In 2000, Philippine musician and respected songwriter
Vehnee Saturno released
My Platinum Hits, which features instrumental versions of his compositions that have become hits for a number of Philippine artists.
Saturno is one of the country's most prolific and respected songwriters. The album is entirely instrumental, and
Saturno plays piano and keyboards. Joining him is guitarist Rudy Lozano, who is credited as performing "live guitars." The songs on My Platinum Album are pleasant easy-listening numbers and are presented here in an enjoyable manner.
Saturno has an extensive catalog and composes songs for many artists. In the latter part of his career he seems at times to be rewriting his own catalog, but the songs here are distinctive and do not seem derivative at all. Surely, though, the songs on My Platinum Album have provided the blueprint for other
Saturno compositions that are derivative. Opening the album is the mellow "Bakit Pa" (Why Is It), a big hit for female singer
Jessa Zaragoza. The melodies are performed here in a note-for-note manner per the original versions, though the arrangements are different. However, there is no overt improvisation or embellishment. One of the nicer songs is "Mula Sa Puso" (Start From the Heart), also the theme song for a once-popular TV program, and contains a penetrating melody heard in a hypnotic minor key. Another nice song, "Mahal Pa Rin Kita" (I'm Still in Love With You), sounds like something American composer/pianist
Jim Brickman might compose. This is a better album than one might expect. ~ David Gonzales