For Julie Anne San Jose, pop ballad ‘Di Ka Akin’ a dream-come-true duet with Gary V
Julie Anne San Jose (left) and Gary Valenciano
Growing up, Julie Anne San Jose listened to cassette tapes of Gary Valenciano’s albums and studied his songs for the competitions she used to join. Now she finally got to collaborate with one of her biggest musical influences.
“Naabutan ko pa ang cassettes. We had his tapes and I always listened to them. My family had me joining contests and pageants and his songs were among those I studied. I sang his songs in school and, later on in life, in different variety shows. His songs have become part of my musical journey,” she told the Inquirer in a virtual conference.
The 28-year-old recording artist’s new single, the pop ballad “Di Ka Akin” (Universal Records), is a “dream come true” duet with Gary V. “Singing was just a hobby for me. Being a professional singer was something me and my family only used to dream of. We used to only cross paths at events or shows. It’s surreal that it’s finally happening,” she said.
Through his son
Because of their respective network affiliation—Gary is with ABS-CBN; Julie Anne, with GMA 7—there weren’t a lot of opportunities for them to work together. But Gary knew of Julie Anne and has heard of her talents—mostly from his son, Paolo Valenciano, who directed the latter’s “Limitless” musical documentary trilogy.
“I knew her through my son Paolo, who’s very particular about the artists he works with. He was like, ‘Dad you should check her out.’ But because we’re from different networks, things never really materialized,” Gary told the Inquirer.
But in 2018, the OPM icon produced an advocacy book-music album titled “Awit at Laro,” which features 20 songs that celebrate the joy and spirit of childhood games. Julie Anne was tapped to record the song “Pitik Bulag.” While Gary V wanted to work with Julie Anne more closely, his health issues back then prevented him from doing so.
But he couldn’t help but be impressed when he found out that Julie Anne played an important role in the creative process. “It was a time when I had troubles with my health. But she went in the studio and recorded the song … I asked who did the backup vocals, and I was told Julie did them herself,” he recalled.
Right decision
“I was like, ‘Really, she was the one who came up with them?’ Right then and there I knew that getting her for the project was the right decision,” he added. “And now we finally got to record a song together. I’m thankful that our label, Universal Records (UR), made it happen.”
Gary usually only records songs that he wrote or co-wrote. But for Julie Anne, he made an exception. “The first word that came to my mind was, ‘Game.’ When you talk about artists of Julie’s level, you know they don’t just put out songs for the sake of it,” he said. “I was excited.”
“‘Di Ka Akin” is about a “label-less” relationship in which one person continues to hope and love despite the uncertainty; despite the fact that the other person may have a completely different perspective on their situation.
“That’s when you start asking yourself if it’s something you could still work out. But sometimes, what’s not for you is not for you. Some things aren’t meant to be and you just have to accept that,” Julie Anne said.
Offer she couldn’t resist
“When I first heard the song, I wondered, ‘Bagay kaya ako dito?’ How do you put someone her age and my age (58) in a love song like this? But in the end, the song really worked,” added Gary, who’s not one to do anything half-baked. “I always put effort in the things I believe in. I didn’t want to say yes and just be done with it.”
The composition was originally meant to be sung solo. But UR came along and gave her an offer she couldn’t resist. “I have always dreamed of writing songs for other singers and artists. And then UR called me, asking me if I wanted to collaborate with Gary V. I was like, ‘Are you serious? Is this a joke?’ I was so excited,” she said. “I figured that perhaps we can turn the song into a duet.”
It was a nerve-wracking but fulfilling experience. “He’s so professional. He’s really an icon and a lot of people look up to him, not only as an artist, but also as a person. It’s so inspiring. My heart is full,” she said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But I hope this isn’t the last.” INQ
