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Friday, March 29, 2024

Way back into love of standards

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OPM Balladeer Chad Borja

The general public may see singer Chad Borja, the voice behind the now-classic ‘90s pop ballad “Ikaw Lang,” as a living testament to what one radio-friendly love song can do to establish one’s career. But digging deeper into the man’s catalogue and roots, there is more to this cancer survivor than meets the eye.

It’s almost an understatement to say that Chad likes music from the yesteryears. Truth be told, he was primarily drawn to music because of pop standards, a genre molded by the big band swing of the mid-1930s and defined by the soothing singing style of legends like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. As a youngster he had an epiphany after hearing Nat King Cole’s “Stardust” on the radio. 

In an exclusive chat, he recalled, “One day noon, nagpapatugtog ang Papa ko in our house in a sitio in Medellin, Cebu where I grew up. Narinig ko ang boses ni Nat King Cole. Yun ‘yung moment na sinabi ko sa sarili ko, ‘masarap siguro maging singer.’”

Chad’s father died when he was only 12. To practice the craft he would sing while having his long walks from home to school and back. Soon he was a soloist at the University of San Carlos, eventually becoming a band vocalist doing jazz fusions and soul before landing a spot at New Minstrels whose alumni include Joey Albert and Ray-An Fuentes. 

And then he became a solo act, recording pop albums in the ‘90s. He even collaborated with Japanese musician Yutaka Yokokura and sang with Brazilian jazz vocalist Kevyn Lettau for a song called “Love Letter from the Heart.”

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He expressed, “Throughout my career, sumasabay lang ako sa hinihingi ng panahon. But the fact remains I’ve always wanted to do standards. In life you must try doing that special something na alam mong kaya mong gawin.”

On the evening of March 7, Solaire Resort and Casino is providing him the Eclipse Entertainment Lounge as venue to showcase Chad Borja in a new suit, with around eight musicians – including trumpet, trombone and sax players – backing him up. He mentioned Tony Bennett’s “Yesterday I heard The Rain” and “Left My Heart In San Francisco” as two songs that will surely make it to his repertoire of Big Band tracks. On that note it’s impossible to not hear him sing a Sinatra song.

Now 51 and eyeing men in suits, Rotarians, and golfers like him to become part of his audience, Chad is excited again to play three sets, around 30 songs long, just like he used to during his start-up years. This time though he will be crooning. Spectators can even expect him to sing “Ikaw Lang” swinging. He quipped, “Ako ‘yung artist na mahirap pasuotin ng suit. But I am doing it because it is required, in the same way that it fulfills me singing live with a professionally trained band and not banking on minus one accompaniment to get that swinging sound.”

Chad’s singing daughter Gabrielle Gross, who already launched her own career performing with a ukulele or guitar, is likely to come up on stage and do a duet with him.

 

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