Vina Morales
Birth Name: Sharon Garcia Magdayao
Birthday: October 17, 1975
Birthplace: Bogo, Cebu
Siblings: Sheila, Sheryl, and Shaina Magdayao
Career turning point:
* Won at the Cebu Pop Music Festival interpreting Fr. Fritz Malinao’s “Paglaum”. Got the Best Interpreter and the Grand Prize.
* Discovered by Viva Films producers Vic del Rosario Jr. and Mina Aragon at the age of 10
* Did her first movie with Sharon Cuneta; did her first album.
Female Idols: Karen Carpenter, Barbara Streisand
Male idols: Michel Jackson, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise
***
Sharon García Magdayao (born October 17, 1975 in Bogo, Cebu, Philippines), also known as Vina Morales, is a Filipina singer, actress and model.
At age nine, Morales started singing with her church choir, leading her to a music career. The priest Father Fritz Malinao, a songwriter, recognized Morales’ talent and asked her to sing one of his compositions as an entry to Cebu Pop Music Festival.
The song, “Paglaum” (“hope” in Cebuano language), won the Grand Prize and earned the “Best Interpreter” award for young talents in the Philippines.
Morales and her family were surprised to learn that representatives from Viva Films had seen her performance. They were impressed with her talents and offered her a singing and acting contract.
She and her family moved to Manila. Her family entrusted Morales’ young career to Mina del Rosario, a film executive from Viva Films.
Del Rosario gave Vina her stage name Vina Morales, taken from del Rosario’s daughter’s name Vina Vanesa. Morales’ first film was “Nakagapos na Puso,” in which she co-starred with Sharon Cuneta and Tonton Gutierrez.
In her late teenage years, Morales began taking on more mature roles in drama, action and comedy. She appeared with Robin Padilla in “Utol Kong Hoodlum”.
She starred with Ariel Rivera in “Anghel Na Walang Langit.” This was a dual role in which Morales played two look-a-like young women with very different personalities.
One of Morales’ controversial roles was that of “Sarah Balabagan,” a Muslim domestic helper from Mindanao who killed her employer in the United Arab Emirates for abusing her.
The film received controversy and “The Sarah Balabagan Story” was banned in Philippine cinemas. However, after a court hearing and approval from the Philippine film industry, the movie was allowed to be shown and earned three Best Actress nominations.
Morales’ acting and singing career flourished. She continued to record albums and performed in live concerts. Her latest album, released in 2004, is a collection of love songs entitled “Mamahalin Ka Niya”.
She co-wrote the lyrics of one song called “Paano Kaya Magtatagpo?” along with Piolo Pascual. The music was composed by Arnel de Pano.
Later, Morales and Pascual recorded the song as a duet. Other songs on the album include “Yakapin Mo Ako”, Pangako and “Saan Darating ang Umaga”.
Morales performed the song “Yakapin Mo Ako” when portraying singer Joey Albert on the biographical TV series “Maalaala Mo Kaya.”
For the past couple of years, Morales’ career as an International concert artist has improved. In 2002, she co-hosted a series of Philippine shows with Martin Nievera in the United States and Canada. In 2003, she also had her own successful multi-city US tour titled Vina Revealed and Vina’s Hot.
She was chosen as being the first Filipino to sing at the New York International Music Festival, which was held at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas in 2003.
In 2007, she starred in ABS-CBN’s “Maria Flordeluna,” where she played her role as Elvira, the mother of Maria Flordeluna, played by Eliza Pineda.
She also represented the Philippines at the 2007 Ikon Asean singing contest and won the competition.
She has a younger sister named Shaina Magdayao, a well-known teenage actress in the Philippines.
In 2008, Morales became pregnant and gave birth to her daughter to non-showbiz boyfriend Cedric Lee in April 2009. She named her daughter Ceana.
========
Related story:
