A Lifetime Achievement Award for Sharon

The Board of Directors of the Philippine Association of Recording Industry recently unanimously voted Sharon Cuneta as the recipient of this year’s Dangal Ng Musikang Pilipino Award. Admittedly, she is a little too young for a Lifetime Achievement Award but why fault Sharon for making 25 years of hits so early in life? So although she is ripe for 25 years more of success, it is also apt that the local megastar receives this singular honor from the Awit Awards, the award-giving body of the PARI.

The honor will be conferred on the popular singer-actress during the 15th Awit Awards night to be held at the Camp Aguinaldo Theater on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. where Sharon is also up for the Best Performance by a Female Recording Artist trophy.

Sharon will mark her 25th year in the music business on January, 2003. She started out as a 12-year-old in 1978 when she recorded Tawag ng Pag-ibig by Ernie de la Peña for Vicor Music Corp. This was shortly followed by Mr. DJ, which became her first big hit. That was the beginning of a career that now spans a quarter of a century consisting of some of the most popular recordings in Philippine pop music history.

Mr. DJ, I-Swing Mo Ako, Santo Niño, Pasko Na Naman, Habang May Pasko, Hagkan, Mahal Kita, Mahal Mo Siya, Mahal Niya ay Iba, Ewan with Louie Ocampo, Ikaw Lamang, Lihim, Love on Your Mind, Batang Musmos, Uhaw, Ang Pag-ibig Ko, Mahal, Don’t Ever Make Me Cry, Ayoko Na Sa ’Yo, Give Me Your Love, Abot Kamay, Anyone Can See, So Much in Love with You, Kahit Maputi Na ang Buhok Ko, High School, Langis at Tubig, Dear Heart, It’s Not You, Sinasamba Kita, Turn This World Into a Land of Magic.

I Don’t Mean a Thing to You Anymore, When Was the Last Time, PS I Love You, Come What May with Gabby Concepcion, My Only Love, Forgive and Forget, Kahapon Lamang, You Should Know by Now, Ang Panahaon ay Lumipas, Cross My Heart, I Love You, Friends, Together with Rowell Santiago, Falling in Love Again, This Time I’ll Be Sweeter with Angela Bofill, So Once Again, Breathless, Back to Being One, Mahawi Man ang Ulap, It Seems Only Yesterday, It’s Not You, Hanggang Kailan, Hanggang Saan, You’re the One, Falling in Love Again, Matud Nila, How Am I Gonna Tell You, To Love Again, Init sa Magdamag, with Nonoy Zuñiga.

Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin, Pangarap Na Bituin, Kahit Na, Bituing Walang Ningning, It’s My Turn, Sana’y Maghintay ang Walang Hanggan, Parang Baliw, Sa Hirap at Ginhawa, Pati Pintig ng Puso Ko, Kailan Sasabihing Mahal Kita, Sana’y Wala ng Wakas, Every Now and Then, Kung Aagawin Mo ang Lahat Sa Akin, Everything I Do, Nakagapos Na Puso, You and I, Patatawarin Ba Kita, Now That You’re Gone, Oras-oras, Araw-araw, Pasko Na Sinta Ko, Pasan Ko’ng Daigdig, Parang Hindi Pasko, AM Ka, FM Ako, with Rey Valera, Kahit Konting Pagtingin, Kahit Wala Ka Na, All I Ask of You with Jun Polistico.

Maging Sino Ka Man, Bakit Ikaw Pa Rin, All This Time, with Side A, Naaalala Ka, Pangako Sa ’Yo, Kung Kailangan Mo Ako, Tayong Dalawa, Kung Tayo’s Magkakalayo, You’re My Everything, with Billy Preston, The Other Side of Me, One Last Time, What Loving You Was Like at All, Ikaw at Ako, Sometimes When We Touch, with Randy Santiago, Ikaw Pa Rin, Sa Twinay’s Naaalala Ko, with Gary Valenciano, Himala ng Pag-ibig, Tamis ng Unang Halik, Damdamin, Ngayon at Kailanman, Kapantay ay Langit, Ikaw.

Kailangan Kita, Paano Bang Mangarap, Kung Ako’y Iiwan Mo, Ako ay Pilipino, Kumusta Ka, Di Na Natuto, Akala Ko, Tuyo ng Damdamin, Refrain, If You Away, with David Pomeranz, Both Sides Now, Nothing I Want More, Mahal Pa Rin Kita, Starlight, The Promise, It’s Only Love, He’s Out of My Life, In Your Eyes with Andy Lau, All I Ever Want, What’s the Good in Goodbye, Nananabik Sa ’Yo, Somewhere, Somehow with Gary Valenciano and many others.

The number of songs that Sharon has recorded during the past 25 years is enough to last several lifetimes. I am sure I forgot some titles and I probably did not get all of them right but the list certainly says that she deserves the Dangal ng Musikang Pilipino Award from PARI.