The 10 songs that mean so much to  Piolo

This piece has nothing to do with any “issue” even if my friends have been asking me who I side with — Piolo Pascual and Sam Milby or Lolit Solis. The libel case Piolo and Sam have filed against Lolit is now in court, so the least said about it the best. As I’ve been saying, Piolo and Sam are deadset on ferreting out the truth and so does Lolit with her own truth. Yes, I’m neither pro-Lolit nor pro-Piolo/Sam; I am pro-truth (whatever it may be).

Anyway, tomorrow, Nov. 30, Piolo is celebrating his 10th year in showbiz with a concert aptly titled Ten Piolo Pascual at the Araneta Coliseum, produced by ASAP LIVE and Star Records. (Note: For tickets, call Ticketnet at 911-5555.)

Funfare asked Piolo to make a list of the 10 songs that mean  so much to him. Here they are (with explanation):

 1. Kailangan Kita — “My very first big hit, the most requested song in all my shows which also paved the way for me to become a recording artist.”

 2. Kahit Isang Saglit —  “I never really recorded this song but I have a recorded live version and it has also been identified with me even if this is a Martin Nievera version and a Verni Varga version. I remember, during the premiere of the movie Mila in Rockwell, Martin asked me to sing with him on stage live. That time, I was not yet into recording and hindi pa ako sanay maging singer.”

 3. The Gift — “You can consider this a milestone in my career because this is the theme song of my first movie (Milan) with Claudine (Barretto) and the title of my second album and first concert in Araneta.”

 4. Sana’y Maghintay Ang Walang Hanggan — “This is the first Tagalog song that I liked when I was a kid. It made me realize that you can really sing a song with feelings. My sister also used to sing me this song when I was a kid and the first time she ever sang it, she cried. I also met one of the song’s interpreters, Jun Polistico.”

 5. All I Want Is You — “My all-time favorite song which is sung by U2. It reminds me of my younger years na medyo rebelde pa ako and feeling mo cool na cool ka. It also reminds me of the movie Reality Bites so feeling ko din, theme song namin ito ni Winona Ryder. Hindi nga lang niya alam. He, he, he!”

 6. Why Can’t We Be Together — “I composed this for someone really special. Let’s not get into the details na lang.”

 7. There For Me — “Also my composition which I dedicate to my Ate Winnie Mariano. She challenged me to compose a song and I never knew I could.”

 8. This Love — “The  Maroon 5 song which is my and my son Iñigo’s song. When he was around six years old, when we were together, even in the car, he would sing this song.”

 9. Mighty is the Power of the Cross — “A song by Chris Thomlin from the album Arriving. The song reminds me of Christ’s great suffering for our salvation. The song always reminds me of the importance of the cross.”

10. Hanggang and What A Wonderful World — “The favorite songs of my mom.”

The good news is that Piolo is celebrating his 10th year in showbiz also with the publication of Piolo: Believing, a pictorial biography by  celebrity photographer Dave Fabros.

“I believe in Piolo and in his commitment to his craft, and in using what he has to touch the lives of people. That’s simply where this all started,” writes Fabros in his preface.

Fabros has worked with Piolo and other young stars in his seven years with the ABS-CBN Talent Center (now Star Magic), and some of his celebrity photographs are showcased in his website at www.davidfabros.com

Piolo: Believing also includes never-before-seen images from Piolo’s personal photo collection such as those from his childhood, life before showbiz, outtake footage from his films, his day-to-day life with family and friends, and his remarkable showbiz career to this day.

In the book’s foreword, ABS-CBN star-maker Johnny Manahan writes:  “This is about a major star that a network has brought up — and we are mighty proud of what this young man has achieved for himself through the years.  His exemplary professionalism and work ethic are things that have always impressed me and my colleagues…we feel this guy would breeze through the next 20 years, still doing award-winning films and highly-rated TV shows.”

Piolo: Believing is sponsored by San Mig Coffee, Banco de Oro, Sky Travel luggage and Centrum.  It will be formally launched during Pascual’s Big Dome concert.

Piolo: Believing is available in softbound and hardbound editions and at special launch prices during the concert. It will also be available at regular prices in leading bookstores and magazine outlets nationwide.

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