Dream come true for Derrick Monasterio

MONASTERIO. Former member of the Kilyawan Boys Choir.

IF DERRICK Monasterio plays his cards right, we wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up fulfilling his promise as GMA 7’s Next Big Heartthrob sooner than expected.

While the endearingly candid 20-year-old son of former sexy actress Tina Monasterio waits in the wing for his turn to seize the spotlight, he says he’s more than pleased about his increasingly impressive acting assignments—although he says he can never turn his back on his first love: singing.
That isn’t just a flippant disclosure from yet another self-indulgent celebrity who wishes to bank on his popularity to record his less-than-passable singing voice for posterity.

For Derrick, singing isn’t just a passing fancy. He may not be in the league of the Martins and Garys of the singing biz, but his openness and eagerness to learn, coupled with a hefty and malleable voice is all to the good.

Luck

“Initially, I was just forced to try my luck at acting—but, they didn’t encounter any resistance from me when they asked me to sing (laughs)—because I’ve always wanted to do that since I was a kid. My album is a dream come true,” Derrick told us in a quick chat recently.

In fact, his eponymously titled debut album, “Derrick Monasterio,” proves there’s more to the former Kilyawan Boys Choir member than stubborn ambition.

Derrick’s voice is best appreciated in ballads. His first of two covers, Ogie Alcasid’s “Kailangan Kita,” showcases his soothing baritone and appealing vibrato, while “Paano Nga Ba?” features the radiance of his well-formed falsetto.

In some tracks, however, the young performer needs to find the appropriate placement to sustain high notes and make them sound less strained.

His seven-track collection includes original tunes written by Vehnee Saturno (“Reyna”) and Janno Gibbs (“Ang Aking Puso,” with Julie Anne San Jose). But, its best cuts are Toto Sorioso’s “Give Me One More Chance,” the carrier single (about a remorseful lover asking for another shot at love), and his thoughtfully rendered cover of Richard Tan and Bambi Bonus’ Metropop ditty, “Kailangan Ko, Kailangan Mo,” sung with a lot of heart and conviction, with guest vocalist and “Bet ng Bayan” winner, Hannah Prescillas.