Budding singer Avon Rosales has been singing since she could remember but it wasn’t her intention to take this passion for music to a different level. In fact, when she flew back to Manila, she wanted to pursue a career in acting.
“I’ve been singing all my life but it’s nothing serious,” she told Manila Standard in an interview. “I haven’t considered music a career until I got invited to Filipino-American events that allowed me to sing and perform.”
Avon was a graduate of Criminology, Law, and Society at the University of California – Irvine and Keller Graduate School of Management. And when she left her corporate job in the States, she flew back to Manila “initially to pursue acting but I was given a chance to explore my music and be able to release a track.”
Avon describes her music as inspirational. From the pop rock-tinged “Hawak” that she first launched, she now has a crooning ballad about finding reassurance in love in “Until Now.”
“I have always wanted to record inspirational songs that touch the hearts of millennials,” Avon said referring to the songs she has released under Viva Records emphasizing that the core of her music lies on the messages that aim to motivate people in a positive way.
“Jamie Rivera is my peg, but she has her own style. She’s more into ballads. My style is a bit different,” she said and included Lea Salonga as one of her inspirations.
On Oct. 3, Avon was introduced as one of the artists that bannered Viva Records’ first-ever New Music Night at The Music Hall at Metrowalk. Performers included Mikee Misalucha, Joshua Feliciano, Sofia Romualdez, Caleb Santos, and Marion Aunor.
New Music Night aims to introduce Viva’s roster of recording artists and their music.
The show kicked off with Sofia, daughter of ‘80s singer Cristina Gonzales, who had a fan-favorite song with the neo R&B-flavored song “Pikit Mata” from two years ago. Sofia returns with a similarly-flavored new song in “Wala Na.”
This pop track written by Vanessa Mendoza also signals a new start for Sofia who nixed Romualdez from her artist name. The voice and the tunefulness remains though.
The event also included performances from teen singer-songwriter Joshua Feliciano.
Joshua started writing his own songs at the age of 13. Since then, he has released a few singles including his debut album “Ligaw” released in 2018. In his latest pop ballad “Paano Ba,” Joshua’s songwriting matures.
The song is a tale of how one turns sheepish when in love.
Mikee, a new face in the music scene is the grandchild of Lani Misalucha. Music truly runs in her family as this music production student makes her Viva Records debut with the pop track entitled “Unlove You.”
The above mentioned new artists were book ended by two young pop music veterans. Audiences witnessed singer-songwriter and actor Caleb Santos who has consistently been delivering stirring originals and found his niche in the form of pop-rock ballads.
His hit song “I Need You More Today” released in 2017 and was included in the blockbuster movie “100 Tula Para Kay Stella OST,” still resounds today and is a bonafide fan-favorite. A much-awaited brand new single comes in the form of his original composition “A Chance To Love Again.”
And lastly, Marion Aunor surely cannot be missed. An award-winning songwriter, Marion keeps getting better, deserving of her being heralded as one of her generation’s premier singer-songwriter.
Recent hits include “Akala” and “Delikado” both from two hit movies. Her new song “Paasa” is a power pop number that includes Marion’s trademarks—catchy wordplays and memorable choruses. This upbeat song is a straightforward story about people who lead others on on a false hope.
All aforementioned songs have debuted on Spotify’s New Music Friday. For more information about New Music Night, check out Viva Records Facebook page.