Geneva turns to dance

Little girls grow up and Geneva Cruz is no different. She is now a young woman with a stunning figure, tattoos in provocative places and the courage to look the press in the eye and say, yes there is a new man in her life right now and they are very happy. The only thing that remains of the 12-year-old Geneva who performed Kailan as a singer of the teen group Smokey Mountain is the fantastic voice.

This voice and figure combination is what Geneva presents to music buyers in her new album simply titled Geneva. Why the title Geneva when this is already her third solo album? She earlier released I Like You, In the Name of Love and Geneva on Fire. The reason is because she never had one titled Geneva although she has been in the music business for over a decade. It is also because she feels this is the album that shows what she really is and how she truly feels at this point in her life.

If one were to judge what Geneva is today by way of the album’s first single and accompanying video release – then it can be rightly said she is a woman at ease with her sexuality and who is having a lot of fun. The song is Don’t Need Your Money and it was written and produced by Noel Macanaya who is also known these days as DJ Mod. Boom Dayupay of Kulay conceptualized and directed the flirty music video that shows Geneva in a very revealing bikini, a nude back shot and enjoying stolen money. It is very grown-up, very sexy and she radiates total confidence.

The dance diva image jolts the listener to pay more attention to Geneva. It is something new for her. The recordings she released previously were mostly sentimental love songs and light pop tunes. She also brings a lot of them to the album, thanks to the three producers who put the package together: Vehnee Saturno for the dramatic ballads, Ito Rapadas for the pop cuts and DJ Mod for the dance tracks. But whatever the songs, Geneva maintains a seductive stance throughout the album. Watch out J.Lo and Company. This girl has the looks and the voice required to set the hit charts on fire.

Aside from Don’t Need Your Money, the songs included in Geneva are Hold Me Tight, Tanging Dahilan, Lost in Love, Shout, Never, Ganyan ang Nais, Gotta Show Me, the hip hop remix of Don’t Need Your Money and Shout plus Kailan Ba, which has been tagged as the next single released. It is unfortunate though that not all buyers of the album will be able to take a look at Geneva’s new music video. The sight of that will definitely result in the sale of more copies of the album.

Ogie’s song in Karylle’s debut album

Kung Mawawala Ka, Ogie Alcasid’s original composition, is available as a bonus cut in Karylle’s debut Time to Shine. The new addition features Karylle performing the song as a duet with the songwriter himself. This version is also the one being used as the theme in the top-rating soap opera of the same title that airs on GMA-7. It is interesting to note that Karylle’s mother Zsa Zsa Padilla has also recorded Kung Mawawala Ka as a duet with Gary Valenciano. It is included in Gary’s all-duet album One 2 One.

Karylle’s Time to Shine also contains her hit recording of Can’t Live Without You that gave her the MTV Pilipinas 2002 Best Female Artist and Best New Artist Awards. She also won the Awit Award for Best Performance by a New Female Artist for the same song. Kung Mawawala Ka is one of two duets in the album. The other one is Calling which she performs with European pop idol Gil who also wrote the song.

Regine joins Willy Cruz

Songbird Regine Velasquez joins Willy Cruz at the Podium at 5 p.m. tomorrow. The occasion is the launch of the Viva Records album Give Love on Christmas Day where Regine performs the beautiful song O Holy Night with Willy on the piano. Willy also participates in the album as a soloist with a medley of Adeste Fidelis and Joy to the World.

The performance is part of Willy’s Podium series of shows which continues until Dec. 14, 22 and 27. these also feature selections from his solo album Got to Believe in Magic.