As Champ Lui Pio found out after disbanding Hale two years ago, starting over is not an easy thing.
Back then, he also announced his intention to embark on a solo career, he released “Synergy,” his first solo album which, despite collaborations with the likes of Gloc-9, Noel Cabangon, Julianne, Hilera and Parokya Ni Edgar, somehow failed to approach the success he enjoyed with Hale.
Undaunted, the 30-year old singer-songwriter then formed his own independent record label, Mecca Music. This is where Champ found success by somehow reinventing himself as an artist manager with a very keen eye for talent.
It comes as no surprise, though as Champ’s father, Nonoy Tan, also took a similar career path in music, first as frontman of the hitmaking pop band Wadab during the 1980s and later as a successful songwriter for other artists.
Like his old man before him, Champ has no problem sharing his musical expertise to young talents that he is nurturing through Mecca Music.
“My music company is doing really well. We started with Somedaydream last year and now we’re getting ready to launch our second artist, Luigi D’Avola,” he beamed.
Somedaydream is actually a one-man synth project created by Rez Toledo, another singer-songwriter. Since signing up with Mecca, Somedaydream scored a big hit with the infectious dance ditty, “Hey, Daydreamer”, which became number one in the Myx Hit Chart and Pinoy Myx Countdown last year.
To prove that the success of “Hey, Daydreamer” was no fluke, Rez scored another big hit with the follow-up single, “Delivery Boys.”
“When I first heard his music, I was really impressed with the distinct sound he was able to produce. Electro Pop is not a familiar genre here in the Philippines, and I figured it would be a challenge for me to break out a young artsit with a unique sound. A year later, his is the face of Electropop music in the country,” Champ noted.
Naturally, there was a strong clamor for Champ to collaborate with his prized talent, who earlier this year teamed up with Sarah Geronimo and Gary Valenciano for “Tuloy,” a song now regarded as Coca-Cola’s 100th anniversary theme song in the country.
“People have been asking me ‘Oh when are you collaborating with him?’ and we’ve held back for quite some time about the whole idea,” said Champ.
The idea of the collaboration finally came to Champ and Somedaydream as soon as they heard the music from SMART’s Live More campaign.
“The lines ‘It’s Your Time. It’s Your Life’ really apply to me because I’m still a student and at the same time I’m working on my music projects. I’m always searching for that thing I can do my best at. Whether it’s school or performing a song, I try to really live in the moment,” according to Rez.
Including the still untested Luigi in the mix is a no-brainer for Champ, who feels the need to have his newest artist heard as early as possible.
“Luigi is a breath of fresh air. He’s only 17 and he has shown great promise and potential. He writes his own music and sings very well,” declared Champ. “In fact, we’re launching his single early September so you’ll be seeing and hearing more of him for sure.”
And Luigi did not disappoint as the kid more than held his own against his more seasoned collaborators in the inspiring, techno-sounding tune with a very Rocky-slash-Karate Kid feel to it that carried over in the gorgeously photographed music video by director Enzo Valdez and director of photography Mycko David.
For Luigi, to be a part of something big and to show people what he can do is a golden opportunity that was too good to pass up. “My mom taught me to follow my dreams and do what you love and this is what I love—music.”
Mashing up three artists who come from different genres may not seem like a good idea at the outset but as the finished product shows, it actually worked out quite well.
“It’s interesting for people to see how I infused my background from alternative rock with Somedaydream’s brand of electro pop and Luigi’s young talent into one cohesive collaboration,” said Champ.
source: interaksyon.com
