MANILA -- When she was still a young girl, singer-songwriter Odette Quesada didn’t know she could compose songs. Yet, young as she was then, she would sing her own melodies by humming tunes even while at play. When she got a little older and she would ride the bus going to school, she also remembers singing her own melodies.

In sophomore high school, Quesada’s class joined a singing group competition in school. They needed to render two songs – a Tagalog folk ditty and an English song.

“We chose ‘Balut Penoy’ for the folk song and that was easy,” Quesada remembered. However, for the English song, no suggestion seemed to get everyone’s approval. That prompted Quesada to tell her classmates, “You know what? I’ll just write a song.”

The following day, she arrived in school with a finished piece on hand. “This is what we’re going to sing,” she bragged to her groupmates. The song, “Blue Bird (On the Hill Side),” virtually became her first composition. Her class rendered the piece and they finished in second place.

The song was never released. “It was very sophomoric, literally” Quesada said of the song. Yet, at that time, Quesada affirmed she wanted to really write songs and create beautiful melodies.

For her high school graduation, she wrote the hauntingly sentimental piece, “Farewell.” Her batchmates performed it before the academic administrator of the Philippine Women’s University (PWU), Helena Z. Benitez, at the historic Miranilla Heritage House of the Benitez family in Quezon City.

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Three years later, in 1984, “Farewell” was given by Viva Films’ big boss, Vic del Rosario, to Raymond Lauchengco, who recorded it as a single for Maryo J. de los Reyes’ “Bagets.” Lauchengco appeared as one of the stars of the movie and “Farewell,” as well as another Quesada composition, “Growing Up,” recorded by Gary Valenciano, were included in the soundtrack album of the iconic film.

Quesada had just graduated from high school when she joined the amateur division of the first Metro Manila Popular Music Festival (Metropop) in 1982. Her piece, “Give Me A Chance,” was interpreted by Ric Segreto. She bagged second place in the music festival.

STORY BEHIND 'TIL I MET YOU'

The following year, Quesada was inspired to compete in the professional division of the second Metropop. She recorded a demo of her song entry, the love ballad, “Till I Met You.” The song was an early strong favorite among the judges.

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Quesada only had one artist in mind to interpret the ballad and it was pop diva Kuh Ledesma. Quesada nearly moved heaven and earth to convince Ledesma to sing the entry. Yet, the songwriter was unsuccessful.

“My heart was broken when Kuh declined,” Quesada shared. “She didn’t want to join a contest. She told me if I lost, people will not remember me, instead, her. I went home to my lola and broke to her the sad news that Kuh didn’t want to sing my song entry. I was really disheartened. I couldn’t even think of the closest second name to submit after she declined.”

However, Quesada’s ever-supportive lola Dorothea, who was consistently behind her every move from the time she was a young student, did not lose hope. “The following day, we went to see Kuh, who was then recording at Cinema Audio along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong,” Quesada recalled.

“I tried to stop my lola. I was begging and begging. ‘No, don’t talk to her.’ My lola said, ‘Ako’ng bahala.’ Then she told Kuh, ‘Hindi na lang ‘yan sasali [sa Metropop]. Kukunin na lang niya ang kanta niya. Sayang.’ The rest is history.”

To make the long story short, the lola was able to convince Ledesma. “Till I Met You” bagged the top prize in the Metropop that year, with Quesada bringing home the winning trophy in the professional division.

KUH LEDESMA FAN

Quesada’s admiration towards Ledesma dates back earlier on, when she especially wrote an original composition after merely reading about the pop diva’s heartbreaking love life in a magazine. That prompted her to pen “A Long, Long Time Ago” for Ledesma.

“I read in a magazine where Kuh mentioned that she had a boyfriend,” Quesada recalled. “I didn’t even know her personally yet at that time. She mentioned that she parted ways with her boyfriend. They wanted to get married, but her career was just taking off. So they parted ways.

“Kuh actually got a copy of Ric Segreto’s first album with ‘Don’t Know What To Do.’ Then she sent feelers to Vicor and asked for me to write a song for her. I was a big fan in high school. In 1982, she was perhaps the biggest concert artist. She is very classy. I gave her a demo cassette with three songs — ‘A Long, Long Time Ago,’ ‘Till I Met You’ and another piece I cannot even remember anymore. She chose ‘A Long, Long Time Ago.’ That was a dream come true for me.”

Quesada penned another song for Ledesma. “Sweet Melody,” which she wrote with Cris Kuizon. “She was my classmate at the UP College of Music and she is now a music teacher,” she said of her songwriting partner. “Cris didn’t pursue songwriting professionally.”

