FIVE YEARS after placing fourth in the ABS-CBN talent search ?Star in a Million,? singer Christian Bautista still feels like a winner. He?s happy to be performing regularly on TV and doing shows here and abroad.

At the launch of Promil?s I-Shine summer workshop, a program aimed at discovering young talents, Bautista, 27, talked about being the project?s ?ambassador.?

?Being an entertainer is a big responsibility,? he told Inquirer at the program launch. ?I?d like to be a good example to children. That is how I was brought up, and I thank my parents for that.?

He sees himself starting his own family in three years. ?I?d like to have lots of children?but just one wife,? he jested.

Bautista began singing when he was 5. His parents always encouraged him and his brothers to sing at family gatherings. He always knew he had the talent, but he didn?t know how far he?d go with it.

What is your role in I-Shine?

As ?ambassador,? I am its face or spokesperson. Whenever my schedule permits, I?ll make personal appearances and interact with the kids.

Before ?Star in a Million,? where else did you sing?

Just the choir, and theater. Meron ding mga non-professional a cappella singing groups in high school. We delivered singing telegrams on Valentine?s Day, for a fee!

Who were your music heroes?

Lea Salonga, Martin Nievera, and Gary Valenciano. I also listened to Babyface, Boyz II Men, Hoobastank, Goo Goo Dolls, a little Nirvana, Josh Groban, and lots of Broadway songs. Then I turned out to be a balladeer!

In college you took up something far removed from music?

I studied Landscape and Architecture. I graduated, but I have not taken the board exams.

Were the first few years of your show biz career tough?

Just the opposite: The first few years were the easiest because I wasn?t expecting anything, just accepting whatever comes. It just so happened that ?Star in a Million? was a big hit, especially noong first batch. Kahit natalo ako, Warner produced my first album, which went triple platinum.
With the steady stream of new artists and the public?s limited attention span, the challenge is to stay relevant and innovative. I owe it to my managers, Carlo Orosa and Audie Gemora, who create something different for me every year.

Last year, you did ?West Side Story.? How did you find the theater experience?

I had no idea how to be a lead actor in a play. Ang katapat ko pa, sina Karylle, who is a good actress, and Joanna Ampil, who is a seasoned performer. Super kabado talaga. I was so frustrated the first few weeks?I couldn?t get it. My wonderful Direk Menchu (Lauchengco-Yulo), brought out the best in me.

Ultimately, what do you want to accomplish?

Hopefully I can get a song out in Europe or the United States. Just one song na mag-land sa charts, okey na sa ?kin. Just one hit, I can retire, kasi ?yung royalties do?n, ang laki. I realize that it?s not going to be easy. Should anything like that happen, it will also be for all Filipinos. There are a lot of half-Filipinos who make it. It would be nice to get a pure Pinoy out there, with one big hit that will be heard around the world. On second thought, maybe it doesn?t even have to be me.