Chad Borja, Gina Respall go ‘dancing’ in dreamy, jazzy duet
“Moonlight Dancing” cover art
If you think you haven’t been hearing enough jazzy tunes from OPM’s treasure trove of contemporary music lately, the toe-tapping patter and feel-good vibe of the tantalizing new single “Moonlight Dancing,” coupled with Chad Borja and Gina Respall’s potent combo of complementary voices, should satisfy your craving until the next best song comes along.
“Moonlight Dancing” doesn’t just pick up where the accessible likes of Sitti Navarro’s “Para Sa Akin” left off, it also recalls the soothing lure of other pop-jazz classics like Lerma dela Cruz’s “Highways of My Life,” Bong Peñera’s “A Samba Song,” Boy Katindig and Jacqui Magno’s “Capture the Changes,” Baron Barber’s “Toss the Coin and See” or even Lynn Sherman’s delectable cover of Smokey Mountain’s “Kailan.” Each of the aforementioned titles taps into the exhilarating variety of jazz in its different shades and musical sensibilities, from samba and bossa nova to fusion and acid jazz.
Early this week, we caught up with OPM hitmaker Chad Borja (“Ikaw Lang,” the jazzy cover of “Junior’s “Yakap”) and former Artstart vocalist (“Only You”) and theater actress (“The King and I,” “Miss Saigon”) Gina Respall to talk about how their collaboration came about and why their respective vocal styles and approach to singing ended up blending gloriously.
“I briefly worked with Chad years ago—in 1996, if memory serves—when we were sent by the Department of Tourism through a common friend of ours, Boyet Guerrero, to Australia as the Philippines’ music ambassadors, together with another friend, Gigi Aragon,” Gina shared. “Chad was at the height of his career, releasing one hit after another as one of the country’s most sought-after OPM balladeers.
“I, on the other hand, had just left Artstart and was beginning to pursue a solo career as an artist. This was just before I began my foray into theater.
Chad Borja
“As for ‘Moonlight Dancing,’ we were trying to find someone well-suited for the music arrangement (bossa nova) created by Marlon Barnuevo. The song was initially arranged for me to sing, but Rina Cañiza was more convinced that it should be a duet. It took us many months to start the recording because of this.
“One night, I was listening to Chad’s album on Spotify and liked his version of ‘Yakap’ that had a Latin feel to it. I knew that his was the voice that would be perfect for the song, so I called up Rina (the lyricist and executive producer), who was so excited at the prospect of having Chad on board, as we felt that he was the right person for it.
“I then sent Chad a message with fingers crossed, hoping he’d agree to work on the song. He asked for the demo, then moments later, he said he loved it! Everything happened so smoothly after that. As Rina put it, ‘Gina, things will begin to unfold in God’s grace and timing.’
“So, we are so grateful for Chad’s involvement in this project. I knew our singing styles were a good match. He was so easy to work with, maybe because we have common tastes in music and pretty much had similar background experiences in the music business. We also got along very well.”
For his part, Chad said he knew that the song would sound good once it’s arranged because, as he pointed out, “The melody is so catchy!”
Of course it wouldn’t have turned out as well as it did if his “partner in crime” weren’t snug fit for the song and his voice. “Gina and I had good chemistry,” he noted. “That’s probably because we both started as band members in our younger years. I didn’t have a problem working with her, and I knew she was a pro.”
The song benefits from the expertise of seasoned songwriters and hitmakers. Gina related that Christine Bendebel, who was behind Regine Velasquez’s “Urong-Sulong” in the ‘80s, wrote “Moonlight Dancing” based on her other song for Joey Albert, “Mahalan, Lambingan,” which also had a bossa nova feel in its original form.
Gina further explained, “Rina, who wrote The Company’s “Everlasting Love” and cowrote Jose Mari Chan’s “Christmas in Our Hearts,” then wrote it in English, after which Christine readapted her own melody to it.
“The song is about a couple enjoying each other’s company, perhaps at a dance party or a holiday place, finding themselves falling in love and ending up together as they dance the night away. A cheerful and romantic bossa nova piece, the song is simple, fun and easy to dance to.”
Given the chance to catch up further with the two performers, we asked Chad how his voice and musicality have evolved since his “Ikaw Lang” heyday.
“Modesty aside, I believe that I sound better and more mature musically,” he said. “My phrasing has improved, and I am more particular now about the dynamics of every song I sing.”
If he could cover an OPM classic, which song would Chad pick? “I’d like to do Basil Valdez’s “Iduyan Mo,” he answered.
Gina Respall
After Chad, which other singers would Gina love to do a duet with?
“There are many local artists who, like Chad, are generous—and that is why I enjoy it so much, because everyone has something to offer in a duet. My dream would be to sing with the ones I look up to, like Kuh Ledesma, Regine Velasquez, Lea Salonga or someone as soulful as the young Arman Ferrer or maybe Jay Durias,” Gina said.
“Basically, I enjoy performing with generous artists, because what it produces are renditions that make the material shine even more than it already does. This way, messages of a song are conveyed even more effectively.”
Asked how her foray into musical theater informs her as a singer, Gina mused, “Musical theater is about telling stories. The hardest challenge to tackle is the ability to remain in good vocal form when our character is singing an extremely emotional song, such as anger or pain.
“In reality, our voices would crack when adrenaline sets in. In order to conquer this, I would need to be able to technically manage this vocally and emotionally. There are techniques that actors use, but this needs constant practice so we can effectively execute this as naturally as we can.
“The beauty about theater and music as a combined discipline is that we can convey a story by way of skillful musicianship and, at the same time, marry it with the context of the storytelling part. And the world has lots of stories that deserve to be shared!”
Meanwhile, the great feedback for “Moonlight Dancing” has inspired Chad and Gina to embark on more projects together.
“Chad and I have been discussing follow-up projects and more duets after this,” Gina disclosed. “We would like to perform ‘Moonlight Dancing’ live around the country and maybe across international shores. Furthermore, we want to help Rina raise funds for her religious advocacy. She is currently helping set up a monastery (Mater Spei Monastery) in Cavite.”
