For this Filipino Friday, I wanted to highlight one of the best voices. And that is the Crystal Voice of Asia herself, Sheryn Regis.
Back in the 2000s when my family was fully entrenched in The Filipino Channel, Sheryn Regis’ powerful vocals would always be heard on our television every Sunday when she performed on ASAP. I even got the chance to take a photo with her and get her autograph when she performed at Pistahan in San Francisco back in the day.
Alongside the always talented Sarah Geronimo and Rachelle Ann Go, the three of them would deliver excellent performances every week. With Sheryn Regis though, there was just something different. Whether it was the emotions she would deliver with every performance or her incredible range; Sheryn Regis had no problem leaving audiences in awe.
I was reminded of that upon discovering her song “Gusto Ko Nang Bumitaw” a few months ago. Interestingly enough, I had not heard of the song (which was originally released in 2021) until it was performed by a little girl competing on Eat Bulaga‘s Little Miss Diva contest. The lyrics were obviously quite mature for a little girl that I think was around seven years old or something like that. So I just had to Google it and sure enough, it was a song from Sheryn Regis.
Now, our Filipino TV-less home also had no idea that the song was then remade by also-talented Morissette Amon to serve as the theme song to ABS-CBN’s The Broken Marriage Vow which then led to the song’s huge popularity last year.
I’d only seen her performing from time to time on Willie Revillame’s Wowowin in recent years. But in reading more about the origins of the song and what Sheryn Regis has gone through in recent years really added a whole other dimension to her performance.
“Gusto Ko Nang Bumitaw” is truly an amazing track. Its unique melody, emotional lyrics and of course the opportunities for grand moments of vocal power really make it, I think, one of the very best modern OPM ballads.
If you have the time, I suggest just heading over to YouTube and searching for “Gusto Ko Nang Bumitaw Sheryn Regis Live” and binging her live performances. Especially this one from her Love United concert with full band:
It’s great to see her being able to perform the song more on television including a recent appearance on GMA’s Ticktoclock. Especially as a reminder just why Sheryn Regis is deservedly called the Crystal Voice of Asia.