In 1997, Quesada gave Ledesma another song, “I Cried,” that was included in the latter’s international album, “Precious.”

“She called me up from LA and told me she wanted the song she heard in my studio, ‘I Cried.’ She really begged that I give her that song. I told myself, ‘She came through for me with ‘Till I Met You,’ why don’t I give her the song now, when she’s begging for one? It was the least I could do.”

JAMES AND NADINE

With the many hit songs she has written, Quesada, quite surprisingly, never really took time to single out a particular piece as her favorite.

“When I really, really do think about it, it’s like having children,” she maintained. “Every one is special in his own way. ‘Don’t Know What To Do’ is very special because it’s 38 years now. I wrote it on my 17th birthday. I turned 55 last January 13. So you can just do the math.” (Smiles)

“A Long, Long Time Ago” is a song Quesada wrote just for Ledesma. “I was really flattered when she agreed to record it.”

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Quesada remains thankful that up to now, a lot of people remember her songs. For instance, “Give Me A Chance” was used for the James Reid and Nadine Lustre teleserye, “Till I Met You,” shown in 2016. The song was revived by Kaye Cal for that series. Previously, “Give Me A Chance” was also recorded by Jed Madela and even Lea Salonga.

“They used my other songs for ‘Till I Met You.’ They recorded new versions. I was thrilled. When I was writing my songs, I was just a teenager. All I was thinking about was the moment, the now. Na sana makuha ‘yung songs. Sana maging hit. For the songs to have lasted this long, they have become staples in karaoke, the go-to song of our generation, I’m just amazed.”

She released her first album, “Hopeless Romantic,” in 1984. That contained the songs “Don’t Know What To Say, Don’t Know What To Do” and “Friend of Mine.” It was Del Rosario who encouraged Quesada to record her own album.

Interestingly, she gave the title “Hopeless Romantic” because it was supposed to be the original title of Segreto’s “Don’t Know What To Say, Don’t Know What To Do.” But for some reason, the guy who worked on the album didn’t bother to confirm the title with her. Hence, he merely put “Don’t Know What To Say, Don’t Know What To Do,” maybe after the lines he heard from the refrain.

“You never know. Maybe the song became a hit because the title became that,” she reasoned out.

LIFE IN THE STATES

Quesada attests her life in the US is totally different. On weekdays, she keeps a nine-to-five job. Then on weekends, she works onstage. “I’m a weekend entertainer,” she allowed. “When I have a gig, I fly out even to New York or Hawaii.”

Her only child, Darian, with her late singer-songwriter husband, Bodjie Dasig, is now 24 and has just finished his TV and movie scriptwriting college course. The boy was only five when the family migrated to the US for good in 2001.

“He always had bronchitis every month,” Quesada said about her son’s health as a child. “He had to use a nebulizer every month. When we went to the States, he never had to use the nebulizer again.”

The boy has a girlfriend and has been in a relationship for a long time now, according to his mom. “He finished college and is really busy lately,” Quesada granted. “I see him probably about twice a week.”

She was supposed to have a show at Resorts World Manila in early 2018, but a fire broke out in one of the casinos in 2017 and the producers decided to postpone it. “They were not sure if people would come,” Quesada said.

In February 2019, she performed in “Wishcovery” of Wish 107 at the Big Dome.

On January 17 and 18, Quesada will hold a two-night concert, “Hopeless Romantic,” at the BGC Arts Center, where she will render all her hits. Joining her on the first night are Ledesma, Martin Nievera and National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab.

Nievera was not in the original line-up of guests, but Quesada insisted. “He’s just a very generous person” that’s why he was included on the line-up of her guests on the first night. “Martin recorded ‘Give Me A Chance.’ He included it in his album when he was trying to woo back Pops. But it didn’t work,” Quesada allowed.

Joining her on the second night of “Hopeless Romantic” is Sharon Cuneta. Rowell Santiago is the director of the show, with Jason Quitane as musical director.

“All of my hit songs and all the songs I wrote will be included in the repertoire,” Quesada offered. “I’m bringing nostalgia back.”

NEW SINGERS

Among the young artists of late, Quesada expresses her desire to work one day with Zia Quizon. “I love her voice,” Quesada disclosed. “There’s so much character in her voice. I’ve never met her, although I know her mother [Zsa Zsa Padilla]. I like that tonal quality of Zia’s voice. It’s more a Quizon voice.”

Quesada is also “very, very impressed” with “The Voice of the Philippines Season 2” finalist, Daryl Ong.

Although she attests she is no longer as “prolific” as she used to, the singer-songwriter undoubtedly still writes songs. “There are songs in my baul. One day, I still hope to record some of the songs or give them to other artists.”