CHRISTIAN BAUTISTA: CAPTURED!

It's a one big splash again for Christian Bautista who's making another roll of fame and character with his new album Captured. Well, would it do by name's sake? Guess its doing some stories now.

From the immaculate floor of the Star In A Million platform all throughout the dazzling cities of the Southeast Asian countries, his musical fame and charisma extends its aroma, making him one of the most renowned singer here and abroad. He did not came out to be the best among them who tried for the Star In A Million show, nonetheless he ended up making new things in his musical life.

The show must go on for him. It teased him to step his every best foot forward; and he did just right with his new album Captured under the recording cradle of Warner Music Philippines. Christian Bautista just wanna be sure that nothing escapes his new album verifying the label that it's dubbed “Captured.” Further Christian spelled few thoughts about his new album. Hear him say, “I want these songs to capture your [fans] attention—your ears, your hearts, your minds, and your souls. I hope you listen to the lyrics and the melodies and try to read in between the lines. May these songs capture you as you've never been before.”

Perhaps we're just becoming more decisive by this time that we've met him again for other collegial sessions of pictorial and interview with him. With his capturing presence among us coupled by his capturing album, would he say “gotcha;” well, so did we! This time on-board our record.



ALBUM TALKS

The album itself with the potpourri of different songs and composers took grossly 3 months in the making before we begone flipping it with his capturing facial imprint with it.

It's in fact a bulky album not because it has a 12-full track album, but because several prominent musicians gave a hand to Christian with his musical pursuit. So, how does it feels and sounds like? “basically this album is like a hindi naman siya experimental pero masasabi ko na iba-iba y'ung sound n'ya. Meron siyang acoustic, typical ballad, medyo rock, medyo mabilis ng konti medyo parang may rnb ng konti. Parang naghahanap kami ng new sound. A duet with Sitti, a song by Martin Nievera, a song by Ogie Alcasid, a song by my brother si Joshua Bautista. So it’s a mixture album.”

The first single that they have decided on defines how Christian bears his image and the song itself. “To start the album off na hey first this is me, this is Christian Bautista ito talaga y'ung the way I sing and the way I like to sing “The One Who Won My Heart,” he explained. Then the next ride would be a duet with Sitti for a newer image, especially for Sitti.

It just took him a little more time garnering all he materials for some other songs because distance and schedules, nevertheless they've made it smooth and eas. “Hindi naman nahirapan pero siguro y'ung scheduling lang to try to get the song from Martin because he's in the States or Sitti's schedule. Pero everything worked out naman wala namang naging problema.” The lighter side of it is the every individual who helped him with some other technicalities. He enumerated, “Y'ung “Captured” I was helped by Thor sa vocal arrangement. Some of the songs Moy Ortiz, Sam Zebedee Zuñiga. Mahilig akong kumuha ng vocal coaching. Kasi even though my ideas are okay pero with the coach mas napapaganda pa n'ya minsan.” Further, he has plans to work with Neil Gregorio, the one who produced his debut album, by the next release.

Statistically the song Creation took the greater slice of time at the recording hub. He explains, “kasi sinulat siya ni Andrew Fromm, y'ung sumulat ng “The Way You Look At Me”. Ang study tape n'yan medyo R&B ng konti tapos ano siya e very deep. You just can't sing it, kailangang punung-puno ka ng emotions. And its a different take on love parang you are a beautiful creation (we don't really say that normally). So medyo parang divine – divine beauty, divine diva.”

Christian anticipates few of his forthcoming albums; as favored accordingly, he points “y'ung mga possible is “Hope”, y'ung song na sinulat ng kapatid ko si Joshua, y'ung sinulat ni Ogie “Could Have Been The One”. So possible “Hope”, “I Want To Be The One” kasi mabilis or “Just This Time” y'un y'ung mga possible choices y'un y'ung mga songs na pinagpipilian.”

And what Christian wants from head to toe of his album, “Na ma-capture sila ng music namin ulit. Na magkaroon sila ng bagong sense or bagong excitement na maka-relate sila kahit sa isang kanta whatever it is. Hopefully they will support other artists as well na I collaborated with like sila Sitti or sina Nina.”

