Pilita Corrales

Pilar Garrido Corrales (born August 22, 1937)^[1] is a Filipina pop singer-songwriter, actress, comedian, and television presenter. She is dubbed as "Asia's Queen of Songs" in her home country and is widely known for her rendition of "Kapantay Ay Langit" which eventually became her signature song.^[2]

She recently became a judge on the first season of The X Factor Philippines which began airing on June 23, 2012.^[3]

Biography

Pilar "Pilita" Garrido Corrales was born at 1:00 PM on August 22, 1937 at 350 Isabel St., Sampaloc, Manila to Filipino-born José Corrales and Spanish-born María Garrido.^[1] After finishing her studies at Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion in Cebu, she went to finishing school in Spain. In 1958, Corrales began her recording career after arriving in Australia for a brief period. She left her legacy by becoming the first woman to make the Australian pop charts with a local recording called 'Come Closer to Me'. She became a star of the Victoria Television circuit and her first hit, Come Closer to Me, became part of a collection on which she’s billed as one of the Grand Dames of Victorian Radio and Television.

Corrales holds the distinction of being the first female artist to top the Australian pop music charts long before Helen Reddy, Olivia Newton-John and Kylie Minogue. She also recorded at least 3 LPs in the late 1950s early 1960s: Pilita with Arthur Young :Pilita tells The Story of Love, I'll Take Romance and This is Pilita under Astor Records. Being one of the pioneers of Australia's early television years, a street was named after her in Victoria. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) featured Corrales and several pioneering female artists in Australia in the 2nd episode of the highly acclaimed TV special, Love is in the Air. Corrales returned to Manila in 1963 to pursue a career in the Philippine music industry. Her Philippine career began when she hosted a radio program La Taverna over DZPI where she sang Spanish songs and played the guitar. She performed regularly in stage shows at the Manila Grand Opera House. Subsequently, her reputation grew and during her international stints, she has performed with internationally acclaimed artists like Sammy Davis Jr. the Beatles and on the 4th July, 1966, Bob Hope, Pat Boone, Frank Sinatra and Julie Andrews. She also appeared in movies, most of them musicals. Her film debut was a lead role in the 1968 film Miss Wawaw and was followed by 11 films for the next two years. Corrales later recorded songs in Spanish in the early 1960s as well as songs in English, Tagalog and Cebuano during the 1970s under Vicor Music Corporation. Her multiawarded TV program at ABS-CBN, An Evening with Pilita (1965–1972), is widely considered as one of the benchmarks in Philippine broadcasting history.

Corrales frequently performed for Seeing Stars with Joe Quirino in IBC-Channel 13 after the martial law years where she demonstrated her range as a gifted performer of Spanish, English, Cebuano and Tagalog music. Aquarius Record Philippines produced a compilation of Pilita's Spanish songs in CDs like Noche de Ronda, Vaya Con Dios. Her signature song A Million Thanks to You by Alice Doria-Gamilla was translated in seven languages. She eventually recorded songs composed by Filipino composers like Danny Holmsen, George Canseco, Willy Cruz, Ryan Cayabyab and several others. Under Vicor Records, Corrales interpreted numerous Filipino classics and introduced them to younger audiences.

Corrales first met Canseco in Your Evening with Pilita (aired on pre-Martial Law ABS-CBN) as a guest in the composers' portion of the show". For the show Canseco brought with him You're All I Love. Canseco later wrote Filipino lyrics for the song, which became Kapantay ay Langit, the first song Canseco sold to a record label in 1966. The song was first recorded by Amapola aka Maria Cabase for the movie theme of Kapantay Ay Langit starring Marlene Dauden and Eddie Rodríguez. The song won for George Canseco and Amapola the Manila Film Festival award for best song of the year. The song did not fare well commercially, because Amapola had left (for her U.S. concert tours) and the song was not promoted properly, according to Canseco during an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer. But when Pilita revived the song, it turned into a classic and defied trends and time. "The song," Pilita said, "was included in my album Philippine Love Songs Vol. 1, which was released in the early 1970s."

Through the personal invitation of Sammy Davis Jr., Pilita became the first Filipino to sing in Caesars Palace. In her concert in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas during the late 70s, Pilita sang Spanish, English, Cebuano and Tagalog songs, all conducted and arranged by Ryan Cayabyab.

After receiving a 1965 Philippine Citizen's Award for TV as Best TV Female Performer, Pilita went on to receive Cecil, Aliw, Tinig and Awit and several other awards for her performances and lifetime achievement. In 1990, she received a Merit Award from the FAMAS Awards. In 1991, she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI) for bringing Filipino musical artistry to international audience. She also holds the distinction of being the first Filipino to win in an international music festival by bagging the Best Performer Award during the 1st Tokyo Music Festival (1972) where she bested numerous international artists including the highly regarded Olivia Newton-John.

