. The youngest of the three, 12-year-old Eurika, finally broke into mainstream recognition after her first two albums served as more of introductory packages rather than breakthrough projects. Yes, she started that young, recording her first album at age seven.

Eurika is the sweet voice behind the cute love song Kung Pwede Lang, title track to her latest album from indie label Aika Records. The album’s carrier single, penned by radio personality Robster Evangelista, is now enjoying a heavy airplay on pop stations Win Radio, Big Radio, WowFM, iFM, StarFM and PinasFM. 

“The song is like a big hit from the past,” observes Reck Cardinales, the album producer. He recalled discovering Eurika during an event where he heard the latter sing Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing to his amazement. 

Eurika’s 10-track CD is dominated by originals, three of which were written by hitmakers Snaffu Rigor and Ernie dela Peña. Most numbers are danceable ditties touching on modern-day expressions; two of the songs are called BFF and Papampam. She did cover two foreign hits, one of which is Tiffany’s Radio Romance now seen as a possible second single.

“Hilig ko po talaga ang singing pero priority ko pa din po ang pag-aaral ko,” said Eurika, a high school freshman, in an interview. 

Also getting good listeners’ feedback is Myrus’ Pusong Lito, presently lording over different FM radio stations. The song, picked as theme for Pinoy Big Brother, is being tagged as one of today’s certified romantic theme songs for the young generation and the young at heart. 

The Sentimental Prince of Pop has received citations from Awit Awards and Philippine Radio Music Awards.  Myrus is also project head of Tunog Natin concert series carrying OPM for its repertoire.

Myrus

“Dahil sa concert series na ’to, I got inspired to write original songs,” he shared while on stage performing at the recent leg of Tunog Natin held at the Ayala Triangle Grounds in Makati City.

Then there’s Sabrina, the artist who started the trend of female artists doing covers of recent hits. Now already a big draw in other Asian countries, she revives for her latest album the classic Somewhere Down The Road. But that is not the more thrilling part, but her next step. That is to promote her first Tagalog track, an original at that, as follow-up to her Barry Manilow take.

The moving song Sa Bawat Paghinga is written by award-winning songwriter Toto Sorioso and is one of the four originals in her new album now out in record bars. Two of them are her own compositions: One True Love and Over For Now But Not Forever.

The CD is still loaded with familiar songs interpreted acoustic style, including her version of Lani Hall’s I Don’t Want You To Go and Tiffany’s If Love Is Blind which were once shoo-ins for Love Notes playlist.

MCA Music’s Grace Foronda came up with the idea of having the voices and musical inclinations of the two fused together in one album after Sabrina guested on Joe’s DZMM program where she sang Somewhere Down The Road. She again appeared on the program’s finale just last month. The friendship and professional collaboration was sealed in Acoustic Love Notes which also features Joe’s daughter Anj Sulit in a duet with Sabrina for Again, another original. 

“It’s been a while since I came out with a Love Notes compilation album and it’s a pleasure for me working with Sabrina,” said Joe.