E MEET AGAIN. This time, in the pizza house he endorses – where he seals the round-table interview with a performance of his two songs: Kailan Pa Ma'y Ikaw , his latest single, and The Way You Look at Me , the song that introduced Christian Bautista to the world.

It may be “Hello, fans!” for Christian when he made it as a grand finalist in Star In A Million , the singing competition on ABS-CBN that he considers the first ever highlight of his showbiz life. But it was “Hello world!” for the 23-year-old balladeer when he toured the United States alongside Sarah Geronimo , Rachelle Ann Go , Sheryn Regis , Mark Bautista and Erik Santos for the Night of the Champions concert series. But it was really the hit single, The Way You Look at Me that put him on the radar when it gained massive airplay in local pool of radio stations and even reached neighboring countries like Indonesia and Malaysia .

Hesitant to have his first bit of the pizza and lasagna, Christian doesn't want to turn down guests from the media and wants to answer more questions. But time is up.

Though he looks tired and famished from a busy morning schedule, he asks me if I had taken my lunch. I say, “Yes, thank you!” and bid “Goodbye!” with a smile, an assurance that someday we will say “Hello,” to each other again!”

FIRST HELLO

IN his hometown in Imus , Cavite , remnants of his origin are found in an old house where love is abundant, memories stays fresh and close ties among family member are preserved in black-and-white photos, some of which are laminated and left hanging on walls.

But there's another keyhole to the Bautista archives: a rustic wooden cabin, which is just a few blocks away from the main Bautista house.

From the outside, it seems quiet and innocent. Yet inside, the rest house has a lot to say about its heritage through the proverbs and poems left inscribed on walls to inspire its present dwellers:

How can you buy or sell the sky,

The warmth of the land?

The idea is strange to us

If we do not own the freshness of the air

And the sparkle of the water

How you buy them?

The bungalow, which they call Bayan Luma , used to be a pig sty and has only been re-built in recent years but the site on which the house stands used to be a hideout of Christian's lolos and lolas , an underground refuge for Caviteños during the Japanese era.

Through time and many storms that threatened it, the house evolved and turned into a nice, cozy, relaxing bahay bakasyunan for members of the Bautista clan who wish to escape from the harshness of city life. Now, they use it for special occasions like birthday celebrations, church fellowships, family gatherings, reunions and sleepovers – Star In A Million finalists Sheryn and Johann Escañan spent the night here with Christian after a mall show in Imus .

“I was very much into sports before when I had the time. Noong nasa U.P. ako , I was part of the table tennis varsity,” he recalls. “There are times na gusto magping-pong . Ang hinahanap ko talaga , ‘pag nagba -basketball kami , football, paintball, ‘yung Gotcha! War games with friends, naka -fatique kami lahat . ‘Yun ang dating madalas naming nagagawa. Ngayon, puro indoor na lang , badminton or bowling, billiards, golf.

“It's really because of my dad who introduced a lot of sports sa amin noong bata kami . Bibili niya kami ng baseball bat, baseball mit, hockey stick, roller blades, basketball, tennis, badminton, lahat . Ipapalaro niya sa amin nu'ng bata pa kami . So, ngayon, halos kahit anong sports, marunong kami . Kahit hindi magaling , makakalaro . It's also a ways to bond with your family, three boys pa kami so ang saya-saya .”

Every room in Bayan Luma excavates memories of the not so distant past – one of these belongs to one 23-year-old Christian Joseph Morata Bautista , whose dusty sketches and plates lay piled on a drawing platform by a mini-billiard table. A reminder that not so long ago, Christian was an amateur doodling with technical pens, rulers and triangles.

“I was just doing the plates and the assignments not because I like doing it. Unlike my other classmates na napaka -passionate nila. If they have to spend a lot just to make a 3D computer design, gagawin talaga nila . Hindi ako gano'n . Pero I reach the deadlines, naipapasa ko on time.

“Napili ko siya kasi na -enjoy ko ‘yung drafting nu'ng high school. ‘Di ba, merong either home economics or parang technology na elective? So, pinili ko ‘yung tech, ‘yong ‘yung drawing, so naisip ko , siguro ‘eto na lang . Besides, architecture is a good course. Hindi naman ako pinilit ng parents ko . Pinayagan nila ako pumili kung ano ang gusto ko . Parang ‘yung thinking na ano ‘yung favorite subject mo nu'ng high school, ‘yung ang piliin mo sa college. Hindi ko naman naisip na meron pa ‘kong extra-curricular, pwede akong mag -Comm, puwede akong mag -Advertising. Nu'ng nando'n na ‘ko sa L.A. , parang, dapat pala nag -Comm ako kasi mas magagamit ko ‘yung iba kong hilig pero nando'n na ako, eh .

