Arzen Rose Dulzura

Celebrating Pilita Corrales: The milestones of Asia’s Queen of Songs

Article (news)

Nikka Avegail Sabio

Push Team

<p>As one of the icons of Original Pilipino Music (OPM), Pilita Corrales has built an enduring legacy through decades of contributions to music, television, film, and a life as colorful as her career. In celebration of her remarkable journey, here are some fascinating facts about Asia’s Queen of Songs.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Pilita’s Unexpected Start in Australia</strong></div><p>Pilita’s career began in an unusual way. According to reports, she ended up in Australia after being shipwrecked off the coast of Arnhem Island. She had met American actor and magician John Calvert and worked with him as a magician’s assistant. They and the crew were onboard a yacht which ran into some trouble. She was eventually rescued by the Australian navy.</p><p>While in Australia, Pilita became the first female recording artist in the country to score a pop chart hit with her Spanish-language single “Acércate Más” (“Come Closer to Me”) in the late 1950s. As Billboard Philippines noted, she became a “darling of local radio,” gaining popularity and cementing her status as one of Australia&#x27;s top female vocalists. Her hit was released under the now-defunct Astor Records.</p><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-4" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DIVRh05zuvm/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A194974.20000000007%2C%22ls%22%3A158990.59999999998%2C%22le%22%3A159501.70000000007%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="847" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-4" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><strong> </strong></div><div><strong>Honored with a Street in Australia</strong></div><p>In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Pilita recorded at least three LPs: <em>Pilita with Arthur Young: Pilita Tells the Story of Love, I’ll Take Romance</em>, and<em> This Is Pilita</em> under Astor Records.</p><p>Her pioneering contributions to early Australian television earned her a feature in the second episode of ABC’s highly acclaimed TV special <em>Love Is in the Air, </em>which celebrated the country’s pioneering female artists. In recognition of her influence, a street in Victoria, Australia, was named after her.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Sharing the Stage with The Beatles and Performing in Las Vegas</strong></div><p>Pilita made history in 1966 when she performed as one of the front acts during The Beatles’ first and only concert in Manila, held at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. She was one of six local artists who opened the show, including the Reycards and the Downbeats.</p><p>Recalling the experience in an interview, she shared: “The band manager was too strict for comfort,” she recalled. “But the guys were very charming, eran muy civilized. John Lennon and George Harrison were very English with their ‘How do you do’s.’ Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney — the latter era el mas guapo, el mas simpatico — were very chatty, engaging in more than small talk.”</p><p>In the late 1970s, Pilita also became the first Filipino artist to perform at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, invited by the legendary Sammy Davis Jr. She wowed audiences with songs in Spanish, English, Cebuano, and Tagalog, arranged by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab.</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CS3h8Nzh2Qx/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A176467.30000000005%2C%22ls%22%3A158990.59999999998%2C%22le%22%3A159501.70000000007%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="846" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong>From DJ to Stage Performer in the Philippines</strong></div><p>Upon returning to Manila in 1963, Pilita started her local entertainment career as a radio disc jockey, hosting a Spanish-language program called <em>La Taverna </em>on DZPI, where she also sang and played the guitar.</p><p>She later graced the stage of iconic venues like the Clover Theater and the Manila Grand Opera House. Though she initially struggled with speaking Tagalog, she eventually embraced it, turning her language barrier into an endearing part of her charm, according to PhilSTAR Global.</p><div> </div><div><strong>A Performer’s Prayer </strong></div><p>Before every performance, Pilita never forgot to say a prayer. As she shared in an interview with PhilSTAR Global.</p><p>“I offer my songs to you, Lord,” she said. “Take care of me and my voice.”</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl8KojnOdoM/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A159510%2C%22ls%22%3A158990.59999999998%2C%22le%22%3A159501.70000000007%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="847" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><strong> </strong></div><div><strong>A Love for Sports and Travel</strong></div><p>In a 2012 interview, Pilita revealed her passion for sports and travel.</p><p>“I enjoy sporting events. After watching the Summer Olympics in Sydney, I wish to see more of it,” Pilita said in the interview. </p><p>She also shared how she wanted to watch sporting events held in different countries around the world.</p><p>“Perhaps, (I want to) go to Rio de Janeiro, but the long, long flight is discouraging. I also want to watch the World Cup and the tennis championship in Wimbledon,” she added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2025/4/12/pilita-corrales-and-her-legacy-that-will-live-forever-1316"><strong><u>READ: A Million Thanks To You: Pilita Corrales and her legacy that will live forever</u></strong></a></div><p>As a seasoned traveler, her best travel advice was both humorous and practical, she stated: “Bring as little as you can! That’s easier said than done. I have a tendency to bring more than I need. But you have this por se acaso or just-in-case moments — like what if I need another pair of heels—then you’re already on the wrong footing. Besides, anything you need is available abroad.”</p>

<p><b>Here are little known facts about Pilita Corrales and her colorful journey as an icon.</b></p>

Here are little known facts about Pilita Corrales and her colorful journey as an icon.