“It was a great experience for me with Mr. Ryan Cayabyab as our mentor and I learned so much from him about writing songs,” he says. “I was flattered when he said he saw a lot of potential in me as a singer-songwriter. May voice workshops din kami kaya mas nahasa ang voice ko and I also learned how to dance kasi hindi naman ako nagsasayaw before. But nung piliin na yung top 5, hindi ako napasali. I told myself, siguro God has other plans for me. I brought my songs to Sonic State Audio ni Mr. Jonathan Ong for possible recording and he liked my song ‘Kahit Kailan’ right away. Dinala ko ito sa Warner Music and I signed up with them and they released it as a single. Ginamit ng ABS-CBN na background music sa PBB and other shows. It also got a lot of radio airplay at naging mabili sa iTunes and Spotify. Now, I just recorded my second single, ‘Ikaw Na Pala’, pero next year na ang release.”
Is he in good terms with the top 5 winners in “To The Top”? “Oh yes. We’re friends. Nanood ako ng concert nila sa Music Museum and I’m so happy and proud kasi napuno nila yun. I’m inviting them to watch my first solo concert.”
Gio will now stage his own concert, “Gio @ 1”, to be held at Hard Rock Cafe in Makati on November 30, 8 PM. “It’s my way of celebrating my 1st year as a singer-songwriter. I will be singing songs from my influences, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, plus other OPM songs and my own compositions. I will be playing the guitar but I also have a band, with my cousin Paolo Cabalda Banaga as musical director. I promise the audience they will have a great time.”Gio is also part of the musical Aman Sinaya, Legend of the Ocean staged at Ocean Adventure in Subic Bay where he plays the lead role. He also does gigs at Kamayan Beach Resort, doing two sets a night. He just turned 22 on April 28 but he now also has his own production company, Creative Upstart, making him a young man who is very much on the go. With the showbiz veteran Jun Nardo helping him chart his career, there’s nowhere else to go but up. For tickets to his Hard Rock concert, contact 0936-8468572.