Maria Helen Bella Avenila Santamaria (September 17, 1949 – December 10, 2008), better known as Didith Reyes, was a

Filipina Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or other ...

actress and singer best known for recording a string of hit love ballads in the mid-1970s like "Araw-araw, Gabi-gabi", "Bakit Ako Mahihiya...?" and "Hindi Kami Damong Ligaw". Many music enthusiasts regard her as one of the Philippines' "

Jukebox A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media. The classic jukebox has buttons, with letters and numbers on them, which are used to selec ...

Queens", along with other singers popular during her time such as

Claire dela Fuente Clarita "Claire" Crisostomo dela Fuente-de Guzman (; December 28, 1958 – March 30, 2021) was a Filipina singer. She achieved celebrity status in the late 1970s with the jukebox hit "Sayang" and was given the title "Asia's Sweetest Voice" beca ...

, Amapola ( Maria Cabase), Eva Eugenio,

Leah Navarro Leah Lopez Navarro is a Filipino singer. References External linksgmanews.tv/story, Black and White group blasts PET for trashing Loren protest Filipino women pop singers Filipino jazz singers Filipino people of Chinese descent Assumpti ...

, and

Imelda Papin Imelda Arcilla Papin (born January 26, 1956) is a Filipino singer and politician. Dubbed the "Sentimental Songstress", Papin sang songs such as "Bakit (Kung Liligaya Ka sa Piling ng Iba)" and "Isang Linggong Pag-ibig". Early life Papin was bor ...

. She was notorious for accidentally exposing her

breast The breast is one of two prominences located on the upper ventral region of a primate's torso. Both females and males develop breasts from the same embryological tissues. In females, it serves as the mammary gland, which produces and secret ...

s while singing "Bakit Ako Mahihiya?" during the 1977 FAMAS Awards Night. Reyes was last seen being interviewed two months before her death with journalist

Korina Sanchez Korina Maria Baluyot Sanchez-Roxas (; born October 5, 1964), known professionally as Korina Sanchez, is a Filipino broadcast journalist, television news anchor, senior field correspondent, magazine show host, radio anchor, and newspaper columnis ...

about her retirement in the music industry and her new life as a beauty salon owner.

Early life

Born Maria Helen Bella Avenila Santamaria on September 17, 1949, Reyes was the elder of two children. Her early years were difficult. At age fifteen, she ran away from her home and was known to skip school to join singing contests while in high school at Santa Isabel College. After studying

Fine Arts In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...

at St. Scholastica College, she joined the Circus band, which would lead her to overnight success.

Success

After her stint with Circus band and Time Machine, Reyes signed up with Vicor Music Corporation as a solo recording artist. This was after she was found by lifelong friend, Normita Japitana, found her in

Ermita Ermita is a district in Manila, Philippines. Located at the central part of the city, the district is a significant center of finance, education, culture, and commerce. Ermita serves as the civic center of the city, bearing the seat of city g ...

. She would soon score her first hit single with the eponymous theme song to the 1975 film ''Araw Araw Gabi Gabi'', written by Willy Cruz. Her other hits included ''Nananabik'', ''Hindi Kami Damong Ligaw'', ''Bakit Ako Mahihiya?'', ''Hatiin Natin Ang Gabi'', and ''Aliw''. Her hits earned her the title ''Jukebox Queen'', which also is shared with her best friends,

, Leah Navarro, Eva Eugenio, and

. Reyes gained further acclaim when she won a Gold Prize and the Best performer at the 1977

Tokyo Music Festival The Tokyo Music Festival was an international music contest that ran from 1972 to 1992. It was organized by the Tokyo Music Festival Association. The first edition of the Tokyo Music Festival took place on 13 May 1972 with 12 participating countri ...

