Hannah Precillas gives Sharon Cuneta classic a new flavor

When Hannah Precillas was offered by GMA Music to remake the classic song Sa Aking Daigdig, she admitted to having mixed emotions knowing that it is one of the biggest Original Pilipino Music (OPM) hits performed by Megastar Sharon Cuneta.

“I initially felt nervous because I was thinking of how I am going to give it a new flavor,” began the Sparkle diva who is dubbed as the Kapuso OST Princess.

“While I’m confident that GMA Music can give it a beautiful arrangement, I still couldn’t help but think what approach to take to give the song a new flair and to make it sound different from the original version of Sharon Cuneta.”

Composed by Vehnee Saturno, Sa Aking Daigdig was the soundtrack of the 1991 blockbuster movie Kaputol ng Isang Awit topbilled by Sharon, Gary Valenciano and Tonton Gutierrez.

Hannah added that while they were in the process of coming up with a new sound that will spark fresh interest from listeners, she fully embraced the challenge and felt excited over the outcome of the song.

“Yes, I had this fear in me to make major changes, especially because this is a classic song and one of the iconic songs of the previous generation. So, parang natatakot akong galawin or gumawa ng runs o kulot (sa tono).

“But after getting the permission (to do changes) since it’s a revival, I did something new (to its sound) yet I made sure that it will still sound as an OPM ballad na hindi ko pwedeng gawin na super R&B na punong-puno ng kulot.

“I must admit that I had a hard time altering the tone due to my weakness in mid-range (sounds), but I can say that what I did came out beautifully for the song. More on mid lang siya na kumbaga hindi super birit.

“All in all, mabilis siyang tumatak sa isip ko. In fact, I even got LSS (last song syndrome) with this song,” shared Hannah who also promised that the modernized version has retained the classic ballad tone.

Asked about her favorite lines in the song, the 26-year-old chanteuse proceeded to sing the portion that goes, “Bawat sandaling kapiling ka’y anong saya/Ang lungkot kailanman ay ‘di ko nadarama/ Sa ‘kin ang iyong pag-ibig ay kasing wagas ng langit.”

The lines, she declared, perfectly capture the essence of her life’s memorable moments. Hannah narrated that spending time with her family and friends in Manila delights her no end “because when you are surrounded by people who are dear and important to you, it feels like all your worries in life suddenly disappear.”

Hannah told The STAR that she, too, finds happiness performing alongside members of the Divas of the Queendom in All-Out Sundays (AOS) like Julie Anne San Jose, Mariane Osabel, Jessica Villarubin, Thea Astley and Aicelle Santos.

In fact, she considers her every performance on stage with the divas as the best “because every time I watch the taped portions of our performances or our duet numbers, I can’t help but notice the happiness on my face while I’m singing. Kakaiba ‘yung saya ko at nakikita rin kung gaano kami ka-komportable sa isa’t-isa off and on-cam.”

Having been around the music scene for nine years now, Hannah has observed how her sound has truly evolved.

“I feel like my vocal tone has greatly improved compared to the time that I was just starting. And I am thankful for the opportunities to perform not just as a solo artist but also for getting on the stage of All-Out Sundays and singing with the Divas of the Queendom because I get to learn different styles of singing. ‘Yung natuto akong kumanta na i-blend ‘yung boses ko with the other singers,” said Hannah who is looking forward to performing her latest single Sa Aking Daigdig in AOS.

“I found it really tough to do at first since I am used to singing solo but through AOS, I learned some techniques and a lot more things, and it’s not just all about me all the time.”

To recall, Hannah won the title Bet ng Bayan in 2014, which paved the way for her to become the voice behind the theme songs of most, if not all, Kapuso soaps.

To stay humble is a piece of advice given to Hannah in the beginning of her singing career, which she truly has taken to heart as she continues to wow fans with her vocal prowess.

She knows that having humility not only helps her develop a kinder approach to interacting with others, but it also influences how she perceives herself and the world around her.

“I always want to make myself as humble as I can. Another thing which I considered as (a piece of) advice came from Ate Aicelle through one of our random conversations. She said, ‘If you have nothing good to say, it’s better to remain silent.’ And I’ve realized that she’s right so as to avoid hurting other people.”

(Hannah’s latest single Sa Aking Daigdig, now available on all digital music streaming platforms worldwide, landed on the No. 4 spot on iTunes PH’s Top 100 Songs chart upon its release and is included on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist.)