His first recording of his own original composition, Captivated, turned out so good that it was only logical for Marvin Ong to do more. The song was featured in his successful debut album titled Marvin Ong, which earned him his first Gold Record Award. Now for his second release, Sigaw Ng Puso Ko, the talented Marvin does not only have one cut that he wrote himself. Instead, he has three new songs that establish him as the most exciting singer/songwriter of the moment.
Marvin, who recently graduated with a degree in Communication Arts from the Ateneo University, has come up with Ayoko Na, Sigaw Ng Puso and You Can Never Be Mine. The first single out of the CD is Ayoko Na, a tale about giving up an unrequited love that he performs with so much feeling. Now one of the most played songs on local radio, it is almost a sure bet that Ayoko Na will be Marvin’s next big hit. His first hit single was Panaginip a classic by the Manila Sound pioneer band, Hot Dog, in his debut album.
Sigaw Ng Puso also includes songs by artists whom Marvin admires a lot. There is Labis Kitang Mahal, a new work written and produced by the very prolific Vehnee Saturno, whom Marvin has always wanted to work with. There is also Pakisabi Na Lang, a composition by Moy Ortiz and Edith Gallardo, that has become a modern classic for The CompanY. The other one is Sa Iyo, which was written by Jun Murillo and which was one of Sarah Geronimo’s early hits.
All of Marvin’s songs in Sigaw Ng Puso Ko are presented with music minus one tracks. This is a budget saver that enables music lovers and aspiring singers to perform their own interpretation of the songs at no extra expense. They may not come out sounding like Marvin, the guy has a true golden voice, but they can come close or just simply enjoy singing the songs.
Sigaw Ng Puso Ko marks Marvin’s return to recording after a long run performing in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound Of Music at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila with Joanna Ampil, Audie Gemora and others. Marvin put his clear, young tenor to good use playing the Nazi boy Rolf and singing Sixteen Going On Seventeen for many performances.
Theater is Marvin’s first love. He has been doing stage musicals since the elementary grades. He played the title role in Bat Boy and was also in the cast of productions of High School Musical, Sister Act, Mr. Noah’s Big Boat, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe and other shows. This experience makes him a natural singer and dancer who is in demand for theater productions.
Marvin is a Gawad Buhay trophy awardee for Best Featured Male Actor in a Musical by Philstage for his work as the orphan boy Tobias in the Repertory Philippines production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd. He also starred as Juan in the PETA musical Si Juan Tamad, Ang Diablo At Ang Limang Milyong Boto, which ran for several weeks. He wants to do more musicals and maybe even write one of his own someday but for now though, he is focused on his career as a recording artist.
Marvin is now busy promoting his single Ayoko Na with shows in local malls. He also performs songs from his first album, which has an appealing line-up that never fails to wow audiences. Aside from the hit Panaginip and his composition Captivated, the CD Marvin Ong also includes his version of Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley; Hard To Say I’m Sorry by Chicago; Have I Told You Lately by Rod Stewart; Maybe by Burt Bacharach; I Need To Be In Love by the Carpenters; Let’s Hang On by Barry Manilow; Worst That Could Happen by the Brooklyn Bridge, If by David Gates, the light OPM rocker Harana, by Parokya ni Edgar and It Doesn’t Get Any Easier an original by the Hong Kong-based musical director Ronnie Fortich.
Watch out next for Marvin’s moving rendition of The First Noel, one of the cuts in the upcoming Christmas With The Stars album from Viva Music.