Rafael Centenera

Starry Saturday Night

 

Side A
Starry Saturday Night
Just A Love Song
Moody blue
You Have Taught me Love Again
Handy Man
You Make Loving Fun

Side B
You'll Never Find
Another Love Like Mine
Once In My Life before
Sunflower
Missing You
Isabela
Have You Ever Seen The Rain


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Singer-recording artist Rafael Centenera has been away for more than three decades, during which he stayed in Malaysia where he was a recording artist of EMI Malaysia and where he met his Malaysian wife, Jenny Hui, a boutique owner and fashion designer.

Although born and raised in the Philippines, it was in Malaysia where Rafael's singing career blossomed.

He recorded three albums in Malaysia, two in English and one in Malay. He sang in clubs and made a name in the entertainment circuit there.

But now that their children have all grown up, Rafael Centenera has returned to the Philippines to share his singing talent once more with his kababayans.

He came home most specifically to record a Tagalog album. "Iba kasi 'pag Tagalog songs ang kinanta mo, you can feel the emotions with your heart. Akala ko nga at my age 'di ko na kayang mag-record pa. But I am physically fit pa naman, so eto ako with my Tagalog album which I dedicate to all Filipino music lovers."

His eponymous album is produced by Vehnee Saturno and released through Viva Records. In the album are six tracks, five of them original compositions of Saturno himself. These are "Sumayaw Ng Salsa," a duet with Ms. Pilita Corrales; "Bakit Ikaw," "Andrea," "Basta't Ikaw," "Sa Kanya Ba?" and "Ako Pa Rin Sa Iyo" (this was Rafael's hit single "Missing You" in Malaysia in the '80s which Vehnee translated into Tagalog and which is the album's carrier single).

Rafael has high esteem and respect for Vehnee whom he met when the former was promoting an album he recorded in Malaysia which a Filipino recording company distributed in the Philippines. Back then, Vehnee wasn't the successful composer that he is now. Rafael ended up as first to record a Vehnee Saturno song, "Ang Dahilan," which he recorded before Vehnee's compositions "Be My Lady" and "Sandakot Na Lupa" made him a household name.

Rafael realized now that Tagalog songs are really different in conveying messages and feelings. The songs in his comeback album prove his point. "Iba ang songs in our own dialect or language. We can project and play more on our culture and traditions."

-yahoo news April 2013