Vina Morales

Career

At age nine, Morales started singing with the choir of Saint Vincent Ferrer Parish Church in Bogo. Father Fritz T. Malinao, a priest and a songwriter in his church community, discovered Morales' talent and asked her to sing one of his compositions as an entry in the Cebu Pop Music Festival.^[3] The song, "Paglaum", which means "hope" or "pag-asa" in the Cebuano language, won the Grand Prize and earned the Best Interpreter Award for young talents in the Philippines.

Representatives from Viva Films saw her performance and offered her a singing and acting contract. She and her family moved to Manila where she auditioned for a film career in the Philippine film industry. She changed her birth name from Sharon Garcia Magdayao to Vina Morales.^[4]

Morales' first film debut was Nakagapos na Puso where she co-starred with Sharon Cuneta. In her late teen years, Morales appeared in Ang Utol Kong Hoodlum and Anghel Na Walang Langit. She also appeared in The Sarah Balabagan Story.

Morales recorded albums and performed in live concerts in the Philippines, including 2004's Mamahalin Ka Niya. She co-wrote the lyrics of a song titled Paano Kaya Magtatagpo?, along with Filipino model, actor and musician, 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. In 2003, she held a multi-city United States tour titled Vina Revealed and Vina's Hot.

Morales performed the song Yakapin Mo Ako while portraying singer Joey Albert in the drama anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya. In 2002, she co-hosted a series of Philippine shows with Martin Nievera in the United States and Canada. She was the first Filipino to sing at the New York International Music Festival held at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas in 2003. In 2006, she also did a tour in the United States.^[5]

In 2007, she starred in ABS-CBN's soap opera Maria Flordeluna. She also represented the Philippines at the 2007 Ikon Asean singing contest and won the competition.

In 2010, Morales was cast as Mercedes Cristi in another ABS-CBN soap opera Agua Bendita, starring Andi Eigenmann.^[6][7][8][9]

In 2011, she marked her very first antagonist role in the ABS-CBN late night drama Nasaan Ka Elisa?, a remake of the 2010 Telemundo telenovela ¿Dónde está Elisa? which is an adaptation of the original 2009 Chilean telenovela of the same name. She played the role of Cecile Altamira, sister of Mariano Altamira (Albert Martinez) and wife of Bruno de Silva (Eric Fructuoso).

In 2013, she was cast as Magnolia Alegre in the primetime drama Maria Mercedes, a remake of the 1992 Mexican telenovela of the same name that starred Thalía. She later makes a movie comeback with Robin Padilla in the 2014 MMFF film Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo.

In 2015, she starred in the afternoon drama Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita in the role of Cecilia Macaraeg. The next year, Morales played the role of Janella Salvador's mother in the 2016 romantic drama Born for You.

In 2018, she played her second antagonist role in Precious Hearts Romances presents Araw Gabi. She portrays Celestina de Alegre, the mortal enemy of Adrian Olvidar (JM de Guzman).

Personal life

Morales is the sister of actress and dancer Shaina Magdayao.^[10] She has a daughter named Ceana born in 2009.^[11]

Discography

• Vina (1990, Viva Records)
• Forbidden (1992, Viva Records)
• Best of Vina (1993, Viva Records)
• 'Pag Katabi Kita (1994, Viva Records)
• Easy To Love (1995, OctoArts EMI)
• Look at Me Now (1996, OctoArts EMI)
• All That I Want (1998, OctoArts EMI)
• No Limits (1999, OctoArts EMI)
• Total Control (2001, OctoArts EMI)
• Reflections (2002, OctoArts EMI)
• Mamahalin Ka Niya (2004, Star Music)
• Vina: Silver Series (2006, Viva Records)
• Awit ng Ating Buhay (2010, Star Music)
• Vina Morales (30th Anniversary Album) (2016, Star Music)

Movies

Television