Taki Saito. Image courtesy of the artist
Taki Saito brought a youthful presence to “Eat Bulaga” when she was made part of the celebrated and legendary noontime show. I still remember several years back when the longest-running noontime show “Eat Bulaga” had a plethora of new, young and good-looking cast members, and Taki Saito was one of them.
It was like “Eat Bulaga” was brimming again with vibrant, charismatic and fresh faces. And among those said new female talents, Taki Saito was the one that connected the most to her age demographic. She definitely stood out. Taki Saito was not only pretty, she was also charming and clearly such a joyful presence to the noontime show. What a loss to the noontime show that she has been taken out!
Taki Saito just went with the flow and blended in so well. You would tend to believe that she has been there a much longer time.
Now, fast forward to 2021, Taki Saito is an international artist stationed in Japan where she is a member of the popular and established J-pop all-girl group called FAKY.
Below are my questions for Taki Saito, and her answers:
If there is one song, old or new, that perfectly encapsulates who you are today, in terms of your thought processes and how you approach life in general, what would that song be?
I love music. Every day I listen to one different song, on repeat. Recently, I have listened to “Just Friends” by Musiq Soulchild. It doesn’t represent who I am or what I feel but it is a song that helps me start my day.
For those who are not that familiar with you yet, what would be a good starting point for them to learn about your artistry?
For people that don’t know me, I worked hard to be where I am now. I had no talent when I first had the idea of starting to be an artist. I tried a lot of different things and fell in love right away with dancing. However, I wasn’t contented with just dancing, I wanted to learn more. I wanted to be the type of girl who can do it all and from there, the doors of opportunities opened for me, from TV shows to being a regular host on “Eat Bulaga,” starring in movies, and now being in a Japanese girl group.
How do you relax and unwind during your downtime and rest days?
When I get a day off, I try to touch base with my friends. I used to live in Paris so most of my friends have a different time zone. I am a very basic girl so on my day off I stay in bed and watch Netflix sometimes or read a book and very rarely go have lunch with friends.
If you could relive any moment or event in your life as an artist, what would that be? And what moment or event was that which you wish you would never want to experience again?
The moment I would like the relive the most is very hard to pick but maybe it was the day of my first and every appearance on “Eat Bulaga.” I wasn’t told I was gonna be a regular yet but just the fact that I was able to perform there was such a big achievement for me. I would always watch the show on TV and followed the hosts through their journey, and being able to be there on the same stage with them, I was like a kid in a world of candies. And maybe to relive the first taping day on my own show, that was also one of the best days of my life as an artist. I was only in showbiz for a few years and I was already given a big responsibility. That really made me feel like all my hard work wasn’t for nothing.
Taki Saito. Image courtesy of the artist
Was there an unforgettable or funny experience you have encountered while performing?
One of my most unforgettable moments was during a dance performance on live television that I accidentally stepped on my own dress and fell. Looking back, that was pretty funny because it was a special Halloween live [event] and I was a White Lady. Just the thought of a White Lady falling is very amusing.
What or who first inspired you to get into music?
I didn’t get inspired by someone or something. I fell in love with it. At the age of 15, my mom wanted me to do something during my summer break to be more active and not just stay home. So she got the idea of making me try dancing and on the first day I just wanted to get better and learn more about its roots. From there I met countless teachers and students. They would share with me their journeys and I told myself I wanna be able to share mine too one day. I was trained by teachers from all over the world and I must say that in the end, they will all tell you the same thing. You don’t get inspired, you just fall in love.
What or who first inspired you to get into acting?
In my younger years, I was always the little drama princess in the house. Acting helped me be someone I wasn’t. I got inspired by the idea of being someone else. Like someone who can be rude or be a killer or sometimes a zombie. I got more curious than inspired. I wanted to know how it felt, how to do it, how to make myself mad when asked or cry when asked.
What are the qualities you have which you feel sets you apart from all the other young and talented local and international singer-actresses we have now?
It’s very hard to compare yourself in this line of work because when you do, it will just bring you down. But something that sets me apart is the fact I grew up in another country. I have traveled my whole life, seen a lot of other cultures, and learned a lot of languages. I speak [four] languages and that is something that helps you talk to people. I can talk to anyone of any age or in any line of work and I’m already very friendly. That is the thing that sets me apart, I don’t think like most of the girls of my age.
What can you tell us that most people do not know about you that even other artists whom you have become good friends with over the years are not also aware of?
Something a lot of people don’t know is that I am a nerd. I love games, books, going to museums. I love to be in my own little bubble sometimes. I come out very friendly and I am. I can be with 20 people around me and I’ll be having a good time but I know also how to enjoy myself without the company of others. And also I am very religious. I like to spend time in church. It doesn’t matter if someone is with me or not, I would still go. I can recall many Christmas nights when my family would go the day after Christmas and I would go alone to church on Christmas Day and that wouldn’t bother me.
Who is Taki Saito in a nutshell?
Taki Saito is just a simple girl, what you see is what you get. I can be happy and contented with anything. I can talk for hours or be quiet. I am not a complicated person to understand for you to spend time with, and I would listen to you anytime and be there whenever you need me. That’s me.
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