American singer na si Sahara naimpluwensiyahan nina Regine at Jaya
Jaya, Sahara at Regine Velasquez
ISA na namang foreign artist ang gumagawa ng pangalan sa Philippine music industry – yan ay walang iba kundi ang American singer na si Sahara.
Pak na pak ang pagbirit ni Sahara ng mga OPM hits with poise, power, and passion, kaya naman marami agad mga Filipino ang nakakilala sa kanya.
An international recording artist based in Las Vegas, USA, at binansagang American Anthem Diva, Sahara launched her professional career as an OPM singer with her debut single, a noteworthy cover of “Dahil Ba Sa Kanya” na unang pinasikat ng Queen of Soul na si Jaya.
In fairness, marami ang nag-akala na Pinay ang classically-trained vocalist dahil nga sa napakahusay na rendition ng “Dahil Ba Sa Kanya”.
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At ngayon nga ay nagbabalik si Sahara para sa latest OPM track niyang “Agos”, an original power ballad that she collaborated with Paul Sapiera, frontman and lead guitarist of Pinoy band “Rockstar”.
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Paglalarawan ni Sahara sa “Agos”, “I first met Paul a couple of years ago at a Filipino bar called ‘Noypitz’.
“I sang ‘Sayang Na Sayang’ (ni Manilyn Reynes) for karaoke and right afterward, he introduced himself and we immediately started talking about working together. But it wasn’t until last year that we finally got to collaborate on a Christmas song called ‘Aginaldong Mithi’.
“We really enjoyed working together and I told him I wanted to try doing a rock song, and he sat down at the piano in my studio and sang ‘Agos’ for me… and I was instantly in love! It had everything I wanted and we started rehearsing right away.
“I never met anyone as talented yet humble as Paul, and he really challenged me to take my passion for OPM to a new level,” sey ng American singer.
Patuloy niya, “The message of ‘Agos’ is the pain of being betrayed by someone you love and trust. It’s a story about lovers but it can be about anyone important in your life.
“I understand hardships and I’ve been on the receiving end of betrayal by friends and family so I know how it feels. But I also know there’s always hope,” esplika ni Sahara keribels din ang pagkanta ng Spanish, French, Italian at German.
Natanong din siya kung paano nagsimula ang passion niya sa pagkanta ng OPM, “I grew up in Southern California in a very diverse community, and so I listened to lots of different kinds of music in English, Spanish, and Tagalog.
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“I would listen to artists like Regine Velasquez with my Filipino-American friends in middle school, but I was very shy, so I would wait until I was home alone to try singing along.
“But then about five years ago I had a Filipina vocal coach, and I asked her about a song I heard on a YouTube travel video called ‘Dahil Ba Sa Kanya’ that I wanted to learn.
“We spent months working on the pronunciation and accent, and it ended up being one of the most challenging things I’ve done as a singer, and in the process, I really fell in love with how Tagalog sounds when I sing it.
“When I finally sang Tagalog in public for the first time, the audience reaction was so amazing it changed my life. Since then, I’ve worked with different Filipino coaches and producers, always striving to be a better singer and sound more authentic and truly be an OPM singer,” pagbabahagi pa ni Sahara.
As to her plans for her singing career, Sahara said, “I will continue to follow my heart and keep recording more Original Pilipino Music as long as my fans support what I do. When the time is right, I’ll visit the Philippines to promote my music and more importantly, meet my fans.”
“To my fans, I’d like to say that ‘Agos’ wouldn’t be possible without them. They give me the strength to keep practicing and keep recording. And more than anything… mahal kayo ni Sahara!” deklarasyon pa ng American singer na may pusong Pinoy.
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