HER
singing prowess is breathtaking; her slew of achievements
– from being an eight-week undefeated champion
in Bagong Kampeon to a multi-awarded recording artist,
TV and movie royalty – is beyond compare. Without
a shadow of doubt, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez
is one of the most celebrated vocalists and pop icons
of our generation.
To encompass her ever widening range of talents, Regine
embarks on a weekly solo musical program called Songbird.
“I
am very thankful to GMA 7 for trusting me with this
show,” says Regine. “This is indeed
a wonderful opportunity to highlight what I love
to do most, which is singing. I feel happy and very
blessed because it is a wonderful show. Once more,
I am asking for everyone’s support. What sets
the show apart is that it is thematic. Every week
we feature songs of different artists or composers.
Maipagmamalaki talaga ang show.”
With
the launch of the musical show, it’s safe
to say that all is well between Velasquez and mother
network following months of rumors saying Regine
was in talks to fly the coop to rival ABS-CBN. In
fact, she inked a two-year exclusive contract with
the Kapuso Network.
Regine
admits, “Na-krung-krung lang ako noon. I think
it was my monthly period when that episode happened.”
She guffaws and continues, “Well, siempre
I am just an artist, sa akin naman kasi, wala yang
mga network-network wars. So, akala ko ganun lang
kadali. Water under the bridge na yun, sobrang daming
water nga ang nag-fall because I cried like a river
because of my pagka-luka-luka. Now, I am exclusively
with GMA 7 and I am very happy to stay in the network
where I truly belong.”
In
Songbird, she pays homage to some of the biggest
local and international stars in the music industry.
Regine will sing her versions of all-time favorites
made immortal by Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion,
Barry Manillow, Rey Valera, Ogie Alcasid, Ryan Cayabyab
and George Canseco, to mention a few.
Pick
of the week
Velasquez
explains how the 45-minute show works. “There
will be seven to eight songs of the featured artist
or composer. There will also be a five-minute medley.
Of course, there would be special guests who would
be singing duets with me. People can expect to hear
the most popular tunes of the artists and as a treat,
one song that is hardly given airplay will be part
of the weekly repertoire. It is like my Regine’s
pick of the week…. It is like me getting out
of my box, veering away from my comfort zone and
I hope the audience appreciates it.”
She
adds that she’ll be seen in a variety of musical
situations each week. “There will be times
when I can be seen jamming with a full orchestra
or in a Broadway musical festival. There will be
nights when I will be performing songs requested
by letter senders or they can see me as a singer-stand-up
comedienne delivering hilarious spiels and of course,
expect to hear your all time favorite song numbers
since Songbird is like a weekly trip down memory
lane,” she further shares.
Aside
from the expected scintillating musical numbers,
Songbird also boasts of excellent stage design as
it uses the technology of LED curtain as backdrop
that projects spectacular images, sceneries and
moving graphics.
“When
the taping started, napaiyak talaga ako kasi may
budget ang show, hindi naubos sa talent fee ko,”
she jokes. “The stage design is really world-class;
having a show like this is something that I am proud
of since we have not had a musical show for a long
time…. Para kasi siyang breather from the
lineup of shows airing on the primetime block. To
those who feel na it is already very costly to watch
a concert, then this is a refreshing alternative
since para ka na ring nakapanood ng concert on a
weekly basis inside the comforts of your own home,
bonggang-bongga, di ba?”
Can’t
relate to sad songs
Of
the many songs that you have interpreted, what is
the one song you can identify with the most? “I
can really identify with ‘Songbird.’
If you listen intently to its lyrics, super ganda.
Well of course, now that I am very happy in my relationship,
some of the saddest lines of the song, parang di
na ako maka-relate now.”
Any
conversation with Regine, of course will not be
complete without mentioning her significant other,
singer and songwriter Ogie Alcasid. In fact, now
that their relationship is out in the open, Velasquez’s
date with the stork is the next announcement that
people anticipate from the wonder couple.
She
candidly reacts, “Actually, realistically
speaking, at my age, getting pregnant would be difficult,
especially if it’s the birth of a first child.
Well, as I always say, if God will bless us with
a child, or it would be nice if He blessed us with
two, or three, I will be happy. If not, I am happy
already, anyway. I am happy that I have a wonderful
family, I have a great career and I have Ogie. If
it finally happens, for us, for me and Ogie, that
would be a blessing of course.”
Regine’s
ability to render captivating tunes that shake the
soul, paint a smile on the lips, brings tears to
one’s eyes, and touches the heart are the
experiences that one might encounter as Songbird
fills the television screen every mid-week.
“I
just want people to be relaxed and de-stress every
(week). I guarantee you that it will always be unforgettable
and that after our first musical serving, it will
become a habit that you would look forward to every
week,” Velasquez concludes.
REGINE
VOICES URDUJA
THE
country’s most bankable female vocalist lends
her legendary voice to another legendary figure
in Philippine history: the feisty and fiery Princess
Urduja. The second full-length animated feature
film in Philippine cinema (after Dayo), Urduja focuses
on the story of the warrior-princess recognized
in local textbooks as the first warrior-heroine
of Pangasinan. Written in Tagalog and voiced by
Filipino actors, Urduja is the brainchild of Tony
Tuviera, the man behind the long-running noontime
show Eat Bulaga! and produced by APT Entertainment
Inc. The material is based primarily on the accounts
of Ibn Battuta (circa 1368-1377), a Muslim traveler
from Morroco, who described Urduja as the ruler
of Kaylukari in the land of Tawalisi, believed to
be the area around the present-day Pangasinan coastal
town of Sual, on his way to China. Princess Urduja
was described as a daughter of a king named Tawalisi
of a land that was also called Tawalisi. The main
cast are voiced by Cesar Montano as Limahong, Eddie
Garcia as Lakanpati, and Jay Manalo as Sumakwel
The
very first Urduja film was released in 1942 and
starred Fernando Poe Sr. and Luningning. It was
also re-released in the late 70’s through
LVN Pictures with Amalia Fuentes in the title role.
Although this animated incarnation was patterned
after Disney’s Pocahantas and Mulan, it reveals
the Filipino talent in traditional animation and
the absorption and incorporation of new technologies
to make the process more cost efficient and creative.
