For most singers, going mainstream is the ticket to the big time. By this standard Bituin Escalante has certainly made it. She appears regularly in the noontime Sunday show, "ASAP," on ABS-CBN’s free channel and in live concerts in major Philippine cities.

But having tasted theater before joining showbiz, she cannot resist returning to those roots.

Her recent stage appearances were in the Atlantis Productions musical "Tick…Tick…Boom!," where she played all 15 female characters, and "Lagi Kitang Naaalala," a musical tribute to National Artists Honorata "Atang" de la Rama, Lucio San Pedro and Levi Celerio produced by ABS-CBN, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines . In "Lagi…," she sang "Alembong," originally popularized by actress Lita Gutierrez, while Sheila Francisco interpreted "Galawgaw," a signature piece of murdered comedienne Nida Blanca.

Bituin, 25, was part of the cast of "Rocky Horror Show," another Atlantis Productions, along with another "ASAP" regular, singer Anna Fegi, at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater, Makati City.

This daughter of former Ambivalent Crowd soloist and visual artist Gigi Escalante said of theater work: "Discipline-wise, it’s refreshing. Monetary-wise, it’s getting better. Producers now find it easier to market a play. We had full houses in ‘Tick…Tick…Boom!’ There are more venues for plays."

She has been able to develop "real relationships with people because in theater you work from two to three months. You depend on one another when you perform.

There is instant gratification when you take your bows. In TV, you get two lines to sing or a song or two for yourself at the most. You can retake and edit. But money-wise, the pay is higher. The effort is less, though. You do reach a wider audience."

Her next step is to go into independent recording. Why be an indie? "That way, I won’t be under a studio that will dictate the price of the CD, say, P350. It’s beneficial to be independent because I can sell my CD for an affordable P100. It’s legitimate, not pirated."

Meanwhile, she is deriving "real pleasure" from being able to sing pure jazz again apart from her regular repertoire of rhythm and blues, standards and light jazz.

The opportunity to sing jazz came when the Ateneo de Manila University Class of 1975 asked her to do a gig. A member of the class was a jazz guitarist. Soon he and Bituin were jamming. She said, "The thing about it is all jazz singers do the same materials, but each of them does so with a different signature and flavor."

Asked if her mother had anything to do with her musical preference, Bituin answered, "My mom calls herself a straight singer; she claims she’s more pop. But the best jazz singers are straight singers. I’m very Ella Fitz(gerald) not because I’m a devotee of her. It was my dad who played her songs, and I just happened to listen."

She admires jazz trailblazers Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Bessie Smith, among others.

Some of the legendary jazz singers were heavy smokers.

Bituin smiled and admitted, "I’m in a permanent state of about to quit smoking. My voice has that smoky bar joint flavor."

While some of her less gifted showbiz contemporaries drift in and out of relationships, serving as fodder for gossip columns, it is refreshing to learn that Bituin and her musician-boyfriend have been going steady for six years. Would that rising stardom does not ruin this.

Source: www.planetphilippines.com/archives/dec16-31/current/features_current/feature4.html

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A Star Comes To Dubai

Ms. Bituin Escalante, a world-class singing sensation from Manila, will delight
an international audience in Dubai as she performs at the Oud Metha Ballroom of
the Movenpick Hotel on October 23, 2003.

Bituin is the headliner of A Night With A Star, a dinner show sponsored by the
Philippine Business Council UAE (PBC) in cooperation with Smith & Nephew and
ABS-CBN Middle East.

"The show’s title is very apt because our lead performer’s name "Bituin"
translates to "star" in the Tagalog language," says Mr Amroussi Rasul, PBC
Chairman. "We have no doubt that the audience will enjoy Bituin’s repertoire of
English and Tagalog songs ­ just as her legions of fans in the Philippines
do."

Bituin will be joined by the Harana Boys of the St. Mary’s Church Filipino
Choir. Composed of Filipinos working in Dubai, the Harana Boys are favorite
performers in various functions sponsored by the Filipino community in the UAE.

The proceeds from this Dinner Dance will be used for a bigger and better
Philippine Pavilion at the Global Village in the 2004 Dubai Shopping Festival
(DSF), a major PBC activity.

A Night With a Star is also sponsored by Thomas Cook Al Rostamani Exchange, Al
Rawabi, Qatar Airways, Movenpick Hotel, and the Philippine National Bank.

The PBC is a non-profit organization of Filipino businessmen, entrepreneurs and
senior executives dedicated to promoting UAE-Philippine business relations. It
is the first Filipino organization duly accredited by the Dubai Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (DCCI).

The venue opens at 7:30pm and the concert starts at 9pm.

For details on how to get your tickets, please call +971-4-3379779.

Source: www.titikpilipino.com/news/events.php?aid=146

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ANNA Fegi and Bituin Escalante recently opened the Serendipity Lounge Series of Crossover Live with three duets: "A House Is Not a Home," "Midnight at the Oasis" and "Invisible War," and we knew that it was going to be a night to remember.

They both had powerful voices. While Anna tried to downplay it, Bituin flaunted it. They had different singing styles. Anna was warm and sweet, Bituin sassy and sultry.

Bituin showed her romantic side when she did a Michel LeGrand medley. She infused sauciness into "Stuff Like That." She turned the song around and made it her own.

Anna's approach was more laid-back. She sang "Sunlight" and "Moon River" without going overboard. Her voice was filled with longing, yearning, sadness, love and hope.

Anna's version of "What Good Is That" and "Someone Like You" clearly mirrored loneliness and grief. She instantly connected with her audience.

Bituin lent a sultry, tender appeal to "One Hello."

They both made it a point to do songs requested by the audience. Though they didn't sing their signature songs, they cheerfully gave in to requests. Bituin sang "Kung Ako Na Lang Sana," and Anna did "Kahit Isang Saglit."

But they brought the house down with "Home" and "I Am Changing," an exhausting number that tested their vocal prowess and stamina. The song didn't give them enough time to breathe, but they made singing it look effortless. It helped that they were both belters. Their voices seemed perfect, there were no flats or sharps, and they hit their notes with precision.

Source: www.inq7.net/ent/2003/oct/25/ent_3-1.htm

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