Aiza Seguerra's
transition from a child star to a certified singer-performer is a rare feat not
commonly seen in the local entertainment industry.
While shifting from acting to singing is not totally a novelty in show business where image reinvention includes broadening one's horizon for commercial purposes, Aiza's case is special in the sense that the former Eat Bulaga! Little Miss Philippines finalist fought her way to be recognized as a serious singer-performer who is honest to her craft rather than follow the dictates of the game.
It was in 2001 when Aiza successfully shed off her child star image with the release of the hit single, "Pagdating ng Panahon." The heartwarming song catapulted Aiza to the local music charts while at the same time allowed acoustic music to penetrate mainstream radio.
The album itself made a big splash—impressive considering the fact that Aiza's debut record came out at the height of the piracy problem that has plagued the industry for years.
Since 2001, Aiza has continuously
dished out albums showcasing her style of acoustic driven music. Her latest
album, Open Arms, has reached
platinum status in five different countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia,
Taiwan and Hong Kong.
In addition, Aiza's song
collaboration with Bevlyn (a Singaporean singer-songwriter), "When You
Say Nothing At All" is now topping the radio hit charts in Singapore.
"Hindi ko akalaing tatangkilikin ng mga tao sa ibang bansa ang album ko, siyempre di naman nila ako gaano kilala, kaya overwhelming talaga ang feeling. A pleasant surprise indeed," Aiza enthused in an earlier statement given to the media.
NEW LIVE RECORD. Still reeling from the success of Open Arms, Aiza assembled her band last June 26 at the Teatrino Promenade in Greenhills, San Juan, to record a live album set for a July release under Star Records.
Performing live while at the same documenting the performance on tape entails tremendous pressure. Despite the nerves and occasional false starts in between numbers, Aiza along with her band pulled off an impressive show consisting of familiar and well-loved OPM and foreign tunes.
"Actually this is my second live album pero this time talagang, kasi ito yong banda ko talaga, e, so this time kasama ko talaga yong banda ko tapos 'yong mga kinakanta namin sa gigs. I mean very thankful din ako sa Star Records dahil hinayaan nila kami na gawin 'to. Mas nag-i-enjoy kasi kami sa live [performance] kesa sa recording," Aiza told PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) after the show.
The songs, according to Aiza, are the usual repertoire they deliver during live gigs and performances.
Aiza, likewise, performed her own composition, "Tanging Ikaw." An impromptu performance of Michael Jackson's old hit, "Man in the Mirror," reminded everyone inside the venue of the King of Pop's legacy and the void brought by his untimely passing.
Raimund Marasigan of the defunct yet legendary Pinoy band, the Eraserheads, showed up to play the drums in the numbers "Magasin," "Huling El Bimbo," and "Huwag Mo Nang Itanong"—three of the Eraserheads' most popular songs.
"Kasi tumugtog kami before sa Singapore tapos kinanta namin tapos narinig ni Raimund tapos parang nag-text siya noon kay Mike [Villegas, Aiza's lead guitarist] na ‘Sayang, gusto ko sanang tumugtog with you guys' tapos naisip nga namin na since may lalabas na ganito, kakantahin din naman namin yong songs ng Eheads ba't di natin i-invite si Raimund. I mean, pangarap ko din naman na makatugtog sila," Aiza offered, explaining Raimund's inclusion into the project.
Some of the songs performed by Aiza were Seal's "Kiss From A Rose," VST & Co.'s "Ipagpatawad Mo," Janet Jackson's "Every Time," Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," Color It Red's signature mainstream hit "Paglisan," Rizal Underground's "Bilanggo," and Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine's "Anything For You" among others.