Demo singer Myko Mañago fulfills dream of recording own songs

Myko Mañago

From working as a demo singer, three-time “Tawag ng Tanghalan” defending champion Myko Mañago now has his own songs to his name.

“Back then, recording demos for other artists was already a huge privilege for me, knowing that they will get to hear my voice. But as time went on, I began yearning for growth; I wanted something like that, too,” he told the Inquirer in a recent interview.

Through his management, RJA Productions, Myko has been able to release three singles this year, “Mahal Kita (Kahit Mahal Mo Siya),” “Stuck” and his latest, “Tulad Niya”—a “soothing” heartbreak ballad.

“I’m sure people will be able to relate to this song,” said the singer, who has recorded demos for various singers and celebrities, like Martin Nievera, Janella Salvador and Marlo Mortel. “All singers dream of having their own songs and mine has finally come true.”

“Tulad Niya” was written by Myko’s vocal teacher, Kiko Salazar, who’s also behind Morissette Amon’s monster hit, “Akin Ka Na Lang.” “I have always wanted to collaborate with him, so I got excited when I heard the song,” Myko rela­ted, adding that working with Kiko was a breeze.

His stint in “Tawag ng Tanghalan,” Myko recalled, was a learning and character-building experience.

“It was fun and memorable for me. Not only did I meet new friends. But the feeling of winning or losing in a singing competition is priceless. It was there where I got used to very early call times, and sleeping late because of rehearsals,” related the singer, who compe­ted in the tilt’s third season.

Aside from entering contests, Myko hones his craft by doing song covers and uploading them to YouTube. His most-watched videos are his take on Michael Bolton’s “Go the Distance” and Luther Vandross’ “Dance with My Father,” which have over 570,000 views each. Some of his musical influences are Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, ‘NSync, Sam Smith and the Backstreet Boys.

“When I started focusing on singing, I made sure to learn different styles of singing,” he said. “I grew up doing covers, and back then, minus-one tracks were hard to come by, so I just had to make do with what I had. But now, there are many YouTube channels that offer karaoke versions of songs.” Because he used to front bands and played gigs in bars, he couldn’t help but feel concerned for live musicians who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. He used to be part of a group called Mid Class, which helped shape him as a performer.

“This problem shall pass, so as much as possible, let’s not lose hope. Let’s surround ourselves with the right people,” he said.

The biggest challenge for Myko at the moment is not being able to meet his new followers and sing for them in person.

“But I would rather not dwell on the negative … I will just maximize what I can do to continue coming up with beautiful OPM songs,” he stressed. —Allan Policarpio INQ