Kakai Bautista’s big reveal: being the original singer of ‘Mahal Kong Maynila’
Kakai Bautista. Screengrabs from Tiktok/@kakaiba_02
Who would have thought that quirky, funny comedienne Kakai Bautista was one of the original singers of the theme song of the TV anthology show “Maynila” hosted by former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza?
Bautista recently took a trip down memory lane as she did another rendition of its opening theme 20 years after the jingle “Mahal Kong Maynila” was first heard airing on GMA. The song, with its popular line that goes “Mahal kong Maynila, sayo’y hindi mawawalay,” was released in 2002, was composed by Vince De Jesus.
Another opening theme, “Maynila”, was recorded by singer-songwriter Noel Cabangon in 2015.
On the other hand, “Maynila” was a romance anthology series broadcasted by GMA Network from December 1999 until December 2020.
On TikTok, Bautista treated her followers to an updated rendition of “Mahal Kong Maynila” on her personal Tiktok account on Wednesday, Jan. 25. The original video went viral on the platform, as it garnered over 2.5 million views, 318,000 likes, 7,000 comments, and 5,000 shares, as of this writing.
“MAHAL KONG #Maynila SURREAL,” the singer wrote in the caption.
The comedienne’s video caught the attention of netizens on Tiktok, who were shocked at her revelation.
“OMG! Ikaw pala yun Miss @Kakai Bautista after 20 years, ngayon ko lang nalaman. Ang galiiing (After 20 years, it was you all along, Ms. Kakai Bautista. I just found out now. Amazing),” one wrote.
“Grabe Ms. @Kakai Bautista, wala pa ring kupas! Naging part ka na halos ng mga childhood days namin. Way to go! (Wow, Ms. Kakai Bautista, you never lost your touch. You were part of our childhood days. Way to go!),” another said.
Screengrabs from Tiktok/@kakaiba_02
Bautista also revealed on her personal Instagram account that “Mahal Kong Maynila” was the “first and only theme song” she ever recorded on the same day. The video showed her lip-syncing to the song, while dancing with the A.X.I.S dance troupe.
“2002, The First and The Only [theme song] I recorded [emoji] Nakakatuwa may sayaw sa Tiktok [emoji] Sayaw with @axis_ph [emoji] Composed and also sung by THE #vincedejesus,” she said in the caption.
(2002, the first and only theme song I recorded. It makes me happy that people are dancing to it on Tiktok. Dancing with A.X.I.S dance troupe. Composed and also sung by the Vince De Jesus.)
View this post on Instagram
Fellow celebrities Melai Cantiveros, Maja Salvador, Boobay, Nikko Natividad, and Macoy Dubs were also shocked to discover that Bautista was one of the singers of Maynila’s opening theme. Some netizens also praised Bautista, while others thanked her for bringing back fond memories of their childhood.
“Ikaw pala singer nyan miii (I didn’t know you were the singer, friend)! Haha iconic,” Macoy Dubs said.
“Omg! I had no idea until today. This song is very nostalgic; I know I woke up late when I hear it while hearing the little clamors of my lola’s kitchen preparing for our lunch. Thank you very much. I miss you, Lola,” another wrote.
Screengrab from Instagram/@ilovekaye
Screengrab from Instagram/@ilovekaye
Bautista also shared a glimpse of the original recording of “Mahal Kong Maynila” that was sent to her by De Jesus on her Tiktok account on Thursday, Jan. 26.
“Thank you sa lahat ng nakaappreciate after 20 years. Guysh I’m overwhelmed [emojis] Vince sent me this kagabe. Naiyak ako. Kase sinabi nyong IConic. Waaaaaaah!!! THANK U,” she wrote.
(Thank you to those who appreciated “Mahal Kong Maynila” after 20 years. Guys, I’m overwhelmed. Vince sent me the original recording last night. I feel like crying right now because you’ve mentioned that it was iconic. Thank you.)
@kakaiba_02 Thank you sa lahat ng nakaappreciate after 20 years. Guysh I’m overwhelmed😱😭 Vince sent me this kagabe. Naiyak ako. Kase sinabi nyong IConic. Waaaaaaah!!! THANK U! #fyp #foryoupage #maynila #mahalkongmaynila #MaynilaKakai #fyp #foryoupage ♬ original sound – Kakai Bautista
“Maynila” revolves around a series of life stories from people living in the country’s capital until its final episode in December 2020.
Some of the celebrities who made an appearance throughout the show’s 21-year run include Sarah Lahbati, Anne Curtis, Jennylyn Mercado, Carlo Aquino, Julie Anne San Jose, Barbie Forteza, and Gabbi Garcia, among many others. EDV
