Jose Mari Chan: A Holistic and Dedicated Musician (Part 3 of 6)
Many great names in the Philippine music industry are names that not only perform music, but also earn a living out of music by treating it as a business. Performers here in the Philippines do not earn much because of the great influence of Western music. Though Western music, on an international level has its significance in Philippine culture, this kind of music tends to overpower the creativeness of local music. However, there is one name in the Philippine music industry who was able to penetrate the market of music in his time, because not only was he a performer, but he was also a host, a businessman, a film scorer, and a producer—his name is Jose Mari Chan.
His first single, "Afterglow", was released when he was 22 and it garnered a lot of attention despite the uprising of international legends in music like the Beach Boys, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. His music career continued to grow when he released his first album, “Deep in my Heart” in 1969, naming Afterglow, Deep in my Heart and Mr. Songwriter among the most popular songs in his first album. [1] In his young adult life, Jose Mari Chan went on to create two more albums before he reached his thirties, namely, Can We Just Stop and Talk A While (1973), and Afterthoughts (1974). [2]
His main platform for production and publishing of music is his company, Signature Music Inc.. Few of the names that he produced for in the Philippines were Gary V., Lea Salonga, Apo Hiking Society, Sarah Geronimo, and Janet Basco. He also was able to produce music for artists outside of the Philippines like Julie Hardy, Leo Sidran from the USA, Sally Lee and Paula Tiu from Hong Kong, Kamahl from Australia, and Yasuo T. from Japan. [3]
His holistic approach in music gave him much credibility, and was also able to give him a good financial background. Ultimately, his success in the music industry was not so much about his skill in music, but his dedication to it. For instance, even at a very old age, Jose Mari Chan was still able to release his last album, and it was his 2nd Christmas album, 22 years after his first best-selling Christmas album: Christmas in our Hearts, which was released back in 1990. [4]
His love for music stood the test of time, which not a lot of artists are able to do. However, since Jose Mari Chan did not just stick to songwriting and singing, he also had other mediums to expose his skill in music through film scoring, and producing.
Jose Mari Chan is and will continue to be an inspiration to many young artists because of the evidence of his hunger for the creation of music in many forms and styles, which goes beyond what the music industry expects of an artist.
“I always say music is its own reward and connecting with people through my music is the most satisfying of all.” – Jose Mari Chan
[1] “Jose Mari Chan.” Wikipinas. Web
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] “Jose Mari Chan.” Wikipinas. Web.
Article edited by Ramon Nario.
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