Half
a year ago, Gerald Santos booted out the immensely
popular Harry Santos when he ended the former’s
seven-week reign in Pinoy Pop Superstar. Gerald received
a 99% grade which remains the highest ever given to
a contestant by the judges. A few months after beating
the first Santos, he defeated the second one, Aicelle
Santos, his final competitor during the championship
night. The female Santos’ bravura presence paled
beside Gerald’s boyish appeal and earnest singing
style. Since his triumph in the highly contested pop-music
competition, the winning Santos has appeared in most
of GMA 7’s top rating musical variety shows
and even got the chance to act in a soap opera opposite
Jolina Magdangal in the drama-comedy I Luv New York.
Now, the gifted little prince of music with a knack
for belting out beautiful ballads is set to woo his
teen fans and middle-aged listeners with A Day on
the Rainbow, his maiden album under GMA Records. It’s
filled with potential hits sure to warm the heart
of its listeners.
“When they said that I was going to record my
first album, I got a little nervous. You know, it
only means that I won’t be able to sing other
songs because I have to concentrate and promote what
is in it,” Gerald says. “In a way, I was
a little tense about the song selections because I
don’t know then if I will be able to give justice
to it and baka hindi ko type. I am very thankful to
all the composers because I really like all the songs
they gave me so masarap po sa feeling na hindi labag
sa loob ko yung mga kinakanta ko.”
The tracks in the debut album are obviously focused
on capturing the pure, emotion-laden vocal styling
of the 16-year old.
“Some people may say that the songs are masyadong
ma-drama but when I was still competing in PPS, ganun
ang mga song choices ko,” Santos says of his
very powerful repertoire. “There are also lighter
tracks, especially the two English songs. The Filipino
songs are emotionally laden and even though I am still
very young, I am quite comfortable in singing such
type of songs. Madami naman po akong paghuhugatan.”
Worth dramatizing
Indeed, Gerald’s life is fodder for his singing.
He grew up poor. His father was a fisherman, his Mom
a cashier in a fish port. The second of four children,
Gerald once joined an amateur singing competition
so he could win the P1000 prize money for the operation
of his mother. His father, on the other hand, became
the victim of an illegal recruiter and later got into
drugs. It took him two years to recover from his addiction.
Gerald’s life story was featured in the TV series
Magpakailanman in which Gerald played himself.
Aside from a less than idyllic childhood, Gerald also
draws from his love life as the source of his emotional.
According to the young crooner, he has had 10 girlfriends.
He kissed his first girl at age 14. “It was
a real kiss,” he recalls. “Hindi lang
smack. It was a French kiss, actually.”
He himself was surprised by the results. “I
realized that my voice has its own character. Walang
siyang katulad. When people hear my songs on the radio,
they will say si Gerald yan. They will feel na heartfelt
ang pagkanta ko.”
He also learned lessons in professionalism from PPS.
“For example, even if you are tired, you should
always be ready to smile back to your fans. In addition,
the show has taught me discipline. You should be professional
with your appointments. You must make sure that your
schedules are always fixed and dapat disciplined pati
sa pagtulog.”
Intrigues and dreams
Gerald had harder lessons to learn. “I received
a lot of flak when I won the title and many said that
I don’t deserve to win. The first time I read
the papers that contained such remarks; I really got
hurt so I stopped reading them. Now, I just laugh
it off and I know that I deserve the victory. Since
winning the contest, I have proven so many things
already. In this album, they will hear that aside
from Filipino songs, I can also sing English songs.
Pag narinig nila na I can sing in English, di mapapahiya
sila.”
In addition to his album, Gerald will be given another
chance to showcase his singing and emotional range.
With the two other Santoses he defeated, Harry and
Aicelle, Gerald will star in a series of concerts
cleverly titled The Pinoy Pop Santoses.
Of Harry and Aicelle, who are his good friends, Gerald
has this to say: “Aicelle can do ‘I Believe’
since English songs are her forte and she rarely sings
Filipino pieces.”
He adds, “Saka lapat yun sa kanya since it is
not so much of a ballad and it will give her the chance
na makabirit. For Harry, I think it will be ‘Nang
Minsan Pa;’ it is another ballad and since he
sounds like Josh Groban, hearing him perform it will
surely be a musical treat.”
What are the other dreams he wishes to fulfill now
that he owns a house, car, growing number of fans
and a maiden album? “I still have a lot of them,
of course. I want to give my parents and my siblings
a better life. I want to build and have another house.
Maybe open a business. I want to finish my studies
definitely. I am currently in my fourth year (home
study program), and I want to take music in a conservatory
in college. I just want happiness for my family and
siyempre, maging masaya rin ako.”
His message to fans: “I am positive that they
will like the album. I am singing English and Filipino
songs here. I hope they buy it so that they will know
versatile ako.” |
