Some things we might never have known about Julio Iglesias if Ryan hadn’t gone to Marbella

Ryan Cayabyab, composer, arranger, conductor, producer, singer, TV personality, Philippine Idol judge and executive and artistic director of the San Miguel Foundation for the Performing Arts, was recently asked to do something I believe he could have done with his eyes closed. That is to write the lyrics and produce the vocals of the songs Crazy and All of You in Taglish.

So why get Ryan to do it if the job is something simple? This is because singing the songs would be the ageless Spanish heartthrob Julio Iglesias and the sessions would be held in Julio’s own studio in Marbella, a favorite destination for the ritzy set in Spain.

So for a few days last August, Mr. C "summered" in Marbella. While there he got a taste of the life of the rich and famous and learned some things about Julio that we might never have known if Ryan had stayed home.

Julio is a perfectionist. He records a song over and over again to get everything right. He even worked hard for many hours just to get his pronunciation of Ngunit right.

Julio remains a hot papparazzi target. Ryan found this out when he was followed by motorcycle riding fotogs while riding in Julio’s car around town one evening.

Julio refuses to be photographed when in his work clothes. What will his friends in Manila say if he comes out not looking his best? So Ryan has no souvenirs of the trip.

Julio has a soft spot for the Philippines because he was once married to local beauty Isabel Preysler. Other artists might never have considered including something for the Filipinos because ours is a very small market, but Julio simply had to do it.

Crazy and All of You are included in Romantic Classics. The latter is a duet with Lea Salonga. Take note that although Julio has already recorded these songs in the past, he made entirely new versions for this album.

The recording was done in the studio in Julio’s Marbella estate. He has another studio in his estate in the Dominican Republic. He also has a home in Miami.

The estate is huge. Ryan and SonyBMG A&R director Vic Valenciano stayed in the guest villas, which is about a seven to 10-minute walk from the main house. Golf carts are used to go around the grounds.

Ryan’s quarters had a large terrace where he could have thrown a barbecue party and a balcony with a view of the Mediterranean Sea. His neighbor Valenciano’s had an infinity pool.

The guests can spend days in the villa and never see each other except perhaps along the hallways which are equipped with sensor lighting or in the common kitchen which has a well-stacked refrigerator that includes San Miguel beer.

Julio is multi-lingual and is at ease with Spanish, English and French. His Tagalog came out well and so did the translations of the two bonus songs in Chinese and Bahasa.

His four younger children with Miranda are fluent in Spanish and English, which they speak with no accent at all. The children study with a tutor in the basement.

No, Julio did not get that rich from singing but through wise investments he made when he was just starting out.

Julio wore the same kind of outfit everyday. A gray T-shirt inside out, jogging pants and the softest of white leather loafers.

Julio is more concerned with expression than perfect tones in his songs. That’s why he has to know the meaning of every word.

Julio and Miranda are very health conscious. They employ a full-time chef and everything served during meals comes from produce grown organically in the estate. Julio has planted mangoes and is now waiting for the trees to bloom. They do not eat meat but guests are allowed their preferences.

Julio’s Romantic Classics album is made up of pop and rock favorites. Aside from the bonus Taglish tracks, it also has Everybody’s Talking; How Can You Mend a Broken Heart; Careless Whisper, with Dave Koz on the sax; Always on My Mind; Waiting for a Girl Like You; Drive; I Want to Know What Love Is; Right Here Waiting; This Guy’s in Love with You, with Chris Botti on trumpet; The Most Beautiful Girl and It’s Impossible.

Filipino Classics

On the local front, Ryan arranged all of the songs and conducted the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra in The Filipino Classics by Basil Valdez. The album is made up of now rarely heard Filipino songs taken from a period of 50 years starting from the ’20s up to the early ‘60s. This is the first time that Basil has recorded old Filipino songs and the results are simply stunning.

Included are Diyos Lamang ang Nakakaalam, Babalik Ka Rin, Dahil Sa Isang Bulaklak, Bituing Marikit, Kung Nagsasayaw Kita, Madaling Araw, Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, Bakas ng Lumipas, Sapagka’t Kami ay Tao Lamang, Lagi Kitang Naaalala, Bayan Ko and Mahiwaga.