And finally, Bituin’s star turn

Gigi Escalante had a lot of gumption naming her baby girl Bituin. A member of the Ambivalent Crowd, one of the most popular show groups of the ’70s, she was the star alto while Celeste Legaspi was the star soprano. Gigi probably believed with all her heart that her daughter will one day be a star. As the years passed, I wonder if there were times when Gigi ever wondered if Bituin had other dreams besides wanting to become a singing star or if Bituin herself had any doubt about her destiny. But, it is now immaterial if there ever were. Some two decades later after Bituin was born, Gigi’s daring prediction has come true. Her daughter is a star, acknowledged as one of the best young singers in the country today.

Bituin’s debut album was launched last week. Simply titled Bituin Escalante, it marks the culmination of her well-calculated climb to stardom. I say well-calculated, because given her sensational introduction via the local concert scene where her powerful performing style drew admiration from everywhere, it would not have been a surprise to see her career fast-tracked to the top. Local showbiz is ever in need of new pop divas and Bituin was certainly a most-welcome addition. But no, Bituin instead took things slowly but surely. She did concerts, starred in Dream Girls, got a regular TV gig, ASAP then made a hit single, Kung Ako Na Lang Sana. She then went to work on her album. Bituin’s debut single was the winner in the 2002 Himig Handog Love Songs songwriting competition.

Kung Ako Na Lang Sana, which also gave Bituin the Best Interpreter award in the same tilt, joins the mix of old favorites and new originals that comprise her album. Mostly produced by Margot Gallardo, it features compositions by the successful songwriting team of Moy Ortiz and Edith Gallardo. These are Hindi Na Ako Magtatanong, Nang Wala Ka Na, Naghihintay, Gano’n Lang Talaga and Bakit Nga Ba Hindi, a duet with the Pinoy singer from Australia, Dexter. Bituin also performs The Only Two People in the World, Heartsong, Love Dance, For You, Always Somewhere and the song she requested to be part of her first album, the Disney standard When You Wish Upon a Star.

The first single release is the dramatic I’m Sorry. The song is a collaboration between Soc Villanueva and Jungee Marcelo. It is one of the finalists in the First Levi Music Festival songwriting contest. Villanueva also composed Kung Ako Na Lang Sana, so both Soc and Bituin hope their reteam-up will again result in another hit song and contest winner. The Levi song tilt also features a competition for the Best Music Video featuring 12 young directors expressly invited to shoot the finalists’ videos. Behind Bituin’s I’m Sorry is the very promising Tim Jimenez.

Musical Celebrations At Tapika

Check out the Tapika schedule for your end-of-the school year-celebrations. Performing throughout the month of March at the popular home of acoustic music in Blue Ridge, Quezon City are : Kitchie Nadal tonight and on March 10; 3rd Degree tomorrow and on March 17; U-Turn on Fridays, March 5, 12, 19 and 26; Cruxada with Jerome on Saturdays, March 6, 13, 20 and 27; Sugar Shack on March 7 and 14; Dominic & Burton on Mondays, March 8 and 22; Thor on Tuesdays, March 9 and 23; 17:28 on Thursdays, March 11, 18 and 25; Pido on Mondays, March 15 and 29; Dream Sequence on Tuesdays, March 16 and 30; Invocan on Sundays, March 21 and 28; and Sole Acoustic on Wednesdays, March 24 and 31.

Into The West

Into the West, theme of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was named Best Original Song at this year’s Academy Awards. Composed by Howard Shore, Fran Walsh and Annie Lennox, who also recorded the song for the movie soundtrack, Into the West bested A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow from A Mighty Wind, Scarlet Tide from Cold Mountain, The Triplets of Belleville from the animated feature of the same title and You Will be My Ain True Love also from Cold Mountain.

Shore also won the Oscar for Best Original Score for his work in The Return of the King.