"Mr. DJ" is a song written by Filipino composer

Rey Valera Reynaldo Valera Guardiano, better known as Rey Valera (born 4 May 1954), is a Filipino singer, songwriter, music director, film scorer and television host. He wrote and produced songs that were recorded by various singers, most notably Sharon Cu ...

and recorded by

Sharon Cuneta Sharon Gamboa Cuneta-Pangilinan ( , ; born January 6, 1966) is a Filipino actress, singer, television host, and socialite. Regarded as one of the most successful and highest-earning individuals in the Philippine entertainment industry, she has ...

in 1978, when she was 12 years old. The single was produced by Spanky Rigor of

VST & Co VST may refer to: * Vancouver School of Theology, a theological graduate school in British Columbia, Canada * VST, Stockholm Västerås Airport in Sweden (IATA airport code) * Vehicle safety technology * Virtual Studio Technology, Steinberg's stan ...

. It became Cuneta's first and one of her biggest hits. The song drove her rise to stardom; she became an actress and was soon labelled as "The Megastar" in Philippine showbiz.

Song history

Tito Sotto Vicente Castelo Sotto III (; born August 24, 1948), professionally known as Tito Sotto, is a Filipino politician, entertainer and athlete who served as Senate President from 2018 to 2022. Before that, had two stints each as Senate Majority Lea ...

, who was the vice president of Vicor Music Corporation at that time and Cuneta's uncle, called upon Valera to write a song about

disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...

s; Sotto suggested that the title should be "Mr. DJ". Valera, who began a recording career as a member of Electric Hair Band, went solo and became a songwriter for other artists including

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 ...

before he found success on his solo career. Cuneta had already released her debut single ''Tawag ng Pag-Ibig'' ("Call of Love") and the song played on nationwide radio. Sotto however, was not satisfied with that.#SundayBacktrack: Mr. DJ, Where Na You? on One Music
/ref> In an interview on the Philippine morning talk show ''

Magandang Buhay ''Magandang Buhay'' () is a Philippine morning talk show that premiered on April 18, 2016, and airs every Monday to Friday at 09:00 ( PST), replacing ''Kris TV''. The show was originally broadcast on ABS-CBN until the network's shutdown in 2020. ...

'' ("Beautiful Life"), Valera recalls writing the song while riding a

jeepney Jeepneys (), sometimes called jeeps (), are minibus-like public utility vehicles, serving as the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They are known for their crowded seating and kitsch decorations, which have become ...

(usually from Monumento to his home in

Meycauayan Meycauayan, officially the City of Meycauayan ( fil, Lungsod ng Meycauayan), is a 3rd class component city in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 225,673 people. It is one of the oldest to ...

), and in a cemetery. He found it challenging since he could not figure out what kind song would be fitting for Cuneta, as she was too young to be taken seriously with a love song, and a bit too old to be given a nursery rhyme.

Cover versions

Joey de Leon Jose Maria Ramos de Leon Jr. (born October 14, 1946), professionally known as Joey de Leon, is a Filipino comedian, actor, television presenter and songwriter. He hosts the noontime variety show ''Eat Bulaga!'' He is a member of the comedy trio ...

Regine Velasquez Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez ( ; born April 22, 1970) is a Filipina singer, actress, and record producer. She is considered one of the most influential figures in Philippine popular culture and is known for her vocal range and beltin ...

Kathryn Bernardo Kathryn Chandria Manuel Bernardo (; born March 26, 1996) is a Filipino actress and singer. Dubbed as “''Asia's Superstar”'' by various media outlets, People Asia hailed Bernardo as the Box Office Queen of her generation for being the onl ...

Madfish Howard Park Wines are Margaret River and Great Southern (Western Australia), Great Southern wine specialists and a family-owned winery owned by the Burch family, which is responsible for such brands as Howard Park, MadFish Wines, MadFish, and M ...

, Mga Himig Natin vol. 2 (1995, Viva/Neo Records)

References

{{authority control 1978 singles Sharon Cuneta songs 1978 songs Pop ballads Songs written by Rey Valera Taglish songs