CHRISTIAN Bautista and Carla Dunareau
Christian Bautista admits having a hard time coping with the rigors of a long-distance romance. To solve his predicament, the singer-actor is helping his Singapore-based girlfriend find a job in Manila.
“She’s willing to work here. She’s an actress, a dancer and a host. She’s wonderfully versatile. If doors open for her in Philippine show biz, it would be so much better for both of us,” Christian told Inquirer Entertainment.
Christian met Carla Dunareau, who is Chinese-Romanian in heritage, while working in Singapore on the highly successful “The Kitchen Musical.”
“We regarded each other initially as co-workers. We didn’t really expect things to lead to this. She complements me—I’m serious and she’s funny. She loves family and believes in God. She’s perfect for me.”
The singer-actor was opposed to a long-distance relationship from the outset: “But Carla told me we had to try and make it work no matter how far we were from each other. We try and see each other every month. Either I go to Singapore or she comes here.”
Carla attended the recent launching of Christian’s latest album “First Class,” released by Universal Records. The album has a limited edition coffee-table book and marks Christian’s 10th anniversary in show biz.
“As in all of my relationships, I pray for this to work. I pray for Carla to be the one for me—although we’re taking things one step at a time,” said Christian.
He recently introduced Carla to his parents. She plans to introduce him to her mother and sister.
He said that being with Carla had changed him. “Ang saya pala!” he gushed. “After many years on my own, it feels good finally to have someone worry about me and take care of me. Love songs are more meaningful to me now when I sing them. I dedicate many of my songs in concert to her.”
“First Class” features nine new tracks and a new recording of his earlier hits “Hands to Heaven” and “The Way You Look at Me,” as well as collaborations with KC Concepcion, Angeline Quinto, Sam Concepcion, Zia Quizon, the band Neocolours, and the Japanese pop singer Baby M.
Work and career path
“I really worked hard on this album. I realized that there are so many things you can do to make an album relevant. Instead of fearing piracy, we combat it by coming up with a product that people want to buy. Hence the release of a coffee-table book,” Christian explained.
Meanwhile, the ABS-CBN contract artist denied rumors that he would soon transfer to TV5. “I’m still under contract with the Kapamilya network until August. I have obligations to fulfil before I can renegotiate my contract,” he said.
Christian said that just like other ABS-CBN stars, he had been disappointed with how his career was handled in the past. “But I understand that the network has many stars, and like me, these stars look to a network to provide them with the opportunity to grow. It’s tough because we all want the limelight and we fight for it,” he pointed out. “Right now, I’m still figuring out what path to follow in relation to my career. I’m open to all possibilities.”