Pilita Corrales

Pilita Corrales
Corrales in 2017
Background information
Birth name	Pilar Garrido Corrales
Born	(1939-08-22) August 22, 1939 (age 82) Lahug, Cebu, Commonwealth of the Philippines[1]
Origin	Cebu City, Philippines
Genres	Pop soul Manila sound OPM
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter actress comedian television presenter
Years active	1957–present
Labels	Vicor Music Corporation Aquaries Records
Associated acts	Sarah Geronimo Jaya Martin Nievera Regine Velasquez Ogie Alcasid Sharon Cuneta Janno Gibbs Max Surban

Pilar Garrido Corrales (born August 22, 1939)^[1] is a Filipina pop singer-songwriter, actress, comedian and television presenter. She is dubbed as "Asia's Queen of Songs" and is widely known for her rendition of "Kapantay ay Langit" which eventually became her signature song.^[2]

Corrales was among the most successful Filipino musical artists in the 1960s. She was one of the first female artists to reach number one on the Australian music chart with her 1959 single "Come Closer to Me."^[3][4] In 1963, her single "A Million Thanks to You" became one of the few songs by local artists to reach number one on the Philippine chart in the 1960s.^[5]

She became a judge on the first season of The X Factor Philippines, which began airing in 2012.^[6]

Biography[]

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Pilar Garrido Corrales was born on August 22, 1939, at Lahug, Cebu City, to José Corrales and María Garrido.^[1] Her sister, Annie Corrales, was Miss Philippines in 1957 and married the businessman Eddie Woolbright.^[7] After finishing her studies at Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepción in Cebu, she went to finishing school in Spain at the Colegio Mayor de Padre Poveda.^[8] In 1957, Corrales began her recording career after arriving in Australia for a brief period. She left her legacy by becoming the first woman to make the Australian pop charts with a local recording called 'Come Closer to Me'. She became a star of the Victoria Television circuit and her first hit, Come Closer to Me, became part of a collection on which she is billed as one of the Grand Dames of Victorian Radio and Television.

Corrales was among the first female artists to top the Australian pop music charts. She also recorded at least 3 LPs in the late 1950s early 1960s: Pilita with Arthur Young :Pilita tells The Story of Love, I'll Take Romance and This is Pilita under Astor Records. Being one of the pioneers of Australia's early television years, a street was named after her in Victoria. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) featured Corrales and several pioneering female artists in Australia in the 2nd episode of the highly acclaimed TV special, Love is in the Air. Corrales returned to Manila in 1963 to pursue a career in the Philippine music industry. Her Philippine career began when she hosted a radio program La Taverna over DZPI where she sang Spanish songs and played the guitar. She performed regularly in stage shows at the Manila Grand Opera House. Subsequently, her reputation grew and during her international stints, she has performed with internationally acclaimed artists like Sammy Davis Jr. the Beatles and on July 4, 1966, Bob Hope, Pat Boone, Frank Sinatra and Julie Andrews. She also appeared in movies, most of them musicals. Her film debut was a lead role in the 1968 film Miss Wawaw and was followed by 11 films for the next two years. Corrales later recorded songs in Spanish in the early 1960s as well as songs in English, Tagalog and Cebuano during the 1970s under Vicor Music Corporation. Her multi-awarded TV program at ABS-CBN, An Evening with Pilita (1965–1972), is widely considered as one of the benchmarks in Philippine broadcasting history.

Corrales frequently performed for Seeing Stars with Joe Quirino in IBC-Channel 13 after the martial law years where she demonstrated her range as a gifted performer of Spanish, English, Cebuano and Tagalog music. produced a compilation of Pilita's Spanish songs on CDs like Noche de Ronda, Vaya Con Dios. Her signature song A Million Thanks to You by Alice Doria-Gamilla was translated into seven languages. She eventually recorded songs composed by Filipino composers like , George Canseco, , Ryan Cayabyab and several others. Under Vicor Records, Corrales interpreted numerous Filipino classics and introduced them to younger audiences.

Corrales first met Canseco in Your Evening with Pilita (aired on pre-Martial Law ABS-CBN) as a guest in the composers' portion of the show". For the show Canseco brought with him You're All I Love. Canseco later wrote Filipino lyrics for the song, which became Kapantay ay Langit, the first song Canseco sold to a record label in 1966. The song was first recorded by Amapola aka Maria Cabase for the movie theme of Kapantay Ay Langit starring Marlene Dauden and Eddie Rodríguez. The song won for George Canseco and Amapola the Manila Film Festival award for best song of the year. The song did not fare well commercially, because Amapola had left (for her U.S. concert tours) and the song was not promoted properly, according to Canseco during an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer. But when Corrales revived the song, it turned into a classic and defied trends and time. "The song," Corrales said, "was included in my album Philippine Love Songs Vol. 1, which was released in the early 1970s."

