Charlie Green, the next singing heartthrob

CEBU, Philippines - “Tuwing kita’y nakikita/Ako’y natutunaw/Parang ice cream na bilad/sa ilalim ng araw...,” croons teen singer Charlie Green amid screaming female fans who immediately recognize the classic OPM on first love.

“Ano ba naman ang sikreto mo/At di ka maalis sa isip ko/Ano bang gayuma ang gamit mo/At masyado akong patay sa ‘yo...”

The cute 13-year-old sings the Tagalog ditty “Perslab,” originally performed by the ‘70s Pinoy band Hotdog, in his endearing British lilt, crisp words and slurred R’s. This track in his first album with Viva Records is such a hit for Pinoy romantics: those from the older set who recall their younger days with this soundtrack and today’s generation who might have heard the song before but didn’t appreciate it. With Charlie’s version, the yesteryear favorite becomes new and exciting for the young ones, just like their own first love.

“Di na makatulog/Di pa makakain/Taghiyawat sa ilong/pati na sa pisngi/Sa kakaisip sa ‘yo/taghiyawat dumadami...”

Charlie sings it with such innocence and sincerity; one wishes he could serenade listeners forever.

“Tuwing kita’y nakikita/Ako’y natutunaw/Tuwing dadaan sa harap mo/Puso ko’y dumudungaw/Kailan kita makikilala/Sana’y malapit na...”

Move over Christian Bautista and Erik Santos. They’re just no match to this boy’s swoon factor.

Nailing The Love Songs

The British-Filipino singing wunderkind performed the song to the audience’s delight during Sarah Geronimo’s recent “Recordbreaker” concert at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug and in his mall show the day after at the Ayala Center Cebu Entertainment Center.

“First love, that’s still unreal for me. Right now, I just love basketball!” said Charlie in a backstage interview at Ayala Center Cebu. “I can relate to it but I have to get into a mood when I sing it.”

He might still not be interested in girls, so he claimed, but Charlie nails just the right emotion of a hopelessly lovestruck boy when he performs on stage. More so when he and Sarah did their duet “Ewan”, another OPM popularized by the famous trio, the APO Hiking Society. It’s his charming British accent of the Tagalog lyrics that captivates listeners.

February of this year, Charlie signed a two-year recording and managerial contract with Viva Records. He was first signed up in 2008 by Star Records, where his first album “Charlie Green” was under.

Viva Records collaborated with internationally renowned Italian record producer-songwriter Christian de Walden, who has produced hits for foreign music artists as well as our very own Pop Princess Sarah, also a Viva talent.

Released last April, his 13-track album under Viva titled “A Friend Like You”, includes The Diary by Neil Sedaka; Wooden Heart by Elvis Presley; My Cherie Amour by Stevie Wonder; Go Away Little Girl by Donny Osmond; For Once In My Life by Sammy Davis Jr.; Let It Be by The Beatles; Too Young by Nat King Cole; Oh My Papa by Eddie Fisher; Perslab and Ewan as a duet with Sarah Geronimo.

Charlie will be touring various countries to promote the CD because aside from offering his music to Pinoy fans, Viva will be distributing it in different countries such as the U.K., United States, and Italy.

Although Charlie admitted he could not clearly pronounce Tagalog yet, he was able to record these songs in the vernacular with the help of the Viva team who patiently coached him. “I like to understand what I sing so that I would know how to put the emotion into it. I always learn and get it translated in English so that I know my songs and what they mean,” said Charlie, who as a toddler took an early interest in singing and playing the piano.

How is his Tagalog now? “It’s getting better. I understand when people sort of ask me questions in Tagalog but answering is still hard. I’m understanding more everyday.”

For his next CD, Charlie promises that it will be more contemporary and with a more “youthful arrangement” unlike his previous offerings that leaned more on swing, jazz and ballad.