She operates Pilita, a restaurant-bar in Greenhills named: PILITA'S, in one of Manila's prime commercial districts. She is a highly acclaimed host and comedy actress on Philippine television with over 135 albums to her credit and an international profile and appearances in Asia, the Middle East, Australia and North America.

In 2006, Corrales was selected by Associated Broadcasting Company (ABC Channel 5) and FremantleMedia to be one of the celebrity-judges for the first-ever nationwide search for the Philippine Idol together with composer Ryan Cayabyab and rapper Francis Magalona. She was a judge in the first Asian Idol held in Indonesia, representing Philippine Idol.

Personal life

Corrales has two children, Jackielou Blanco born Feb/11/1964 and Ramon Gutierrez. Both her two children are also well known celebrities in the Philippine Film Industry. Corrales was married in 1963 to the late Spanish executive businessman Gonzalo Blanco and separated soon after, while her daughter Jackielou was still a child. Gonzalo died in 1981.

Corrales gave birth to her second child, Ramón Christopher in 1969. Ramón's father is Filipino actor Eddie Gutierrez. Corrales also has an adopted son, VJ. On May 22, 2001, Corrales married Paraguayan/Australian businessman Carlos López.

Discography

Australia

1. Come Closer to Me
2. Pilita with Arthur Young: Ill Take Romance
3. This is Pilita
4. Pilita tells the story of Love

Philippines (including albums for international release)

1. Pilita, Live At the Riviera
2. Pilita, Live At the Riviera Vol. 2
3. Pilita, Live At the Riviera Vol. 3
4. Pilita, Now
5. Pilita Sings
6. Para Ti Mama
7. Love
8. Pilita in Motion
9. Pilita Corrales, Greatest Hits
10. Pilita, Greatest Hits Volume 2
11. Matud Nila (Cebuano Visayan)
12. Philippine Love Songs
13. Philippine Love Songs Volume 2
14. Kapantay ay Langit
15. A Song for You
16. Sampaguita
17. Best of Philippine Pop Songs
18. Sa Tanang Panahon (Mostly Cebuano Visayan versions of Tagalog songs)
19. Minamahal, Sinasamba
20. Filipiniana
21. Pilita, The Queen of Songs (Ang Mutya ng Awit)
22. Pilita, Christmas Special
23. Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan?
24. The Best of Philippine Music
25. Salakot
26. Pagsapit ng Pasko
27. Araw-araw, Gabi-gabi
28. Pilita, Visayan Love Songs Volume 1 (Cebuano Visayan)
29. Pilita Sings George (If I Had My Life to Live Again)
30. Pilita, Great Songs from Filipino Movies
31. Sa Aking Pag-iisa
32. Walang Pagmamaliw
33. Pilita Sings...Love Themes from Viva Films
34. Pilita y Amado en español
35. Pilita Y Amado en español, Volume 2
36. Ang Nagiisang si Pilita(Viva Records)
37. Pilita Goes Pop (OctoArts Record)
38. When My Eyes Are Filled with Tears (Dyna Record)
39. Pilita Corrales sings Visayan Songs (Cebuano Visayan) (Villar)
40. For Love Sake Only
41. If You Go Away
42. Hoy
43. Oh La La!
44. Pilita y los mensajeros del Paraguay
45. Viajar (Travel)
46. Abrázame (Embrace Me)
47. Yukbo Sa Bisayanhong Awit (Cebuano and Ilonggo Visayan duet album with Susan Fuentes)
48. A Million Thanks To You

Recorded songs

TV shows

• Your Evening with Pilita - ABS-CBN
• Dance O Rama - ABC (now TV5)
• Seeing Stars With Joe Quirino - IBC
• Lovespell- Cindyrella - ABS-CBN
• Awitawanan - IBC
• Mag-asawa'y Di Biro - RPN
• Ang Bagong Kampeon - RPN
• Tanghalan Ng Kampeon - GMA Network
• Awitanghalan - ABS-CBN Regional Network Group
• Lagot Ka, Isusumbong Kita - GMA Network as Mamita
• Philippine Idol - ABC (now TV5) (Judge)
• Celebrity Duets - GMA Network
• Talentadong Pinoy - TV5 (Judge)
• Show Me Da Manny - GMA Network Various
• Full House - GMA Network as Anita Lazatin
• My Driver Sweet Lover (TV series) TV5 as Maximilliana "Abuela Maxi" Barrinuevo
• TodaMax - ABS-CBN as Lola Mamsie
• The X Factor Philippines - ABS-CBN (Judge) - June 23, 2012
• Vampire Ang Daddy Ko - GMA Network as Sonya Ventura - Premieres March 9, 2013

References

External links

• Astor Records, Australia
• imdg.com
• She's leaving home (Love is in the air, ABC TV-Australia)
• Vicor Music Corporation
• Cebu’s divas
• Even Canseco was rejected, Pilita remembers by Nini Valera
• Olivia Newton-John at the 1st Tokyo Music Festival
• Kinks sa‘PI' auditions, areglado na
• Beyond Birit
• RP Idol's First Yield