‘Power of Two’: A calmer Aiza, a happier Charice

CHARICE AND AIZA ARNOLD ALMACEN

Aiza Seguerra wasn’t exactly in top form when she took the stage last Saturday at the Big Dome for the one-night “Power of Two” concert with Charice. The 30-year-old music artist had suffered an asthma attack earlier, and was discharged from the hospital just the night before. “I was feeling down… of all the days,” she lamented.

THROWBACK to Whitney Houston days ARNOLD ALMACEN

But for Aiza, not feeling a hundred percent well wasn’t an excuse to give the crowd anything less than well, a hundred percent. She coughed, wheezed and sniffed; her voice was hoarse when she spoke. But somehow—perhaps through sheer willpower—she would find her voice whenever she started singing. And though she was a bit worried, we never thought for a minute that Aiza would lose her heart.

Pleasant surprise

Together with Charice, Aiza opened the show with a fun production number set to a Michael Jackson medley: “Black or White,” “Beat It” and “The Way You Make Me Feel.”

Seeing the singer dance and “let her hair down” was a pleasant surprise. After settling into her comfort zone, she kicked off her set with a bluesy rendition of The Beatles’ “Come

Together.”

With guitarist Mike Villegas by her side, Aiza delivered an absorbing dose of alternative rock and pop like “Clarity,” “Iris” and “Alapaap.” But of course, it was in the slow, affecting songs that Aiza truly shone. With her voice so sweet, yet heart-wrenching, she caressed every note and line of “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “Kanlungan.”

She dedicated “Imagine” to those affected by the Mindanao conflict, then brought the house down when she and rap artist Gloc 9 called for gay empowerment with “Sirena,” making sure to put extra oomph to the line, “Bandera ko’y ’di tutumba!”

Chatty

WITH girlfriend Alyssa, doing a… love song, of course ARNOLD ALMACEN

Aiza was unusually chatty, ruminating on love and sharing her experiences as a lesbian: the rejection, and ultimately, the acceptance, from peers, friends and, most importantly, her family. “Siguro kung ’di ako nawalan ng boses, ’di ko mase-share mga bagay kasi dadaanin ko lang lahat sa kanta,” she added.

After Aiza, Charice, wearing a baby blue suit, took over and promptly cranked up the show’s pace, and turned what was a relaxed acoustic session up till that point into a full-blown party. Her rousing first number, the internationally released song “Pyramid,” was a hit among the younger fans and elicited a loud sing-along.

While Aiza was the picture of maturity and calm onstage, Charice brimmed with unbridled joy and spirit. Since coming out as a lesbian a few months back, Charice had been hogging headlines—not really because of her music, but more because of her tumultuous personal life. But that night, Charice basked in the spotlight for the right reason—an incredible voice that reminded everyone why Oprah Winfrey dubbed her “The Most Talented Girl in the World.”

Visibly excited

AIZA, though feeling down, delivers. ARNOLD ALMACEN

Charice was visibly excited—she giggled as she addressed the roaring audience. In the end, all she wanted was to thank those who remained firmly by her side. “The past few months weren’t easy for me, but luckily I’m still here—out loud and out proud,” she said.

In a heartbeat, she bounced and danced onstage—but still managed to sing on point—to Katy Perry’s “Roar.” Other songs in her set list were “Treasure,” “Louder” and “Gayuma,” which she performed with hip-hop sensation Abra.

Charice also performed a mash-up of the Whitney Houston songs “I Will Always Love You” and “Saving All My Love.” The crowd went wild and, for a brief moment, it was like listening to the Charice of old. Only this time, you knew there would be none of the high-

octane belting that her listeners were used to.

The new Charice is a more tempered vocalist, choosing instead to sing with more soul and put more focus on dynamics, riffs and falsettos. It doesn’t have the immediate impact of a perfectly belted high note, but is nonetheless impressive.

She vowed not to cry onstage. But toward the end of “Maghintay Ka Lamang”—her estranged mom Raquel’s favorite—Charice lost it. Holding back tears, she said, “Kung nakikita ’to nina Mommy, I love you.” She offered Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” to her late father Ricky; she declared that the loss still hurt her.

Aside from empowerment, another prevailing theme of the show was love. And what better way to show it than singing to your loved one? The “gentleman” that she was, Charice escorted girlfriend Alyssa Quijano up the stage, and sang to her, “How Could an Angel Break My Heart.” “I love you, I’m proud of you,” she told Alyssa. Earlier, Aiza serenaded her girlfriend, indie film actress Liza Diño, with “Araw, Gabi”—a highly emotional moment for the couple that brought kilig, laughter and tears to the audience.

Before the end of the show, a surprise video of Aiza’s and Charice’s loved ones giving messages was shown: Vic Sotto and Mommy Caring for Aiza; a family friend named Monette for Charice. “I know Charice is going through stuff. Acceptance starts in the family. [Matagal] bago namin narating ’yun, it’s a journey. Hang in there,” Aiza told her less-experienced buddy.

Aiza and Charice couldn’t have picked a better song to end the night with. For the recording artists, the song “Titanium” aptly described their journey “toward truth and acceptance.” They may not be bulletproof, “but fire away, fire away.”