Early Music Exposure

Charlie became a household name in the UK and known here in the country after joining the second season of the reality talent search “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2007. He wowed the British audience as well as the usually hard-to-please Simon Cowell with his rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “Summer Wind.” Simon was so impressed that he called him “fantastic” and then told him, “Charlie, I think you are a little star.”

“I wouldn’t say there was pressure. The only time I would get nervous was because of the judges and the fact that it was like the biggest show in England,” recalled Charlie of his BGT experience.

He was, however, eliminated during the semi-finals due to a wrong song choice, but his ouster proved to be irrelevant as his performance of “Summer Wind” found its way to YouTube, exposing his talent to a global audience and to his kababayans back here.

Charlie was exposed early to music, since his dad who was a vocalist trained him early. “His influence was very big. My dad was a professional singer in England. When my dad was away, I used to watch him perform on TV and that’s how my interest started.”

He loves standard music such as the songs of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury and Queen. But he’s also a fan of modern artists such as Michael Buble, Leona Lewis and Beyonce. 

“I’ve always been into all kinds of music. A lot of people think I’m just into standards because I sing a lot of it, but I really do listen to all types of music. I was introduced to swing and jazz by my dad and I’m really thankful he did because it is really great music. It’s hardly appreciated these days, so it would be nice to bring more of it back.”

Behaved Boy

When we pointed out how much of a pro he is unlike other kids his age who are often restless, Charlie’s British dad, Roger Philip Green attested that his son is a really behaved boy.

“He doesn’t have a naughty side at all. Although he’s getting his own mind now, so he has more ideas on what he wants to do. We discuss it. Sometimes we don’t agree, but over-all, he’s okay,” piped in Mr. Green.

His mom, Cecile Sumargo-Green wasn’t around during the interview as she was making use of the time they were in Cebu to reunite with her relatives. Mrs. Green is a native of Dumanjug, Cebu. Although Charlie has visited his mom’s hometown at least thrice already, he can’t clearly remember the details of his visits.

“That was four or five years ago. I can’t really remember. It’s a small province. I went there a lot of times but I can’t exactly remember what it was like. I was 5 or 6 years old when I was last there,” Charlie said.

He added: “I have a half-sister in the Philippines. I also have a half-brother who lives sort of anywhere where work takes him. I don’t get to see them that much so it’s really nice when I get to see them.”

Unchanged By Fame

In England, Charlie gets recognized all the time. In fact, there was a time when some female fans put up tents outside their residence in Droitwich, Worcestershire, England just to get a glimpse of the young singer. He doesn’t mind fans hugging and kissing him, but he had to get used to them pinching his cheeks.

“In England, if you pinch someone’s face, that’s abnormal and strange. So whenever I went to the Philippines, I was like, why are they pinching me? But yeah, I kinda got used to it eventually.”

Despite the attention, Charlie is still able to pursue his other interests such as playing tennis, soccer, basketball, bowling and cricket. “I like playing sports with my family. Nowadays in England, people don’t really eat together as a family, like in a table, they just find their places in front of the TV or X-Box. So I think doing things together as a family is good.”

His parents also make sure that he doesn’t get behind with his studies even if Charlie is in a middle of a promotional tour.

“I’m home-schooled now. I’m on the 8th grade,” he shared. “It’s good really. It’s more flexible because I’m always traveling.”

Shuttling back and forth from his birthplace to his mother’s home country, Charlie can’t help but compare England from the Philippines. Each country has its pros and cons, he professed.

“I would say I hope there was more sunny weather in England. At the moment, it’s 20 degrees there. Here, it’s too hot. In England, it’s too cold. So I wish I could get a balance. Also, I wish we had more shopping malls back in England because there are malls everywhere here. And then of course here, you have ‘ASAP’ and ‘Party Pilipinas’. You have all the stars singing every week. You get exposed a lot here if you’re an artist. In England, we don’t really have that. If you’re on TV, that’s a really big thing.”

What does he do with the talent fee he earns? Charlie said, “I put it in the bank. I don’t really shop. I’m not spoiled in any way. I just try to spend on what’s needed.”