| Subject: Diva talk with Regine Velasquez |
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Raven
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Date Posted: 03:30:41 11/19/08 Wed
Author Host/IP: acl1-317bts.gw.smartbro.net/121.1.58.166
Diva talk with Regine Velasquez
Kaye Villagomez
Regine Velasquez’s singing power redefined female singing in the Philippines.
Since the Songbird happened in Philippine music, the standard for female singers was never the same. Suddenly, everybody wanted to copy Regine, and if you can’t belt it as high as she does, chances are you will have a hard time securing your place under the local music sun.
While Regine represented the ideal Filipina singer, she extended her reach when she successfully crossed over to the silver screen. Regine’s blockbuster proofs made her one of the most effective sweethearts of romance-comedy of Philippine movies.
Regine’s pop versatility was concretized with early conquests like "Kung Maibabalik Ko Lang," "Isang Lahi," "Urong Sulong," and "Babalikang Muli." She went on to claim songs of other artists hers like "Sana Maulit Muli," "I’ll Never Say Goodbye," and "Dancing Queen," among others. Regine’s rich catalogue extended to "You Made Me Stronger," "Ikaw," "To Reach You," "Dadalhin," and "Sa Aking Pag-iisa."
With all that she has achieved, Regine now takes that major collaboration step in the concert scene via "Divas 4 Divas," where the Songbird shares the spotlight with fellow divas Kuh Ledesma, Pops Fernandez, and Zsa Zsa Padilla.
In the following exclusive interview, Regine revealed some intimate details of the concert, her admiration for Kuh, Zsa Zsa, and Pops, and the personal relationship she enjoys with them that will surely spell chemistry on stage come December 6 at the Araneta Coliseum.
MB: What were your first thoughts about this project? How involved are the four of you in conceptualizing a concert of this magnitude?
Regine: "Actually, I was invited by Kuh Ledesma, and this has been her plan for years na. She has been wanting to do this show before pa and the concept is really hers."
MB: If there were other local female singers you wish to be part of the show, who would they be and why?
Regine: "Jaya. Because she’s a very good R&B singer and she has a very soulful voice. She would bring a different kind of style to the concert also that’s her own."
MB: If you were to live a day of performing as another diva, who would you like to become, Kuh, Zsa Zsa, or Pops? Why?
Regine: "Each of us is unique in our own way, so I would say no one, just myself, because I enjoy being who I am and I love what I am doing."
MB: What do you think does today’s OPM scene lack that it has become very difficult to produce or even predict a hit when you hear one?
Regine: "You see, one of the things that [are] constant in [the] Philippine (music) market is change, so we must always be dynamic and keep up with the changes happening around us. People would like to hear something new, something different. Also, the market is getting younger, so we must keep on evolving with [it] in terms of new treatments and approaches to music."
MB: How would you describe your relationship with Kuh, Zsa Zsa, and Pops off-stage? Do you enjoy the same level of friendship with each of them?
Regine: "I have a great relationship with each of them, personally and professionally, that’s why I am very excited to do this show."
MB: You seem to have a blast when you’re together. Do you plan to explore more of this kind of natural chemistry among the four of you come concert night?
Regine: "Oh yes! We will be having solo numbers but more duets and production numbers to showcase the easy camaraderie and great chemistry among us, especially when we are performing."
MB: With your names as big as your respective hits, the public will expect nothing less but a complete run of all your songs coupled with concept numbers involving the four of you together. How does an artist of your caliber take the pressure in a project this big?
Regine: "The audience will be expecting grandiose and well-prepared production numbers, and we are working very hard not to disappoint them. I try not to be pressured because I want to enjoy this chance of us four working and having a marvelous time together."
Which hit songs from the catalogues of Kuh, Zsa Zsa, and Pops do you wish you had the chance to originally record? Why?
Regine: "Although I have recorded ‘Til I Met You’ of Kuh and ‘Ikaw Lamang’ of Zsa Zsa, I would still love to record many of their beautiful hit songs."
In an industry as unpredictable as local show business, what made you hold the diva status to a certain level quite unattainable for many?
Regine: "It’s not really unattainable. ‘Diva’ is just a tag given by people depending on their perceptions of the status a certain artist has reached. I don’t let it go to my head. I just do my best when I perform and make sure I have a great time doing it."
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