Shining like silver

Viva Entertainment, Inc. is celebrating 25 years in the film and music business this year. And what better way to remind the public of its accomplishments than by remembering the blockbuster films and the hit songs with The Silver Series? This is a set of albums made up of past recordings by some of the artists who helped make Viva the entertainment titan that it is today.

Take note that all of these artists at one time or another soared to stardom via films, recordings, concerts or TV shows from Viva. Foremost example is Megastar Sharon Cuneta who with Viva had box-office movies like Bituing Walang Ningning and Maging Sino Ka Man, hit songs like Sana’y Maghintay ang Walang Hanggan and Both Sides Now, concerts like Cuneta sa Cuneta and US tours and the long-running The Sharon Cuneta Show on TV.

Sharon is featured in two CDs in the Silver Series. One is made up of pop songs like Willy Cruz’s Kumusta Ka and Vehnee Saturno’s Ikaw at Ako. The other one is composed of themes from Viva movies like Himala ng Pagibig from Kaputol ng Isang Awit and Sharon’s version of Pagdating ng Panahon, which is available for the first time in an album.

A great thing about this collection is that it includes not only the hits but also rarities, songs I bet, you didn’t even know your favorite singers recorded. Aside from Sharon’s, now also available are The Silver Series albums of Regine Velasquez (Urong-Sulong and Sa Piling Mo from Captain Barbell), Zsa Zsa Padilla (Hindi Magbabago), Lani Misalucha (Sana Dalawa ang Puso Ko), Ogie Alcasid (Kailangan Kita), Andrew E. (Pink Palaka), Jaya (Mula Sa Puso), Donna Cruz (Habang May Buhay), Janno Gibbs (If I Sing You a Love Song) and Freestyle (So Slow). Set for release soon are editions by Rico J. Puno, Agot Isidro, Jun Polistico, Ella May Saison, Willy Cruz and others.

And because this is a very special time in its history, Viva decided to sell these CDs of original, digitally remastered recordings at the very affordable price of P150 each. Not only that, those who will buy the entire set, that means all of the Silver albums, will get a free copy of Reigne. This is a book of photographs of Regine Velasquez taken by Jun de Leon.

Incidentally, Christopher de Leon, who has appeared as leading man in some of Viva’s most memorable motion pictures and who also hosted the hugely successful game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire for Viva Television, will visit the malls to promote his very own CD for Viva Records. First on his schedule is Robinsons in Dasmariñas at 4 p.m. on Sept. 17.

Christopher will greet fans and perform songs from the album Mga Awit Pelikula ni Christopher de Leon. This is made up of themes from movies he starred in like Bituing Walang Ningning, Iduyan Mo from Agila, Pangarap Ko ang Ibigin Ka, Sinasamba Kita, Beloved, Sisikat Din Ako from Kakabakaba Ka Ba? and others.

From the mail: Efren Magsino is interested in Jacqui Magno. He writes, "I want to ask you about Toti Fuentes/Jacqui Magno’s latest CD. She was and will always be one of my favorite jazz singers from my time (I’m 56). Please write in your next column where we could buy it. I’m from Los Angeles, California."

Thank you for writing, Efren. Jacqui’s The Very Thought of You is now available in most local music stores like Tower One, M-1 and Odyssey. I sure hope Filipino stores in your area will pick up the CD and sell it there as well.

To wind up, here is last week’s hit list of Pinoy videos from MYX: Doo Bidoo by Kamikazee; Stars by Callalily; She Could Be by Christian Bautista; Bitiw by Sponge Cola; Waiting by Slapshock; Back to Me by Cueshé; I Still Believe in Loving You by Sarah Geronimo; Taralets by Imago; Yakap sa Dilim by Orange & Lemons; Beautiful Days by Kyla; Patuloy Pa Rin by Yasmien Kurdi; I Do by Nina; Bakit by Rachelle Ann Go; Blue Sky by Hale; Dulo ng Dila by Pupil; Pa’no Nangyari Yun by Mayonnaise; Alive by Frio; Rhyme Without Reason by Hilera; Peace Man by Bamboo and Perpekto by Dong Abay.