Sarah Geronimo serves OPM classics in new album

November 13, 2012, 6:00 PM

Market! Market! Activity Center

Bonifacio Global City

Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City

Ever since coming out as the first winner of the televised reality singing competition Star for a Night, Sarah Geronimo has gone on to become one of the Philippines’ major star for years now. Aside from putting out records, Sarah has also starred in a handful of blockbuster movies, acted in television series, and endorsed numerous products. Currently, she hosts her own musical variety show Sarah G. Live over at ABS-CBN. But Sarah, also known as the Pop Princess, had her roots as a recording artist. And for her latest record, she pays tribute to her Filipino roots via the album Pure OPM Classics.

The album, released by Viva Records is a collection of timeless tunes interpreted by Sarah  showcasing her vocals that made her one of the most popular female vocalists today. Included in this concept album are classics like Handog by Florante, Umagang Kay Ganda by Tillie Moreno & Ray-an Fuentes, Panalangin by the APO Hiking Society, Doon Lang by Nonoy Zuñiga, Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin by Joey Albert, Tao by Sampaguita, Masdan Mo ang Kapaligiran by Asin, Malayo Pa ang Umaga by Rey Valera, Sana by Kristina Paner, Hanggang sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan by Basil Valdez, the Ryan Cayabyab penned Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika by Hajji Alejandro and Anak by Freddie Aguilar. And looking at the singers who first recorded these songs, it’s safe to say that all of the tracks included in the album were originally released before Sarah was even born. In the album, Sarah brought freshness to the songs making them appealing for this generation while still maintaining the essence of the originals pleasing the listeners who still fondly remember them when they were first released. The standout track in the album for me is Tao with Sarah opting to scale back with the vocal gymnastics and opting for a restrained, subdued yet a very heartfelt and mature rendition.

To celebrate the release of Pure OPM Classics, Sarah Geronimo will be having an album launch this November 13, 2012, 6:00 PM at the Market! Market! Activity Center. And for those who have already listened to the album, the track Anak, recorded live from her 24/SG birthday concert, is a sneak peek of what to expect from her during the launch. Also available only during the launch are limited edition posters in four different designs. There will also be a CD signing session after the launch.

Viva Records not only has Sarah Geronimo in its roster of talents. It is also the label of other singing competition winners/finalists like Rachelle Anne Go and Mark Bautista. Other artists from Viva who’ve had albums recently released are Dingdong Avanzado and The CompanY. Several bloggers and I were given the opportunity to visit their office recently. There, we learned about some of Viva's upcoming and established artists who would be coming out with new material soon. One of the label's upcoming artists that they're proud of is young rapper Pio Balbuena. Pio has collaborated with Lolita Carbon, a member of the legendary folk band Asin for the track Himig ng Pag-Ibig which is now currently being heard at several radio stations. A music video for this song has also been released and can be viewed online.