. Her self-titled debut album, ''Didith'', was a platinum bestseller. She also held international concerts, particularly, in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese cities such as

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

and

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

. Aside from singing, Reyes also tried acting through a role in the film ''Mabango ang Bawat Bulalaklak''. Her songs, ''Hindi Kami Damong Ligaw'' and ''Nananabik'', were also turned into a films starring her, as well as ''Bakit Ako Mahihiya?'', which earned her notoriety during duet with

Rico J. Puno Enrico de Jesus Puno (; February 13, 1953 – October 30, 2018), better known as Rico J. Puno (), was a Filipino singer, television host, actor, comedian and politician. He was considered as a music icon in the Philippines. He started the tren ...

in a televised presentation of the song at the 1977 FAMAS Awards Night, when she accidentally exposed her breast while wearing a flimsy gown. Her showbiz career is marred with controversy, as she had relationships with many men, particularly prominent businessmen, club owners,

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

s and those from the

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

Later years

Reyes's career stalled in the 1980s as she suffered from a drinking problem and drug addiction In her later years, Reyes reportedly suffered from depression. In 2006, she accused a former live-in partner Eulogio "Mang Ely" Disonglo with domestic abuse, leading to his eventual criminal conviction for violating the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Law. Reyes later worked as a receptionist and stylist at a hair salon. In 2002, she returned to show business with a featured role in the

GMA Network GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...

drama anthology ''

Magpakailanman ''Magpakailanman'' ( en, Forevermore) is a Philippine television drama anthology show broadcast by GMA Network. Hosted by Mel Tiangco, it premiered on December 2, 2002. The show concluded on December 27, 2007. It was replaced by the '' E.S.P.'' ...

''. She was supposed to revive her singing career in 2008.

Personal life

She was survived by her son Arvi, from her previous marriage to Victor Reyes.

Death

Three days before she died on December 10, 2008, in Biñan, Laguna, Reyes claimed to have sustained injuries after having been sideswiped by a vehicle. She died in her sleep at the home of a friend. The cause of her death was not immediately clear. Some sources attributed her death to a recurrent stomach problem, while her friend, singer

, said that Reyes died of an apparent heart attack as her pancreas ruptured. A police investigation was initiated to establish the cause of her death. An autopsy revealed that Reyes had suffered from an enlarged heart and clogged arteries, lending further credence to the belief that the singer had suffered a fatal heart attack. Her

wake Wake or The Wake may refer to: Culture *Wake (ceremony), a ritual which takes place during some funeral ceremonies *Wakes week, an English holiday tradition * Parish Wake, another name of the Welsh ', the fairs held on the local parish's patron s ...

was held in

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order, particularly within the Catholic Church. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Ca ...

Church in

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

*''Didith'' (1976,

Plaka Pilipino Plaka Pilipino was a Filipino record label of Vicor Music Corporation from 1970 to 1981. It released works by famous local artists such as Pilita Corrales, Fred Panopio, Victor Wood, Yoyoy Villame, and Didith Reyes. It focused on folk and native ...

) *''Nananabik'' (1977, Plaka Pilipino) *''Merry Christmas'' (1977, Plaka Pilipino) *''Aliw'' (1979, Blackgold)

Compilation albums

*''Once Again... with Didith Reyes, Geraldine and Imelda Papin Vol. 4'' (with Geraldine &

) (2003, Vicor) *''18 Greatest Hits: Didith Reyes'' (2009, Vicor)

Singles

*"Araw-araw, Gabi-gabi" (1975) *"Hindi Kami Damong Ligaw" (1976) *"Bakit Ako Mahihiya" (1976) *"Nananabik" (1977) *"Magbabalik" (1977) *"Aliw" (1979)

Filmography

Television

Film

Awards and nominations

*1977

- Gold Prize and the Best Performer

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reyes, Didith 1949 births 2008 deaths Filipino Roman Catholics Filipino film actresses People from Laguna (province) Actresses from Manila Singers from Manila St. Scholastica's College Manila alumni 20th-century Filipino women singers