Jose Mari Chan

Jose Mari Chan is a popular Filipino singer-songwriter and businessman. He is considered as one of the Philippines' most foremost popular music writers, with his songs as popular now as it was in the 1960’s when he recorded his first hits. He was born in Iloilo on March 11, 1945. He graduated with a degree in economics from Ateneo de Manila University in 1967. His first single Afterglow, released in 1967 was a big hit, despite the monopoly of foreign acts such as the Beatles and the Beach Boys in the Philippine music industry. He was able to release his first long playing album in 1969. From 1970 to 1974, he composed more than 20 theme songs for movies, earning for him several nominations at the FAMAS Awards. He continued to write songs even as he stayed in the United States for more than 10 years; and occasionally, his songs were recorded by foreign artists. He had a breakthrough in 1989, when his album "Constant Change" not only was named Album of the Year by the Awit Awards but also reached Diamond Record in terms of sales; it also enjoyed high patronage in international countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. His Christmas album "Christmas In Our Hearts" reached triple platinum status in 1990. In 2005 he composed "We're All Just One", the theme song of the 2005 Southeast Asian Games. Among admirers (especially non-Filipinos) he is known as the "Filipino Jimmy Webb" in honor of the intricate English-language lyrics which set his songs apart from others. Much of his early music remains popular worldwide, and some of his songs have rebounded as hits for other artists, such as Lea Salonga. His music is often heard over online music channels, such as United States-based PhilRadio International. This continuing popularity has brought an increasing international following while cementing his place as a star among his countrymen.