“Lagi ko pa rin sinasabi na may plano pa rin ako to take the board exam. The license is for big projects,” says the former school choir boy.

REGULAR KID

IF you want an idea of the “regular” kid before his take on stardom, his mo, Tita Jo, can also help you out with that. But Christian would rather spill the details.

“Before showbiz, okey lang na maligo ako sa gabi , the next day, hindi na ako maliligo ,” he says . “Okey na ‘yon . Pero ngayon, hindi na puwede, eh . I have to shave everyday. I have to put makeup on ‘pag lalabas . I understand that. Meron ding ibang tao na kahit nasa showbiz na sila, ayaw mag -makeup . Unfai r naman din doon sa mga nanonood who want to see you as a good looking person. Na -realize ko later on na , ‘Oh yeah, I do have to dress up, I do have to fix my hair, I do have to choose the right clothes.' Kasi before, parang wala lang, kahit ano . I adjust, pero okey naman . My family, ‘You should be like this, you should be like that.'

The entire house is actually nostalgic of Christian's childhood as a gradeschooler at International Christian Academy in Parañaque City all the way to his college days when he was a Landscape Architecture student at the University of the Philippines . His younger brothers Joshua (21) and Jordan (18) are currently in kolehiyo taking up Communications and Creative and Computer Technology, respectively.

Born on October 19,1981, Christian could have been the architect of the family. He had actually designed the school garden is his church. But his family-inherited talent for singing called him to a musical vocation and a singing career was imminent form the beginning. He later joined the musical theater group Trumpets and got the lead part in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

“It's a talent I knew I had pero hindi ko sineryoso to the point na gusto kong maging professional,” he quips. “Okey lang sa akin na kakantahin ko na parang hobby lang siya.

Nowadays, he listens to Hoobastank , Vertical Horizon , Maroon 5 , Martin (Nievera) and Gary (Valenciano ).

When busy, he just stays at his Lola's house at Diliman, Quezon City for short rest periods. But when he gets the chance to take a day off, he usually sleeps, plays basketball and computer games, or reads sci-fi books.

THE STORY PROBABLY EVERYBODY KNOWS

IT was a popularity contest. For if it was a game of voice and who sang most beautifully, it would be Christian who should walk away with the prize. But he lost to three more contestants, landing on fourth place.

“Nu'ng natanggal ako. Lahat sila sa bahay nalungkot . Hindi na sila nanood ,” he recalls. “The ironic thing was, after that episode na natanggal ako , may Christmas party. Ang lungkot ko! Pero nagpunta pa rin ako kasi nga it's family na rin, eh .”

It wasn't the mere hand of the judges that led him out the door with his tail between his legs. However, destiny has thought of a way to cheer him up, or perhaps, it was its way of showing him his real path to stardom.

“You know what, I am completely fine with what happened,” he says. “Thank you I lost because I got the Warner deal sand that's it. Lumapit ‘yung mga taga -Warner, ‘Christian, I want to get you. I want to sign you up.”

His showbiz career officially started in April 2003. Even before he joined Star In A Million , he had already auditioned for Warner Music Philippines but when the record company decided to call him back, it wasn't until he finished Star In A Million that Warner was able to get him to sign the contract.

Since he joined the Warner family, “ ni -release na ‘yung The Way You Look at Me , pero hindi kumagat sa radyo ,” he remembers. “For weeks, hinahanap ko sa bawat radio station. Siguro, sumikat siya dahil sa Mangarap Ka (an ABS-CBN soap opera), ginamit siya ‘pag may kilig scene si Piolo (Pascual) ‘tsaka si Angelica (Panganiban) . Everyday ‘yon , so ever since, nakilala na siya . Naging busy na ‘ko from then, with lots of mall shows, promotions. “

IN THE BIG LEAGUE

HIS days of innocence are near over, now that in just one and a half year, he is recognized for his voice and his love songs, and anyone asked about Christian Bautista can surely fire a few lines or an entire chorus from any of his hits songs. It was this instant rise to fame coupled with hard work that made him a part of last year's hottest and biggest musical events like The First Champions , Pinoy Idols and the Jasmine Trias concert at the Araneta Coliseum, The Way You Look at Me The Concert at Greenbelt Onstage and The Repeat at the Music Museum, and the most Kuh Ledesma concert.

With his early success, Christian has remained the old soul that he was. In fact, if you ask him if he has gotten used to those salacious headlines about him, he'd admit it still bothers him.

“Sinasanay ko na ‘yung sarili ko ,” he says. “Sabi nga nila , ‘You shouldn't be able that affected kasi nga alam namn natin na hindi totoo ‘yon .' Kaya lang, kahit alam ko na hindi totoo, ‘yung fact na ini -imply na gan'on , and people are so gullible, it bothers me. I'm new, intriga is new. It bothers me. Eventually nga , I would have to learn how to deal with it.”

