Top 100 Cebuano Personalities: Pilita Corrales Asia’s Queen of Songs

CEBU, Philippines — There was no doubt that Pilita Corrales’ talent and grit would somehow become a household name not only in Cebu but in the entire country too.

Born in August 1939 in Lahug, Cebu City, Corrales was the second of six siblings. She studied at the Colegio de la Immaculada Concepcion, then went to Spain to attend finishing school.

When her father succumbed to a heart attack, the family fortune dried up. The brood had to get creative if they didn’t want to barely get by on their mother’s meager pension.

This was how Corrales began her singing career: at 16 years old with a family to take care of.

Before she made a name for herself as a pop singer, songwriter, actress, comedian and television presenter in the Philippines, Corrales broke ground in Australia where she topped its pop charts -- even before Helen Reddy, Olivia Netwon-John, and Kylie Minogue did -- through her recording “Come Closer to Me” in 1958.

Travelling with a magic group to Australia, they encountered a typhoon and was stranded in open sea for nine days until the Australian navy found them.

Immigrating at 19 years old to the Land Down Under with her family, things only got better for Corrales.

A pioneer in Australia’s early television forays, she appeared in the show “In Melbourne Tonight.” She would become so successful that a street would be named after her in Victoria.

Returning to Manila years later, her radio program “La Taverna” -- where she sang Spanish tunes and played the guitar -- spurned her musical career in the Philippines.

She began having regular shows at the Manila Grand Opera House, but because she could not speak Tagalog and only Bisaya, Corrales was given the comedienne tag.

But there was no question about her singing. In 1972, she became the first Filipino to perform at the Tokyo Music Festival and be hailed the event’s Best Performer.

Known for her glittering gowns and spine-bending moves, she shared the stage with internationally acclaimed artists like Sammy Davis Jr., the Beatles, Frank Sinatra and Julie Andrews, and is the first Filipina to sing at the Ceasar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

Her success would also transcend to film and television, starring in many comedies and musicals where she performed in English, Cebuano, Spanish, and Tagalog.

Corrales received the 1965 Philippine Citizen’s Award for TV as Best TV Female Performer, has earned Cecil, Aliw, Tinig and Awit awards, took home a Merit Award from the 1990 FAMAS, and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI) for bringing Filipino musical artistry to international audiences.

Among her most memorable pieces are “Kapantay ay Langit, ” “A Million Thanks to You, ” “Usahay, ” “Matud Nila” and “Rosas Pandan.”

She has over 135 albums under her belt, and has performed in Asia, Middle East, Australia and in North America.

Her legacy has been passed on to her children, actors Jackie Lou Blanco and Ramon Christopher Gutierrez, and granddaughter Janine Guiterrez.

Just this February, the 79-year-old icon was in Cebu to perform at the “Serenata Italia 2” concert.