“We need to step out of the box and try to elevate ourselves,” says Filipino songwriter and performer Aileeen de la Cruz in a year-end telephone interview with the Phil­ippine Asian News Today (PNT). She was referring to the ten­dency of Filipino talents to be just ‘copycats” and be content with singing somebody else’s song.

“We need to step out of the Fili­pino community and go out there to understand what the music industry is all about,” the Cana­dian-born artist said in her quest to make a name for herself.
Despite her involvement with the community, little is known of the talented de la Cruz whose bio reads like a whose who in the mu­sic world.
We happen to catch a glimpse of her name when the ten-year old environment activist and sing­er Ta’Kaiya Blaney was featured in a recent CBC episode about the proposed oil pipeline running from Alberta to Kitimat in B.C.’s far north.

De la Cruz co-wrote the song ‘Shallow Waters’ with Ta’Kaiya who is her piano student. The song has now gone viral and Enbridge, the multi-national giant behind the pipeline project has been rattled by its impact. Considered one of Western Canada’s most prolific writer and performer de la Cruz began play­ing the piano when she was just two years old and studied classi­cal piano under Filipino classicist Lou Faron until she was ten years old. At age 13, she joined the Amadeus Children’s’ Choir tour­ing with the troupe as far as the Carnegie Hall in New York.

“I think I got my talent from my Lolo Aquido, (his grandpa from his father’s side) who has his own band in Los Angeles and plays the trumpet and violin. “Lolo was self-taught in music.” Her parents are from Taytay, Rizal who immigrated to Canada in the early 70’s. Jun is an archi­tect and works with SFU while Mom Lina is a former teacher and now runs her own business, Lina’s Florist out of her home in Surrey. She has been to the Philip­pines only once last summer but her parents are very involved in the community here and taught the children the language.

“That’s where I maintained my Filipino roots and have participat­ed and contributed a lot to com­munity endeavours in the past.” The Holy Cross and North Surrey Secondary graduate has fronted with the likes of Joey Albert and Kuh Ledesma in the early part of her career. She was Program Director for Marlyn de la Cruz’s TV Show in the 90’ until it stopped produc­tion.

Aileen will be one of the over 20 Filipino performers this Fri­day (Dec. 30) at the fund-raising benefit show for typhoon victims ‘Hawak-Kamay’ 2. The show will be from 5 – 9 PM at Guilford Rec­reation Centre, 15105 -105 Ave. in Surrey.

Bio:
Signed to Cymba Music Pub­lishing, Aileen has written with the likes of Hipjoint Inc’s Troy Sam­son and Mike James (Kreesha Turner, Shiloh, Kelly Rowland), Hedley and Loverboy songwriter/ producer Davor Vulama, Kenya Nelson and Toronto’s Derek Brin. She has written for the likes and performed with Japan’s Sa­tomi, Asian superstar Coco Lee, Canada’s Kayle, and international superstars Snoop Dogg, Kreesha Turner and Young Jeezy have also had their tracks graced by Ai’s in­volvement as a vocalist.

Her songs have been featured on shows such as “Knight Rider”, “The Guard”, “Show Me Yours”, “Pure Design”, “She’s Crazy” and the made for television film “Less­er Evil”.
Aileen was also one genesis performers of the Vancouver based event “Soul Sistas”, which is helmed by her creative c o l - league Jena Fair.

Aileen has moved into art­ist devel­opment and has recently written with Rob­bie Pat­terson (Snow, Low Lev­el Flight), Lorraine Lawson (Mink, Irving (Mink, Anne Murray).
Her most recent writing ses­sions in the Vancouver area have been with stalwarts such as Nat Jay, Martin Acosta and rising crossover country artist, Jordan O’Dell. Selected Discography Coco Lee-What Does It Take (Sony TW) Hipjoint f Sherry St Ger­main- Let’s Go (Hipjoint/Univer­sal) Satomi- My Bad (Aozora/ Avex Japan) Sherry St Ger­main- Rainbow Light (Cashmu­sic Canada) Ali Milner- Gonna Dance (Purple House) Hipjoint f Amalia- These Are The Good Times (Hip­joint/Universal) Ta’kaiya Blaney- Shallow Waters (online at http:// radio3.cbc.ca) SongReel: (see zip file provided) Let’s Go: How Do I: Starting Again: Selected Music placed for Film & Televi­sion Aileen de la Cruz-Won’t Let It Bother Me (theme fea­ture in “Smart Cookies”) Aileen de la Cruz-Over and Over (fea­tured on MGM/ Showtime series “The L Word”) Hipjoint f Ama­lia- These Are The Good Times (featured in E1 TV show “Da Kink In My Hair”) Natasha Waterman- Dream - (featured in E1 TV show “Da Kink In My Hair”) Robyn New­man- Feel Your Body - (featured in Lifetime film “Lesser Evil”) Se­lected Recording Session Credits Kreesha Turner-Bounce With Me (EMI Canada) (all backing vocals) Sherry St Germain-Rainbow Light, If This Is Love I Hate It, Crimson (all backing vocals) Hip-joint f Sherry St Germain- Let’s Go (Hipjoint/Universal Canada) SIN featuring Young Jeezy, Mike Knox (G Unit)-I’m The Truth (all backing vocals, hook) Mary Zilba­Fly CD-backing vocals on 4 cuts.

< Prev		Next >