Despite all the competition and gossip, he stays focused. “ Mas gusto ko ito ,” he stresses. “Before kasi, parang ayoko ‘yung masyadong showbiz because I thought it was hard. I thought medyo mahihirapan ako, na mahirap kumita , hindi sure, hindi stable. Pero nu'ng nabigyan ako ng ganitong opportunity and everything's going well now, I realized na I want to do this na for the rest of my life.”

Though his voice outshines his ear-shattering contemporaries, Christian still is a victim of unfair comparisons. When his name is mentioned, talented artists like Mark Bautista, Erik Santos and international sensation Josh Groban all come to mind.

“'Pag si Mark, tinatawag akong kapatid niya . Tina -try naming i -figure out kasi meron daw siyang mga lolo na taga -Cavite,” he explains. “Kami ni Erik, madalas kaming magsama sa Star In A Million . Sa States naman, lagi naman kami magkakasama ni Mark ‘tsaka si Sarah.”

But there's more just one more person that merits special mention every time Christian appears to his fans – Rachelle Ann Go, with who he spent New Year's Eve and he reportedly gifted with a diamond necklace last Valentine's Day.

While Sarah (Geronimo) and Mark have been paired (through the latter has been reported to having wooed Rachelle), so are Christian and Rachelle whose onstage chemistry works for the audience. Their video for the duet revival You and Me may give you a piece of the action but talks about their friendship taking a romantic turn has yet to be confirmed.

“She's very likeable. Kaming tatlo , we all like her (Rachelle),” explains Christian. “I'm just very fortunate na ako ‘yung pine -pair. Meron siyang cuteness na ine -exude. I go for a girl na magaling talaga kumanta . Not necessarily, but it's a plus. Siyempre hindi mo naman puwede sabihin na ang gusto ko lang na babae ‘yung kumakanta , pero mas okey sa ‘kin kung kumakanta ‘cause I sing also.”

THE COMPOSER

NOBODY knows what's next for Christian who reaped blessing after blessing lat year. With his theatrical background (he is a Trumpets alumnus) and good looks, movie producers, may have something in oven for him. “Kung may offer, why not? Take it,” says he. For the meantime, let him serenade us with songs all move our hearts and souls. “I

like to sing ballads. I like ballads,” he shares. “Mas napi -feel ko is a song is slow. I find it more meaningful if it's a ballad. So, mas nae -express ko nang mabuti . If course, I also like rock songs and some other fast songs pero mas gugustuhin ko ‘yung ballads.”

Christian is also trying his hand on writing his own songs. “Nakatapos na ako ng isa. Susulat pa ‘ko ng mga 100, tapos possibly isa doon sa mga ‘yon papasok sa second album,” he says. Mapili rin ang Warner. Before, noong nagko -collect kami ng songs ng first album. ‘Sulat kaya ako?' Sumulat ako ng isa. ‘Ah, naka-dalawa na pala ako.' Submit ko, ayaw nila. Hindi naman talaga bagay . May quality silang hinahanap . Hindi lang porke it's your song, pasok , which I respect. I'm here now if not for them, and I'm sure that they're doing the right thing for me.”

Along the way, Christian wouldn't be where he is now without the all-support and loyalty of the people around him – manager Carlo Orosa , Trumpets' Audie Gemora and his mom who accompanied him in every taping and audition. He also listens to the advise of such musical geniuses like Freddie Santos .

“Sabi niya sa akin , ‘When you perform, you gotta love your audience at dapat ma -feel ng audience ‘yung genuine love mo for them.' It's like an energy that you give out. If you really mean what you sing, what you do, mapi -feel talaga ng tao ,” he says.

“That really changed me a lot. Kasi before, I would just produce a nice sound, kanta ng maganda pero hindi ko masyado nalalagyan ng emotion. Nu'ng natutunan ko ‘yon, I started putting emotion, mas nagre -react ‘yung crowd, mas nagiging maganda ‘yung performance. I look at them straight in the eye. I sing to them. It goes back to you, eh. If you really connect with your audience, if your heart is right. Genuine friendliness to other people kahit hindi ka nagpe -perform para ma -feel nila na you're here for them. That's your job, you're an entertainer. You're here to make them feel better. Eh, kung ipaplastik mo pa, mararamdaman nila ‘yon.”

Love and music bind the Bautistas together in a house that stands as a testament of the years gone by. With Christian Bautista making his dreams come true, Bayan Luma will certainly not run out of good family stories to tell its visitors.
(Articles lifted from Inside Showbiz Magazine) - -