Sampaguita reluctant Pinoy rock goddess

MANILA, Philippines - In a country where almost everybody dreams of becoming a rock star, it sounds pretty amusing that a lady voice who pioneered Pinoy rock was able to reach such lofty position without the initial confidence of a true-blue singer and that impassioned vision to reach the top of the charts. 

Yes, Sampaguita, the singer behind the seminal hit Bonggahan and confidence-inducing Nosi Balasi recalled herself as a dancer first and foremost and just someone wanting to become an actress. 

“I was not a singer, I was a dancer. Sampaguita is not a dream of mine but somebody else’s,” said the veteran act in a chat with The STAR during a presscon for Senyor Rock.

She was referring to starmaker and ex-husband Nilo Santos who also launched Juan Dela Cruz Band’s Mike Hanopol to solo stardom. The idea was to have female version of the man who popularized the word jeproks. 

After she realized she couldn’t stand the countless retakes in a movie shoot, she was apparently persuaded and came on her lap the song Bonggahan. 

The former fashion model, who on the side now sells perfume products, noted, “That song’s message was very me. ’Wa ko type ang magpa-cry cry. Let’s all have a good time.’ I’m proud of what we have done.”

Sampaguita joins contemporaries Pepe Smith, Wally Gonzalez, Lolita Carbon and Resty Fabunan in a special show billed Senyor Rock set tonight at Hard Rock Café, Glorietta, Makati. Promoter Bing Palad-Apolinario considers this effort gathering such big names “a dream come true.” 

 When told that she is by now the female counterpart to Pinoy rock poster boy Pepe Smith, Sampaguita answered, “I feel proud being mentioned in the level of Pepe Smith who is his own person.” 

Songwriter-bass player Enrie Cabatino, who penned the late ’80s hit Nosi Balasi in less than an hour, hailed Sam P’s (as she is fondly called by her mates) intuitive nature. He remarked that she instantly thought that the song would make it big. Indeed, it became her comeback hit. 

Admitting she had to go through some vocal training in the early years, Sampaguita, now confident than ever, is currently looking for materials to eventually record. She has long accepted that her heydays are gone, but more importantly feels happy of how she is valued by the music scene. “You have to accept that you will grow old,” she shared, “Enjoy the fact na nandun ang respect ng mga tao sa ’yo. I saw the Rolling Stones in Macau and I saw kids watching and enjoying them.” 

Meanwhile, the internationally-acclaimed female voices behind the hits of legendary ABBA were recently given spotlight in front of Filipinos when tribute act AbbaMania performed in a series of concerts in the Philippines. 

The quartet delivered their highly-justified versions of ABBA classics at Solaire Resorts & Casino Grand Ballroom for the first show last March 21, then flew to Baguio, Cebu City, Dumaguete City and at General Santos City on March 30.

“Their magic is basically the ability to create music that serves as soundtrack to many people’s lives,” summed up AbbaMania’s musical director Steven Galert. 

Ewa Scott, the vocalist singing as blond Swedish girl Agnetha Faltskog, remembered her experience the first time they got to Manila, “Filipinos are lovely people and provide beautiful service.”

Like Sampaguita, Ewa would rather act laid-back off stage and not live within the trappings of fame.

She added, “It’s already second nature to us doing the ABBA act. We just go on with our lives after every performance.”

The other two AbbaMania members are Sharon Fehlberg and Adam Robertson. 

The latest AbbaMania Manila tour was produced by Viva Live, Inc. and Redstone Media Productions.