Gary Valenciano

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Gary Valenciano

Edgardo José Martín Santiago Valenciano, better known as simply Gary Valenciano (shortened to Gary V.), is a Filipino musician, composer, actor, producer, and gospel singer who is best known for many songs, especially those that became theme songs for movies. His energetic dance moves also garnered him the nickname "Mr. Pure Energy."

Born in the suburb of Santa Mesa in Manila on August 6, 1964, he is the sixth of Vicente Valenciano and Grimilda Santiago Ortiz’s seven children. Santiago Ortiz is a Puerto Rican woman of Italian descent who became a popular opera singer in Manila during the 1960s, and her love for music passed down to her son, Gary. He took his primary and secondary studies in La Salle Greenhills. It was during his high school days, while being on a brief stint the musical group Kundirana, that he devoted himself to music.

He first appeared as a solo in a television show called The Pilita and Jackie Show in 1982, but he was finally noticed after his performances in the TV shows Germspesyal and Penthouse Live. He had his first solo concert, in April 1984, inside the jam-packed Araneta Coliseum. He was soon to make 21 albums, three of them released internationally, including a Christian inspired album called Out in the Dark.

He is married to María Anna Elizabeth "Angeli" Evangelista, with whom he has three children: Juan Paolo Martín, José Angelo Gabriel, and Kristina María Mikaela.

1 Discography
- 1.1 Albums
- 1.2 Songs
2 Trivia
3 External links

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Gary (1984)
Gary...Next (1985)
Gary...Inside Out (1985)
From Gary, Merry Christmas (1986)
Moving Thoughts (1987)
Faces of Love (1989)
Heart and Soul (Live Album)
Shout for Joy (1991)
Dancing in the Moonlight (1992) - Internationally by Toshiba-EMI in Japan
Shout Live (1993)
Hataw Na (1993)
Move Live (1995)
Out of the Dark (1995) - Internationally in the United States
Outside Looking In (1995) - Internationally by Polygram
Interactive (1998)
Revive (2001)
one 2 one (2002)
I Will Be Here (2002)
Beyond Words (2003)
At the Movies (2003)
Pure Heart (2005)
Soul Full
Relevance (2006)

[edit] Songs

This is a list of some of his most notable songs; until recently, artists in the Philippines never release stand-alone singles.

Take Me Out of the Dark
Sana Maulit Muli
Hataw Na
Natutulog ba ang Diyos
Sa Yahweh (Ang Sayaw)
Shout for Joy
Babalik Ka rin
The Warrior Is a Child
’Di Bale na Lang
Could You Be Messiah
That's Why
We Are the Reason
Side by Side

[edit] Trivia

The album Interactive was also released as a CD-ROM, which contains his life and his music. It was the first of its kind in Asia.
As denoted, At the Movies covers songs that became theme songs for movies, especially his version of the well-known Anak by Freddie Aguilar.
The songs The Warrior Is A Child and Sana Maulit Muli became associated with funerals for deceased young stars. The former was sung by Valenciano during a funeral for actor Rico Yan, while (it was revealed during an interview that) the latter was originally written in English as an apostrophe/rhetorical question to actress Julie Vega.
He was appointed UNICEF's Ambassador of Goodwill for the Philippines on December 1998.
He has appeared several commercials, sometimes with best friend Martin Nievera.
He has also starred in twelve movies, appearing beside Vilma Santos and Lorna Tolentino to name a few. He was even awarded for such roles.
He was also involved in musical theater, playing the lead role in Joseph the Dreamer.
He is known to suffer from diabetes mellitus and reports about his diabetes attacks, especially those that occur while on tour, usually worry fans, friends, and family. But his condition is said to have "put things into perspective".
He appeared in the 41st "Kōhaku Utagassen," the Japanese New Year's Eve Red-and-White Song Festival, a prestigious event where elite musicians are invited to go in teams to showcase their talents to the world and battle it out with endurance and song.
His favorite basketball player is Michael Jordan.
His favorite past time is cycling.
Gary V.'s dad, Vic Valenciano, had recently published a photographic and biographical book simply entitled, "Gary Valenciano." The book is 175 pages of pictures and excerpts from cover to cover. Gary's favorite picture in the book was when he was flying a kite, because it was of a memory of when his father had made him a second kite to take the place of a previous kite he tried to fly, but got snagged in a tree. Gary says, the photo is symbolic because it shows that if at first you don't succeed, you have to keep trying, but don't do it on your own. Instead, be with the ones who means the most to you, in this case, Gary was happy that he succeeded with his father.
Gary's first T.V. commercial was for a pop product named "Fresh Gusto," a refreshing cola drink.