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When Claudine Barreto married Raymart Santiago, the
wedding had its own theme song, “To Have and To Hold,” which was
specially composed for the couple by multiawarded songwriter Trina
Belamide. The song was performed at the couple’s Tagaytay wedding
ceremony by Gary Valenciano and Kuh Ledesma.
This development reflects the
growing trend of couples commissioning a songwriter to come up with
an original composition that would serve as the wedding theme song.
This song, is usually “burned” in a CD and given to guests as
souvenirs.
In the years to come, the couple
can only think of good times whenever they hear the song, even if
they are going through difficult times.
Trina admitted that an original
theme song is not for every couple but it does add a unique and
unforgettable touch to a wedding ceremony. “My clients are people
who want an extra-special touch for their weddings. Admittedly, my
service isn’t cheap. A lot of couples would rather use the money
for other wedding expenses or perhaps find less expensive
songwriters. But ultimately, I guess you get what you pay for. I
have my own standards for what I consider a well-crafted song, and I
never give my clients anything I’m not willing to put my name
on,” said Belamide.
Trina began taking piano lessons
at the age of 8 and continued these formal lessons for seven years.
She learned how to play pop songs by ear (“ouido” method) in the
process, listening to songs and learning about chords from magazines
and books, and began writing songs for school contests at age 13.
She joined the high-school glee club as the group’s pianist and
co-wrote two songs for the group in two consecutive years which both
won in the annual Awit ng Pluma inter-school song-writing contests.
She was an active member of the
Ateneo College Glee Club during her entire college life and became
exposed to choral music and vocal harmony. This gave her the
opportunity to develop her singing and note-reading skills and
exposed her to a wider range of music. It was also in this
organization that she found what would be her first few contacts in
the music industry.
After graduating from college in
1990, she worked for a small advertising agency as copywriter for a
few months before deciding to pursue a career in songwriting in
1991. It was this time that she tried her hand at doing commercial
jingles.
Belamide is the composer behind
such hits as “Now that I Have You,” “Pasko sa Piling Mo,”
“Tell the World of His Love,” “You’ve Made Me Stronger,”
and “Shine.” Besides writing songs, she is also a record
producer and a highly in-demand writer of commercial jingles.
Belamide said she usually asks
her clients what message they want to impart in the wedding song.
“The lyrics could be different for each song but each composition
is about two people who are excited to start their lives together.
Each song is something that any couple can relate to. After all,
celebrity or ‘ordinary’ couple, they all have one thing in
common. They are in love!” she said.
Belamide revealed that in
Claudine’s case, the actress was less concerned about the message
of the song than the title, which eventually became the title of the
TV special about the wedding.
On March 10-11, Belamide marks a
first in her songwriting career during the 10th edition of Wedding
Expo Philippines at The PICC Forum. Prospective preregistered brides
and grooms will be given loot bags that contain, among others, a CD
of songs. The compilation includes “You’re Everything I Need,”
the Wedding Expo Philippines jingle. The song is an original by
Belamide, who is one of the 300 wedding suppliers featured in the
two-day event.
The song was initially a Themes
& Motifs website jingle but Belamide and the organizers decided
to turn the music bed into a full blown love song as part of the
grand preparations for The 10th Wedding Expo Philippines. The result
is a captivating ditty with a feel good melody and romantic lyrics.
The event, which is considered
the best and biggest of its kind, showcases fashion designers,
banquet, caterers, event stylists and florists, limousine providers,
souvenir markers, fireworks manufacturers, cake artists, musicians
and entertainers, jewelers, event venues, among others.
“It is a great honor to be
included in Wedding Expo Philippines,” said Belamide, who has
written songs for majority of the Philippines’ top recording
artists and producers albums for them as well.
The event also features Wedding
Banquets Manila 2007, the Philippines first and only food and
beverage expo with Hizon’s catering as lead caterer. Three wedding
stylists-Robert Blancaflor, Henry Pascual and Tony Rodriguez will
also come together in a first-time collaboration.
Guests will have the chance to
win a Hong Kong honeymoon when they book with a supplier during
Wedding Expo Philippines two-day run. Every P1,000 they book onsite
entitles them to a raffle coupon for the three-days two-nights Hong
Kong package.
The event is produced and
organized by Themes and Motifs—The Special Events Co., Wedding
Essentials Magazine and Hizon’s Catering as major sponsors while
About Weddings and My WeddingNetwork.com are media partners.
(For information, call
371-9783 or 818-9794 or visit the showroom at Makati Shangri-La’s
hotel corner along Ayala Avenue, Makati City.)
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