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MAKING WAVES Mark Bautista sailed in a cargo ship to make it to the Star For A Night search. Now he is launching his debut album. By ANGELO S. AUSTRIA But if everything now seems to be handed in a silver platter to the handsome 19-year-old, things were completely different when Mark immersed himself into the Star For A Night search on IBC 13. This balladeer from Cagayan de Oro went all the way to Cebu when he learned of the preliminary search. And when he passed the second level he then had to go to Manila. Under pressure to reach Manila within three days, the second year Architecture student agreed to his mom's suggestion to sail in a cargo ship. With just P250 in hand, he boarded the ship, and settled for the clinic room. On his return to home, however, he got the chance to experience lodgings above deck. He got a whiff of the salty sea air, and, of course, the sweet smell of success. What are you busy with these days, aside from the album? I recently performed with Sarah Geronimo in her concerts. I also co-hosts the Starmail portion of Search For A Star with her, where we get to announce to the contestants that they've been picked to join. We've also been included in Jolina Magdangal's film Annie Batungbakal. (Showing in Manila on Nov.16) When did you learned that you could sing? And when was your first professional gig? When I was 9 years old. My first public performance was during a fiesta in our subdivision. But my first paying gig was when I was 17 years old. I was a part of a local boy band and we performed in this bar in Cagayan de Oro called Warehouse. We also hosted the program, where we introduced audiences who volunteered to sing on stage. I remember we were paid P150 each. How did that boy band stint come about? We auditioned and then the lead guy formed the boyband. So while I was studying, I was also moonlighting as a singer already. We mosly covered songs by Westlife and N'Sync, complete with choreography! I've also done stints with bands and as a singer in piano bars, which means I've covered a wide range of repertoires, like classic standards, rock ballads and jazz songs. I learned a lot from my past gigs and you can say that they prepared me for Star For A Night. What was your first performance in Star For A Night like? When i performed then, I conditioned myself that the only ones who were watching me were the audience inside the studio. I didn't think too much that I was seen then on TV by millions of people. What are your expectations with your career? That the album becomes a success. I'd like to be as good as Martin Nievera, who's one of my influences right up there with Luther Vandross. But I also like to be known for my own style someday. With performances and the album, your schedule must be very hectic these days. How do you spend your free time? Are you into sports? Back in Cagayan de Oro, I mostly went out at night because of my gigs in the bars. but in Metro Manila, I spend time with my relatives in Kamias, where I live with my grandfather. I play billiards, surf the Net and read muscle mags. That's one of my goals, to buff up. As for Sports, I mostly like to do outdoorsy stuff, like mountain climbing, white water rafting and kayaking. And there are lots of places to do that back in Cagayan de Oro, like Cagayan River. It's beautiful there. But these days the only thing that I can do is mountain climbing. I'm eyeing Rockwell as a venue. I have yet to find people to do it with, though. What is your ideal girl be like? and what song would you serenade that girl with? Someone who has confidence, I think that's essential. Physically, I like someone who's slim and who has long hair. And the song SHE would be perfect for that special girl. It goes "She maybe the face I can't forget/the trace of pleasure or reget/maybe the treasure or the price I have to pay". (Source: MOD Magazine, Nov. 7, 2003) |