Through the personal invitation of Sammy Davis Jr., Corrales became the first Filipino to sing in Caesars Palace. In her concert in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas during the late 70s, Corrales sang Spanish, English, Cebuano and Tagalog songs, all conducted and arranged by Ryan Cayabyab.

After receiving a 1965 Philippine Citizen's Award for TV as Best TV Female Performer, Corrales went on to receive Cecil, Aliw, Tinig and Awit and several other awards for her performances and lifetime achievement. In 1990, she received a Merit Award from the FAMAS Awards. In 1991, she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI) for bringing Filipino musical artistry to an international audience. She was the first Filipino to win at an international music festival by bagging the Best Performer Award during the 1st Tokyo Music Festival (1972) where she bested numerous international artists, including Olivia Newton-John.

She operates a restaurant bar in Greenhills named: PILITA'S, in one of Manila's prime commercial districts. She is a highly acclaimed host and comedy actress on Philippine television with over 135 albums to her credit and an international profile and appearances in Asia, the Middle East, Australia and North America.

In 2006, Corrales was selected by Associated Broadcasting Company (ABC Channel 5 "now TV5" & "formerly The 5 Network") and FremantleMedia to be one of the celebrity judges for the first-ever nationwide search for the Philippine Idol together with composer Ryan Cayabyab and rapper Francis Magalona. She was a judge in the first Asian Idol held in Indonesia, representing Philippine Idol.

Personal life[]

Corrales has two children, Jackielou Blanco and Ramon Christopher Gutierrez. Her children are also well-known celebrities in the Philippine film industry. Corrales was married in 1963 to the late Spanish executive businessman and separated while her daughter was still a child. Gonzalo died in 1981.

Corrales gave birth to her second child, Ramón Christopher Gutierrez, in 1971, known to be the father of Janine Gutierrez. Ramón Christopher's father is Filipino actor Eddie Gutierrez. Corrales also has an adopted son, VJ. On May 22, 2001, Corrales married Paraguayan/Australian businessman Carlos López.

Filmography[]

Television[]

Film[]

Discography[]

Albums[]

Australia[]

• Come Closer to Me
• Pilita with Arthur Young: I'll Take Romance
• This is Pilita
• Pilita Tells the Story of Love

Philippines (including albums released internationally)[]

• Pilita, Live at the Riviera
• Pilita, Live at the Riviera Vol. 2
• Pilita, Live at the Riviera Vol. 3
• Pilita, Now
• Pilita Sings
• Para Ti Mama
• Love
• Pilita in Motion
• Pilita Corrales: Greatest Hits
• Pilita: Greatest Hits Vol. 2
• Matud Nila (Cebuano)
• Philippine Love Songs
• Philippine Love Songs Vol. 2
• Kapantay Ay Langit
• A Song for You
• Sampaguita
• Best of Philippine Pop Songs
• Sa Tanang Panahon (mostly Cebuano versions of Tagalog songs)
• Minamahal, Sinasamba
• Oh La La! (1971)
• For Love's Sake Only (1971)
• Pilita in Tokyo (1972)
• Filipiniana (1972)
• Pilita: The Queen of Songs (Ang Mutya ng Awit)
• Pilita, Christmas Special
• Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan?
• The Best of Philippine Music
• Salakot
• Pagsapit ng Pasko
• Araw-araw, Gabi-gabi
• Pilita: Visayan Love Songs Vol. 1 (Cebuano)
• Pilita Sings George (If I Had My Life to Live Again)
• Pilita: Great Songs from Filipino Movies
• Sa Aking Pag-iisa
• Walang Pagmamaliw
• Pilita Sings...Love Themes from Viva Films
• Pilita y Amado en Español
• Pilita Y Amado en Español, Vol. 2
• Ang Nag-iisang si Pilita (Viva Records)
• Pilita Goes Pop (OctoArts)
• Together at Last (with Elmo Makuil) (Quantum Music Corporation)
• When My Eyes Are Filled with Tears (Dyna Records)
• Pilita Corrales Sings Visayan Songs (Cebuano) (Villar)
• If You Go Away
• Hoy
• Pilita y los mensajeros del Paraguay
• Viajar ("Travel")
• Abrázame ("Embrace Me")
• Yukbo sa Bisayanhong Awit (Cebuano and Ilonggo duet album with Susan Fuentes)
• A Million Thanks to You

Recorded songs[]

References[]

External links[]

• Astor Records, Australia
• imdg.com
• She's leaving home (Love is in the air, ABC TV-Australia)
• Vicor Music Corporation
• Cebu’s divas
• Even Canseco was rejected, Pilita remembers by Nini Valera
• Olivia Newton-John at the 1st Tokyo Music Festival
• Kinks sa‘PI' auditions, areglado na
• Beyond Birit
• RP Idol's First Yield
• Toronto Canada Pilita Corrales Special International Guest 2011 & 2014 Hosted by Radio & Television Producer Joel Recla.