Guji Lorenzana

To the edge and back
By Jamie Rose Santos

Another Amboy singer clawing his way into the Pinoy music scene? From an auditionee in American Idol 3 to possibly a new local pop star, Guji Lorenzana assures would-be listeners that there’s more to him than the Fil-Am hype.

WHAT CAN YOU do when the you-deserve-someone-better line is thrown at you and then
a door slams on your face? “When you get hurt… it just hurts, “Guji Lorenzana candidly admits about a break-up, while nervously shifting in his seat. But why not use the break-up as a catharsis of sorts- like go to the Philippines, pursue a career in music, and end up performing on stage in an act christened as “edgy pop?” Sounds better? After all, this Am-boy knows his craft well enough, and his singing career is something he just wouldn’t give up, broken-hearted or not.

“[I know] I can make it. Everything is possible,” proclaims Guji. “So here I am now and (making music is what) I’ve been doing.”

Before he came to Manila with hopes of making it big in the OPM scene, 25-year-old Guji had a life back in California. The singer says he used to wear glasses, played trombone in a school band, and served as an altar boy in church. “I was so nerdy,” he shares. “I barely had any friends because I liked to be by myself.”

He took Theater Arts in the University of California, which allowed him to get roles in Broadway musicals, and at the same time he performed with a boyband called Hipe. He had many things going for him, including a possible slot in season three of American Idol. But what would propel his decision to finally get serious about music was when he got his heart broken by a girl he met at work. One event causes another. Now, Guji’s full attention is on his first full-length album, Without Your Love, to be released under Anirak Records.
So what’s with the “edgy pop” tag? “We made if up,” laughs Karin Araneta, Guji’s manager. “Because that’s what it is. It’s like pop pero hindi siya balladeer.” Guji likens it to mixing Gavin Degraw with Maroon 5 and adding a dash of Robbie Williams. “The thing is, you wouldn’t know what edgy pop is until you see me perform,” he kids.

His album includes the carrier single, "Kasalanan Ba?", “Tagumpay” and “I’ll Be Yours Forever,” which sound more like rock ballads. “[It is] to show the OPM community that I can sing like that,” Guji remarks. He lists Maroon 5, Robbie Williams, Michael Jackson, and Gary Valenciano as his music influences. It may be ironic for someone who does “edgy pop” to confess that he wears his heart on his sleeve but he only has his parents to thank. “To this day, they’re so in love,” shares Guji. “I’m a hopeless romantic. I’m the first to cry all the time.”

It took Guji about a year and a half to get his album done, but his newfound Christian faith has allowed him to deal with the challenge in a positive way. “I learned a lot about the industry (in that time). I met a lot of people, and I began to understand that being an American is not an advantage.” Guji reflects. “It’s really music; it’s really your talent that counts.” And even with comments like “he doesn’t have any idea what his music is” or “he could be better off with R&B,” Guji has a simple answer. “I’m not trying to be a Sam Milby and I’m not taking the avenue most Fil-Ams have taken,” he explains. “I do know my music and I’m really taking this seriously as a musician. That’s what I want to portray.”

Whatever happens, Guji is fine just doing what he wants to do now. “You just really have to be an artist. You have to keep going and keep coming up with new things,” Guji shares. “We can’t let anything discourage us.” This Guji, he’s a troope