A celebration of love songs

Amateur and professional composers recently shared the limelight when Himig Handog Love Songs, ABS-CBN’s thematic songwriting competition, staged its finals night last Friday, March 5, highlighting the 10 song entries chosen for this year.

The first Himig Handog Love Songs contest last year was so successful that it yielded a number of hits, including Soc Villanueva’s grand prize winner, Kung Ako Na Lang Sana, recorded by Bituin Escalante. The romantic ballad even inspired the hit movie of the same title from Star Cinema, starring Aga Muhlach and Sharon Cuneta.

Other hits from the album released by Star Records were Love Has Come My Way recorded by Heart Evangelista, Kung Ako Ba S’ya sung by Piolo Pascual, Hanggang, performed by Wency Cornejo and This Guy’s In Love With You, Pare, recorded by Parokya ni Edgar vocalist Chito Miranda.

"The true test of a successful songwriting competition is if you produce hits," says Soc Villanueva, now the artist and repertoire director for Star Records. "Himig Handog Love Songs is the most successful songwriting competition to date. The first album has sold over 40,000 copies. That’s the reason we have come out with the second Himig Handog Love Songs album. We are confident that the new album will be as successful as the first one."

In this year’s Himig Handog Love Songs finals, Arnel de Pano’s romantic ballad, Kailan Kita Mamahalin, interpreted by Anna Fegi, was adjudged Best Song with a cash prize of P200,000. The grand prize winner also romped off with the Listeners’ Choice award, with an additional cash prize of P50,000 plus an Asian love cruise and a romantic gift showcase.

Runner-up or highly commended song went to Chona Borromeo’s pop-rock composition, Narito Lang Ako, performed by Aegis, who also won Best Interpreter. They bagged a total cash prize of P150,000.

The Texters’ Choice and Buyers’ Choice special awards went to Marc Bryan Adona’s Maibabalik Ko Ba, recorded by Michael "Josh" Santana.

Love and romance have been greatly exemplified through the heartfelt entries. Each of the songs has its own character. Some are funny, poignant and sentimental, while some are heavy. Some, meanwhile, are just light tunes. The songs make you cry, move your heart or simply make you fall in love again.

Even before the finals night, the entries in this year’s Himig Handog Love Songs have enjoyed an encompassing exposure as they have been played on TV, movie and radio. The second compilation album from Star Records contains all the 10 finalists.

Aliya Parcs’ Stop Think is the theme song of Janna and Raymond in the Chinovela, The Truth. De Pano’s Kailan Kita Mamahalin, interpreted by Anna Fegi is also being used in The Truth, as well as in the soap series, It Might Be You.

The novelty tune, Alam Kong Di Ako, Okey Lang, written by Rommel Tuico and Jason Dacua, and recorded by Bayani Agbayani, is very sarcastic in content and comic in nature. The song is being used in the top-rating teleserye Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas, and is sung by Angelika Dela Cruz’s character Mary Anne, who is in love with Christian, played by Jericho Rosales.

In Olive Lamasan’s recent box-office hit, Milan, Piolo Pascual sang Wency Cornejo’s hauntingly sentimental ballad, Kailan Ka Darating, which Wency originally recorded with Rachel Alejandro. Other songs which enjoy favorable airplay on WRR 101.9, ABS-CBN’s FM radio station, are Susubukan Kong Muli by Jessa Zaragoza and Maibabalik Ko Ba by Michael "Josh" Santana. Last Love Song, recorded by 17:28 and Heart Evangelista, and composed by Ron Jansen Solis, was also heard in the teen show Berks.

Aside from TV, movies and radio, Himig Handog Love Songs have also conquered other media, making it the most successful interactive songwriting competition in the country. The special awards for Listeners’ Choice, Texters’ Choice and Buyers’ Choice were chosen from texting and filling out coupons found in Himig Handog Love Songs album CDs and cassettes, as well as in Star Studio and Chalk magazines. Favorite Himig Handog Love Songs ringtones can also be downloaded by texting Himig Tones to 2366 to get the complete list of keywords.

All 10 songs have music videos, too, which are being aired on Myx and Cinema One. Among the exciting ones are the animated Bye Bye Na, interpreted by Rico Blanco, the narrative Huwag Ka Nang Umiyak, recorded by True Faith and interpreted by King during the finals’ night and the sensual Narito Lang Ako, recorded by Vina Morales and performed by Aegis.

This year’s board of judges was chaired by maestro Ryan Cayabyab. Members were Jose Mari Chan, Kuh Ledesma, George Canseco and Lito Camo, Side A band vocalist Joey Generoso, Crying Ladies director Mark Meily, Cherie Gil, WRR director and station manager Joseph "Bombi" Balquiedra, Aiza Seguerra and ABS-CBN vice president for Creative Communications Management Cindy de Leon.