"Estelita" genre: Folk Rock
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	This song was written in memory of my late mother Estelita Savella Ramirez. It was written on January 2000. While I was in Diego Garcia, BIOT a year after her death. It became the first song off my soon to be released studio effort "Pag-ibig sa ama at sa INAngbayan na Sakdal awa". It's a song about remembrance and missing someone you love who passed away.
	CD: Pag-ibig sa ama at sa INAngbayan na Sakdal awa   Label: Pigboat Recording Credits: Words, Music and Performance by Nathaniel Savella Ramirez. Engineering and Production by Joel Martin
	Story Behind the Song On January 19, 2000, a year after my mother died. I was in Diego Garcia, BIOT serving a one year tour of duty. It was also my 35th birthday. As I sat all alone in my room my thoughts brought me home to the Philippines. Memories of my childhood came flowing in and before I knew it I was crying. Remembering how my mother was always there for me. Whether it was comforting words or anything that a boy could ever want she gave. For that she is, a very generous person not just to me and my brothers and sisters, family and friends but also to complete strangers in need. In my sorrow, I wrote down the verses of this song based on those thoughts and feelings. A few months later, I put the melody behind it. Around the same time I did the melody of "Isang Daang Taon", "Kawawa sa Mundo" and "Pinas Inangbayan". Those were sad days and they are reflected in the melody of these songs. Sad that I was away from my family, my mother dying after years of debilitating illness and that my motherland was once again in chaos and misery. They say those are the moments of inspiration. That I say is true, because none of this songs would ever become a reality if these things did not happen. The lyrics of the songs speak of happy days gone by. How I sorely miss my mother and how I knew she is always there beside me even now that she is gone. During the initial sessions of recording at Pigboat. I recorded the tracks to "Isang Daang Taon" and "Bayan ay Tulungan" before we begun work on "Estelita". But this song was completed first. Somehow, Joel got hooked to this song like others before. He said "It's melancholy but not to morose". So the person who inspired this endeavor somehow touch Joel to get this song done first. Since, I have not performed this song in public like those other three songs that I mentioned earlier. My familiarity with the material was not as good. And since it has been almost 4 years since I wrote it. It was hard to capture the angst and despair that I felt then. On July 2, 2003 about 3 years since I created the melody. Me and Joel layed down the vocal tracks to "Estelita". It took about 3 takes as a whole before I finally got close to what I wanted. My voice was still sufferring from the after effects of my son Nathan's baseball season. But I felt confident enough that I could at least come close to what I wanted. We almost finished that song that day. But I felt there was something missing. I suggested for Joel play some slide guitar on it. He said "He would see what he can do". Finally, on July 16, 2003 the guitar tracks were laid and the final mix is ready. We decided to release it on MP3.com that day.

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