What song is representative of how you feel now and how you are growing?
Its “Hope” for me. Hoping that this New Year will be a better year and I am hoping that I will finally find and hoping that to still get more audiences or fans this year and hopefully to have a good year. I'll be honest for the past albums medyo mahirap kaming makapasok sa single or sa sales so hopefully this year will be a good year.

What are the feedbacks for “Captured”?
I had good feedbacks dito sa “Captured” kasi it had a good video tapos nagulat din sila kay Sitti who can also do pop. The song is also very positive, very easy to listen to. So far so good pero we're still looking for that super big hit na so far hindi pa namin nakukuha. Hindi pa napapantayan y'ung first single ko. So I still have to find that.

Did you have a lot of creative control with this album?
I put in a lot of suggestions. Y'ung mga ayaw ko medyo pinatanggal namin parang we find a middle ground. Sa arrangements ng songs, mas Warner pa rin ang in-charge. Honestly, I don't know anything about playing the piano or music or ano y'ung idadagdag pero kapag meron akong idea pinapasok ko naman tapos they do something about it.

Anything you'd like to add about the album?
Well, we've really put a lot of work in this album and we're very happy. It’s a risk because it’s all original so I think that every artist should take that risk from time to time kahit na for sure ang mabebenta ay mga covers. It’s also good na from time to time maglabas ka ng original album or at least original singles or songs kasi y'un naman talaga ang magpapa-grow sa atin as an artist at sa industry natin. Kung lahat tayo mag-cover in five years wala ng orig na kanta. I'm very happy with the likes of sina Yeng na talagang singer-songwriter na talagang ang gaganda ng kanta.


CAPTURED CLOSER

Outside his musical bubble Christians' been doing things to help build-up his physique. “Now, ang hilig kong magbasketball ngayon. I have to play basketball every week with my brothers kasi parang na-exercise ako and my stamina built up. Nag-gigym na din ako ng madalas ulit,” he said. Besides, he is into a personal housing project which would then be his asylum of independence. “I'm building a house. I have a house now. I'll start living on my own sa San Juan. It's a small house. It's not my dream house pero its a half way house. I've been buying furnitures with my friends and very exciting na dapat pili lahat so ang tagal nga e. Dapat y'ung kutson tama, y'ung tv tama pero okay lang nag-eenjoy ako building it. Tignan natin if I will actually live in it,” stressed.

Christian assesses his strings of experiences from the time that he's trying to get his feet wet till he has totally plunged his whole self to this career. He starts, “definitely wiser. Definitely more experienced. Pero y'un nga mas maraming challenges ngayon kasi madali n'ung first year. Ang dami mong support from the contest, from TV, from the success of the first album lagi kasi when you start laging may excitement y'an e plus y'ung tao 'hey who is this guy?'. Now, it’s time to follow it up with whatever means possible to stay afloat in this career. And I thank God naman kasi so far I'm still in the business kahit maraming bagong singers na lumalabas.” Further, Christian is aware that times are getting tighter, even unto their spaces.

He continued, “mahirap ngayon kasi mahirap sa sales, sa lahat, mas sa piracy. Parang ngayon hindi ko na talaga alam ang gusto ng tao. Ang dami ng kinds ng music so you got the likes of y'ung niching nila Richard Poon nabalik sa Classic standards, sila Sitti Bossa, of course, may mga bands pa rin na nag-stand out pero iba na e kanya-kanya na which is good kasi variety na pero y'un nga I have to find my own niche and I have to standout there. We have to study this year if kung tama ba na we go to acting. Makakatulong ba iyon or kung more concerts o live performances ulit para ma-establish na singer ka. Others are saying also na medyo hindi na nila alam kung saan ilalagay kung host ba ako or actor ba ako. Ngayon we're planning to go back to singing. We can do these things pero mas focus sa singing.”


What music have you gotten lost in lately?
My favorite at the moment y'ung kay Rico Blanco y'ung “Your Universe”.

