Chyrell’s musical journey

Chyrell’s musical journey

By Beatrice Paez

TORONTO –Ask Chyrell Samson what she wanted to be when she grew up, and without hesitation she would have answered, “doctor.” Singing was always in the backdrop, but never the frontrunner until her friends convinced her to strike out on her own.

A trained choral singer, Samson strayed from centre stage, content on performing alongside friends and colleagues. It all changed when she came to Canada in 1995.

Never one to pass off a karaoke challenge or singing competition, the voice within her revealed itself to onlookers. The Filipino-Canadian community of Toronto embraced her sound, she credits them for propelling her debut as a solo artist, as many reached out to her to perform at events.

Warm, down to earth, but with the glow of a sparkling pop songstress, it’s not hard to see why she is beloved by the community.

On stage, headlining a concert organized by her husband, Rodney Ronquillo, a fellow musician, she delivers an electrifying performance, overrun with emotions and charged with sentiment.

Her show takes the audience on her “musical journey,” weaving in vignettes of her life through short videos and interspersing her solos with other guest performances, to keep people hooked and guessing.

With a varied roster of performers on hand to support Samson, the show’s tempo swayed in its range and played crowd pleasing hits, from the upbeat cover performance of the late 1960s hit, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, to the more subdued but still powerful cover of Alicia Keys’ “If Ain’t Got You.”

DK Tijam, Amsky Chan, Don Torres and Chyrell Samson

The supporting acts included famed musician Mon Torralba, of the Hotdog Band; R&B singer DK Tijam; classical jazz guitarist, Onofrio Virdo; and fellow singer, Don Torres.

Baring parts of her life to her fans, she shares a rendition of the first song she composed, “Golden Memories,” now called “Second Diary,” which was later sung by her class for their high school graduation.

More about fulfilling a requirement, than an overt exercise in creativity, the song was written for an assignment but its lyrics, which recall memories of the past, resonated with her music teacher and class.

“It was a good feeling. Until now I look back and I’m happy it was chosen,” she says. “The songs I’ve written all come from my experiences, but sometimes it might be a combination of my experiences or other people’s experiences.”

She traces her earliest musical memory and influences to her mom, who exposed her to the music of “sentimental songstress” Imelda Papin, and taught her Filipino folk songs and nursery rhymes.

Samson has been exercising her vocal cords since she was 2 years of age, and they haven’t rested since. Though she has stretched and tested her vocal skills in different genres, learning everything from opera to jazz, she revels in performing power ballads and evocative love songs.

Following her long run as a member of various choir groups, both in the Philippines and in Canada, she produced a solo album in 2003, with the help of Ronquillo, and continues to pursue her music.

The songstress shared with the Philippine Reporter that she is in the process of laying down the next tracks of her album, which she says will hopefully be released in the coming year.

She performs on the side, working also as a health and wellness practitioner, running her own business, Healthy Life Path, which offers workshops for people interested in making adjustments to their livelihood.

It isn’t too far off from what I wanted, says Samson, who had always been interested in health care. With her business, she is able to combine and make time for both her passions. One of the workshops she designed is tailored for musicians, offering them tips and herbal remedies for those with stressed vocal cords.

Her teenaged self may not recognize the woman that she has chosen to become, but Samson’s dreams continue to evolve.