Portraits of a Diva
By JOJO P. PANALIGAN
Life is a series of portraits framed in days, hours, minutes and even seconds.
Everything we go through every moment of our lives is what colors and molds the
fragments that eventually adds up to one complete image - our individual, unique
lives.
Last week, I got to witness Regine Velasquez, Asia’s Songbird and the country’s
premiere diva, paint additional detail to her portrait-in-progress. Regine
recently launched her latest album “R2K” in “SOP” which, in her words,
is her “tribute to all the great artists who have added meaning to our lives
through their music.” She also shot an MTV atop the Peninsula Hotel Manila
fountain in Makati for her millennium song, “Asia’s Songbird’s Message To
The World” together with a 2000-children’s choir which will be premiered
globally on New Year’s eve. A few days prior to these, I had a chance to have
an animated chat with Regine about her show tonight, tomorrow night and on the
11th at the Music Museum in a concert dubbed as “Regine 2000”.
Through it all, I was impressed how Regine traipsed the whole gamut of emotions,
pressures and trappings as OPM’s Cinderella and still emerge regally pristine
at the end of the day. The following is my attempt to capture the
mini-portraits, opulent impressions if you will, I was allowed to see of the
country’s leading chanteuse, Miss
Regine Velasquez:
ARE YOU ‘R2K’ COMPLIANT?
You’d hardly recognize Regine offstage. I mean, of course, she has got to be
one of the most recognizable faces in the music scene. Still, her scantily
made-up face and the simple but elegant spaghetti dress she wore during our
tete-a-tete at the Westin Plaza is such a startling departure form her
larger-than-life image when in the limelight.
Everybody, Regine Velasquez is real.
As we touched on her beauty regimen (she puts garlic on her nails, doesn’t go
to the derma, and hates going to the parlor), hobbies (Regine used to paint but
haven’t been able to lately because of her harrowing schedule) and other
artists (“What’s the latest chismis?” she asks), you get to discover and
confirm many things: Regine is easy to please, has an infectious laughter and
still a Bulakeña-by-heart. Ask her anything concerning her craft, though, and
you get to see a passionate, serious and, above all, very much in-control
Regine.
Take for example her new album, “R2K,” her 11th album all in all and her
second for Viva. “This is the album where I played a new role as producer. I
produced this album myself because I think I’ve earned the right to do what I
feel is right for me and to do the kind of music that I really like. After all,
this is my career, my life! In fact, I was also the director of my last video,
‘How Could You Leave?’ and concert, ‘Drawn’ at the Music Museum.
Although some people see it as being a control freak, in my case, humihingi pa
din naman ako ng second opinion,” Regine said, in between bites of sushi and
sashimi washed down with mango juice.
The album is a sterling collection of old songs made new thanks to Regine’s
incomparable artistry. It should be noted that Regine was the first local artist
to come out with an all-retro album (called “Retro” back in 1996) after
which a slew of artist followed suit. The new “and probably my last” retro
album contains 17 songs which include “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” (Aerosmith),
“I’ll Never Love This Way Again” (Dionne Warwick), “Dancing Queen”
(Abba), “Fallin” (Teri Deserio) and the carrier single “On The Wings Of
Love” (Peabo Bryson).
“This is an album of many firsts. It is the first album by a local artist to
have 17 cuts, the first to come with its own 48-page magazine (which features
some snapshots by top Manila Bulletin photographers) and a VCD with six of my
MTV’s of the songs from ‘R2K’. At least five of the 18 cuts in the album
were chosen based sa mga requests na pinadala ng mga viewers sa SOP among which
‘On The Wings Of Love” emerged as top favorite. It’s hard producing your
own album kasi you have to overlook every detail from the arrangement down to
the cover. Sometimes nga I would get ear fatigue listening to the same song over
and over again. That’s why I made a rule not to record for more than two
hours,” Regine discloses.
For a first-time producer, Regine did exceptionally well. From the cover of her
album (which is a picture of a snarling Regine ala-Cindy Crawford clad in a
metal millennium outfit) down to the choice of cover songs (can you imagine
Regine singing Scorpion’ s “Holiday” or the Beatle’s “The Long And
Winding Road”? Get the album and imagine no more!), the diva spared nothing to
make this new venture fresh and musically-adventurous. This untapped side of her
will be showcased in a show tonight as a celebration of her new platinum album
(Yes! The “R2k” album has turned platinum in just a matter of days!) and of
Regine’s genius as a singer.
“Sinakyan talaga namin ang millennium,” Regine writes in her “R2K”
magazine. “Nobody’s ready. We don’t know what’s going to happen. But in
the year 2000, I still see myself doing the same thing—singing performing,
producing and directing. I’ve (also) been planning a lot of things (for the
coming millennium)—a movie (with Cesar Montano), a big major concert and I’ll
be recording another album, hopefully all-originals this time.”
