Piano-driven ballad marks Maja’s collaboration with Thai heartthrob

Maja Salvador (right) with Tor Saksit

Maja Salvador loves to sing. But while it may not always look like singing loves her back, she jested, she continues to work on it. For her, the most crucial step toward improving is acknowledging her limitations.

“I have learned to accept my voice and tone. In whatever we do, we need to recognize our capabilities and work around them,” Maja told reporters at the recent press launch of her new single “Falling Into You,” a duet she recorded with Tor Saksit, a classical pianist and pop singer-songwriter from Thailand.

“Falling Into You,” a piano-driven love ballad originally written by Tor in a higher key, was lowered accordingly to suit Maja’s range. “They encouraged me to use my natural voice; I wasn’t forced to sing like a diva. Otherwise, the final version wouldn’t be as smooth and nice-sounding,” she said.

Because of her hectic shooting schedule for her drama series “Wildflower,” the 29-year-old singer-actress wasn’t able to undergo intensive vocal coaching prior to the recording session at the Karma Sound Studios in Thailand last year.

“Luckily, teacher Annie (Quintos of The CompanY) had free time and was able to go with me. So I had someone to help me work on the song,” she related.

Heartthrob, genius

Maja admitted she didn’t know much about Tor’s body of work until she was informed by her label, Ivory Music, that she was going to collaborate with him. But thanks to social media, she was able to “stalk” his Instagram account, and learned that Tor is not only a “heartthrob” in his native country, but is also a “genius” on the piano.

“I’m grateful I was given this opportunity to work with someone so talented. It makes me feel like an international artist, too!” said Maja, who pointed out that cyberspace has made it easier for artists from different places to connect with each other.

“Working with him was easy. It was as if we already knew each other for a long time,” she added.

Tor, on the other hand, related that spending time with Maja helped him understand why she’s loved by many in the Philippines. “When I checked her social media, her posts were mostly about her show, and she always looked angry in them. But she’s nothing like that in person,” he said.

“She’s fun, she cracks jokes and smiles all the time,” he said. “And while some pretty girls tend to be conscious with what they eat, Maja’s different. She eats everything you put on the table!”

Asked why he chose to do a ballad for his duet with Maja, Tor said he simply wanted to go back to basics. “Most pop songs these days are about the beats or electronic sounds, so I was inspired to do something simple. And I believe the Asian market is still partial to ballads,” said Tor, who would love to write a new song for Maja if she were to do a new album.

Last year saw Maja focusing on acting. This time, she hopes to find time for other things she enjoys doing—like singing or dancing.