Paolo Santos and the songs of his life

An author once said, "Without music, life would be a mistake." This bears true for the rightfully dubbed "Mr. Acoustic" Paolo Santos, who has found himself in perfect tune with his fervor for music. An Economics degree holder from De La Salle University in Taft, Manila, Paolo has become a success story not by slugging it out in the corporate world but by doing live performances and eventually coming up with albums that fostered his singing career.

Who would have imagined that this guy could spin romantic sounds that make audience from all ages swoon? But there's more to the songs than just its lyrics and melodies. The FREEMAN listens as Paolo, who shamelessly confesses his fondness for Cebu thanks to frequent travels, narrates the stories behind the songs of his life, which also paved the way for him to become the ubiquitous name in the music vista that he is now.

His first-ever composition: "Little Darling"

The very first song that the 30-year-old singer, songwriter and acoustic guitarist wrote dates back in 1994. "It was not really a love song but a song of hope and encouragement since it's about a child," Paolo says.

His journey with his profession may not all-smooth sailing, yet he never was lacking in hope. Equipped with his degree, he once served as United Nations Volunteer trainee in Geneva, Switzerland for a year and left for San Francisco to strike it on his own. But what was really burning in his heart could no longer be ignored, the very reason why he came back to the Philippines to pursue his love for music.

Spending so much time tinkering with his guitar, he discovered that he could sing too! And so in 2001, he began to perform gigs in different bars.

His music preference was greatly influenced by James Taylor, who, according to Paolo, is one of the greatest artists ever to hit the music scene. "Moonlight Over Paris" started it all

"This song started the whole fiasco," Paolo, who waded into the acoustic scene as a solo act, says with a chuckle. The song was such a big hit that he became a by-word in the music biz. "Getting Close" opened doors for him

This was the celebrated jingle of a Close Up TV commercial which made us croon with the lines "nothing can come between us, nothing can separate us." Soon after he released his earliest recording outing named "Play With Me" which also carried "Moonlight Over Paris," the toothpaste company tapped the services of Paolo to pen and perform this widely popular original composition of his. He now admits that "Getting Close" opened a lot of doors for him, not just because of the positive feedback from the people, but this, for him, was truly his claim to fame.

The "Mama's Boy" has a song for his mom, too.

What he has achieved so far almost did not happen, especially as his parents, particularly his mother, were not exactly enthusiastic over his choice to make music as a profession.

"I'm a rebel. My mom did not like the idea of me getting into music. I mean, I guess that's motherly instinct. And I cannot blame her. She actually had other plans for me, which was to be with UN," he says.

"But when I actually made a living out of it (performing), she was able to accept everything eventually," he admits, "But my dad was okay. I mean he's the type of guy who lets me do what I want to do. As long as I'm happy, it's okay for him."

When asked what song would he dedicate to his mother, he frankly says, "I'd compose a song entitled 'I Told You So' because I told her so that I could make it despite the many risks involved."

"But I love my mother oh so dearly. In fact, I'm a mama's boy," Paolo says with a laugh. Loving Love Songs

Paolo enjoys playing love songs for the audience. In a recent concert (with Cebu-based alternative rock group Cattski) dubbed "Legal Strings," which was organized by the University of San Carlos College of Law-Bar Operations, he mused on his past relationships in between love songs and even openly dedicated one to a special someone. He admits though he doesn't have much luck as far as his love life is concerned.

"I have had long and short term relationships, but they all failed. I would also want to settle down for good but I guess the right one has not come my way," he shares. "I'm looking for someone who can really understand the nature of my work especially with the indefinite working hours involved."

Nevertheless, Paolo continues to make hearts melt with his fourth independently produced album, "Rites of Passage." Described as the expression of what he has been through on the road to musical maturity, the album, with the carrier single, "Patawarin," is produced by Acoustic Gold Productions, distributed by Warner Music Philippines and is now available in music stores nationwide.