Are you ready for Regine in the coming millennium?
That is... are you “R2K” compliant?
DANCING QUEEN ON
A SWING
You’ll never know the meaning of chaos till you visit the “SOP” live show
in Broadway. As people mull around the set like gazillion giant flies cooking in
a stew (Yuck!), Regine sits relaxedly on a swing waiting for her cue flanked by
topnotch musicians.
The music begins...
“You can dance...You can fly...having the time of your life...” Regine
sings, rocking back and forth like an innocent country lass as fans scream
whenever she hits those dizzyingly high notes on her take of Abba’s “Dancing
Queen”. The occasion is the launch of her new album at “SOP” where she is
one of the hosts.
Lights out. Regine rushes to a cramped dressing room where other stars like G
Toengi, Dingdong Dantes and Lindsay Custodio have ensconced themselves. Regine
looks at a closet full of costumes, gets one and rushes to the john.
“Can you ask Miss Velasquez if I can take pictures of her here backstage while
at work?” I asked one of the show’s staff. Seconds later and an affirmative
answer ensues from behind the comfort room’s door.
Squeak! The door opens and gives birth to Regine dressed in a printed red dress
which she paired with a black top. She struggles to tie it, looks at the mirror,
makes a face and asks one of the staff to give her a hand. At this point, I am
all over Regine’s face, shooting away like crazy, but she doesn’t seem to
mind.
She just wants to have the damn thing tied.
“Regine! Regine! Ikaw na!” someone with a raspy-voice shouts. Regine quickly
had her make-up retouched and rushes back to the stage. Fans demonstrate
tremendous lung power as she reappears cool and collected as ever. She receives
instruction from the floor director, smiles and wave back to her dozens of fans
looking adoringly at her. Nearby, her family sits on monobloc chairs looking
extremely pleased but not too excited.
After all, they see this kind of hullabaloo over their Regine all the time.
“On the wings of love up and above the clouds, the only way to fly...”Regine
belts out, giving earpiercing justice to her remake of Peabo Bryson’s classic
back in the ’80s. Everywhere, people are transformed to savages as they
clapped lustily for Asia’s Songbird.
As usual,Regine gives another enthralling performance and leaves her audience
breathless.
ON TOP OF THE WORLD
“Children, walang gagalaw para makauwi na kayo!”
This is no hostage scene. I am actually at the MTV shoot
of Regine’s song for the millennium at Ayala in front of the Manila Peninsula
Hotel Manila. Can you believe that a portion of the Ayala Street have been
closed just to have this video shot? But on second thought, that’s not too
improbable.
Not if it’s a shoot of Asia’s Songbird’s millennium video, anyway.
It’s been raining intermittently for the past two hours and the staff of GMA-7
are getting edgier by the minute thinking whether they would finish this video
or not. Everywhere, 2,000 kids dressed in Filipiniana clothes are positioned on
top of the hotel and on dozens of jeepneys lined along the streets. At least one
elementary student have already fallen from one of the jeeps but no one’s
budging. Cameras continue to grind.
“Si Regine!” a multitude of voices shouted as a figure dressed in fuschia
emerge from nowhere to perch precariously at the center of the hotel’s
penthouse, just above the cascading fountain. Regine lipsyncs a portion of a
song that will be broadcasted globally come New Year’s Eve, damning the wet
wind and cloudy, starless skies. The song’s title? “Asia’s Songbird’s
Message To The World”.
During an interlude, while the children are being instructed by the director for
a make-or-break scene, Regine turns her back from the people down below to wave
at the 200 strong children’s choir situated behind her.
That’s when everybody discovered that she was wearing a backless gown.
“Ay, ang taray ng lola mo!” someone with a confused gender preference
shrieked among a mob consisting of locals and foreigners gathered in a hub.
“Okay, this is the last scene! Goodluck everyone!” the director barks.
Silence. The intro of the song fills Ayala and embraces the crowd. Regine does
her things with her hands and gives a commanding performance as if she’s doing
the whole thing to the tune of millions of dollars (for your information, Regine
did everything for FREE). Everywhere, white balloons, headlights and honking
horns fill the night as a grand finale to the momentous video.
“Thanks everyone! That’s a wrap! Ladies and
gentlemen, Miss Regine Velasquez!” the director triumphantly announces amidst
thunderous applause.
And with that Regine Velasquez, the country’s
brightest diva, waves and retreats back to the hotel...
Leaving the dark night sky, starless once more.
NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL A DARN GOOD INTERVIEW!
midi playing: 'Those Magic Changes'
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