Does everything you experience or feel somehow find its way into your songs?
Oo naman. Minsan y'un, minsan ito. Alamin n'yo na lang kung alin dun. Definitely mayroon d'yang mga kanta na n'ung nirecord ko ito ang naramdaman ko pero hindi ko p'wedeng specific kasi magkaka-issue. So definitely maraming heartfelt d'yan. Maraming straight from the heart.

How would you describe your journey so far?
It's not easy. It's not easy now. Eto na y'ung point in a singer's career na its either make or break. Fifth year ko na so medyo y'ung mga fans ko nung “The Way You Look At Me” pa kung mag-stick pa rin sila. I have to find new ways to get more fans. I gotta be more innovative or I have to find my niche more. Find something new this new year or for the next year. Kasi in a way I just can't rest on my laurels. It’s true na I had a good start with the first album like a four quadruple Platinum, sabihin na rin natin because of piracy and new artists medyo bumababa na y'ung sales ng konti. I have to find a jumpstart.

So far what are your preparations to achieve your goals?
With this album, parang medyo exprimental s'ya sa music. Naghahanap kami ng kung ano ba talaga ang sound namin. Babalik ba kami sa talagang solid na balladeer or magbo-boarder ba ako sa pop-rock kasi medyo edgy ang album na eto, medyo mataas y'ung album ko. Magma-masa ba ako. Super high-end ba ako. So kailangang y'un ang mahanap namin ulit.

What's in store for you this year that your fans could expect?
Uulitin namin y'ung play (West Side Story) sa July marami pa kasing gustong manuod. A new album. Concert this February 21. A solo concert this year hopefully. I want to have a rock concert.

Reflect on the past five years. Have you grown in understanding yourself and relationships?
Oh definitely yes even the past few weeks ang daming nangyari sa akin. To think that this is the start of the New Year I thought it would be a bad start pero eventually God has revealed to me that He will never leave me. He loves me and trust lang ako kay God at Siya na ang bahala sa lahat. That's what He thought me for this year na something good will happen.

Do you have plans of learning any instrument?
May plano. Maraming nagsasabi na mag-aral ako ng piano or gitara pero I can start why not. Parang mas bagay nga ang piano sa akin.

Of all the songs that you have recorded, do you have a favorite song that means more to you than the others?
“The Way You Look At Me” pa rin talaga. It really started my career. I love that song. I love it now when I sing it marami pa ring nakakatanda. I love introducing it to new audiences all the time. Nagugulat sila sa sobrang ganda nung kanta talaga.

Did you ever get tired of singing that song over and over again?
Hindi kasi proud talaga ako sa kantang y'un. Siguro I'll get tired kung wala ng may gusto n'ung song pero hangga't ngayon meron pa naman so I'll sing it as long as I live.

Did you feel any pressure to succeed prior to the release of "Completely"?
May pressure sa album na ito na hopefully mag-succeed. Kung ano bang magugustuhan ng tao.

On his next album:
Kaming magkakapatid actually finished this song kaming tatlo. Nagkatuwaan kami we recorded it so tignan natin kung ma-release maganda e. Sinulat ni Joshua at ako. Si Jordan y'ung nag-gitara. Y'ung isang pinsan ko nag-drums, y'ung isang pinsan ko nag-bass. Excited akong mag-create ng song this year and probably learn an instrument. And I'll focus on being a singer again. For the defense of acting, because of the musical I fell in love with acting seriously. Definitely singer pa rin dapat ako. Ang galing nga ni Regine e singer pa rin siya pero every five years she does a movie 'tas it becomes a hit sana parang gan'un. Nakatulong kasi sa singing ko y'ung acting kasi y'ung internalizing with lines lang walang music is so hard. Madaling mag-emote kapag may melody kasi nadadala ka n'ung music. Y'ung experience makakatulong y'un sa acting mo at saka sa singing mo. Y'ung acting nakatulong sa singing ko kasi kung paglabas ng emotion na walang melody e malalabas ko paano pa kaya kung may melody so mas nakadagdag siya.

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