Regine... Twenty - The Concert

Forum post from reginemultimedia.com...

oct 15, 2006
kaye writes...

how long does a sore...(very sore) throat heal? can you even sing in such condition?@! worse, will you be able to hit high notes without breathing furiously? worst...are you ready to be mocked, criticized - if you just held your voice with all your might, and yet you know...it's ready to break anytime?! (or u feel the audience on the edge of their seats waiting for the 'cr-ACK!')


this could be a huge scare. a huge disaster waiting to happen in a singer's career.

and am not even talking abt regular singers. it's all about a songbird, a real diva...music icon.



regine velasquez who i happen to adore for so many years since r2k! she's one of the two local consummate performing artists (the other one is lea salonga) who inspires me the most, who I most emulate and have such a high regard for!

i went to Araneta to see her latest concert with some friends. It had been a long time since! I thought this is a must-see because it marked her 20 years in the biz...and I was super right!When she emerged onstage in a fuschia number as she started with acan easily tell (because I watched most of her concerts in the last 6 years!). And when she started with her spiels...it was confirmed. Her speaking voice was hoarse ....like a ballpen with its ink running out.

It was shocking. I felt the audience got a bit worried. Like some people behind me were saying...darn...paos sya! What a pity. Turns out she gave her all and simply went over the top (in prima diva standards, of course) the night before. And so I then had to lower my expectations on this concert. Seeing her squint hard to reach the notes (on the 1st song in the repertoire) --- I felt, she really was putting more effort and controlling and controlling....it was scary.

BUT on the 3rd number..or was it fourth..? On The Wings of love ---in all it's new, uber gradiose arrangement...her voice started to become strikingly clear and powerful. Like she didnt have a sore throat. That was amazing. And this proves to be such an understatement. And then the number after that...she earned a standing ovation for her rendition of "What Kind of A Fool Am I" (she sat ON the floor....yes...tuck and all while belting out). And she jumped from one song to another, with so much heart , power and dynamics! No fancy gimmicks...just Pipes! Unbelievable. The audience got what they paid for -- a real stunning performance!

I was thinking aloud....she really could've had 'bionic' pipes!?! ....industrial-strength ---- golden to it's core, unbreakable and miraculously brilliant! How can you even do that? It must be a gift from God!

Earning TWO rounds of standing ovation in ONE night (from thousands of people) with a sore throat is a grand feat! But more importantly, having thousands of loyal followers in the last 20 years, embracing the musicality of a genuine talent (countless hits and successes) is incomparable!

I couldn't have said it any better other than Kaye's post... it was such an awesome experience. She's really an extraordinary artist!