YENG says there’s nothing more she can ask for.
Before she found her own voice and turned into the spunky, pop-rock singer that she is now, Yeng Constantino flitted from one music genre to another, her taste in artists shifting from one blonde pop star to the next.
She is a bit embarrassed that she once sang Britney Spears and Mandy Moore songs, and never thought she would perform them again after discovering Blink-182, Finch, Coheed and Cambria.
A little bite
But since Yeng’s recent concert titled “Plugged-In”—at Samsung Hall in SM Aura—promised to track her musical journey, it would have been a crime not to sneak in “Baby One More Time.” The crowd was delighted.
Stripping the original of bubblegum sweetness, Yeng attacked the song with a little bite and punk. She marched on to Christina Aguilera’s “Fighter” and Destiny’s Child’s “Independent Woman,” which had the audience “throwing their hands up” to the beat.
Not once did Yeng play the guitar, or sing new original songs, save for “Chinito” and “Pag-Ibig.” It was night of looking back. Way back… to when she was 9, joining amateur singing competitions. Her contest pieces included Shirley Bassey’s “The Greatest Performance of My Life,” “This is My Life” and “I (Who Have Nothing).” Yeng tackled these with aplomb, poking fun at the theatrics she used to employ.
Country phase
She recalled a brief country-pop phase—Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride—and performed a LeAnn Rimes medley—“Can’t Fight the Moonlight,” “How Do I Live,” “I Need You.”
Then, as a tribute to Alanis Morissette, who got her through teen angst, Yeng sang “You Oughta Know.”
She eventually found OPM, she continued—Eraserheads, Itchyworms, Rivermaya. At this point, she called onstage former Rivermaya frontman Rico Blanco for a tender duet of “Your Universe.”
Mashup with Sam
Also on the guest list was Sam Milby, who sang with Yeng a mash-up of “Payphone” and “Call Me Maybe.” Yeng’s non-show biz boyfriend made an appearance as well; together they did a fun take on “Pag-Ibig.”
She introduced her new project band Sesa, which includes former Moonstar 88 lead vocalist Acel van Ommen. Acel’s NGO, Right Start Foundation, was one of the gig’s beneficiaries, along with “Yolanda” survivors. To the children of Right Start, Yeng donated 25 guitars from Academy of Rock, a Singapore music school, for which she serves as “ambassador.”
Love for OPM came with thoughts of joining a band. How she did, is an amusing story. She recounted, laughing: “It was during a town fiesta in Rizal. I was wandering around wearing clothes I had just bought from the ukay-ukay—long skirt, black shirt with Japanese characters, white bandana and slippers. I felt badass!”
She bumped into a friend, Kevin, who looked tipsy. “He asked if I wanted to be in a band. I wasn’t sure he was serious. But the next day, we had a bassist… everything,” For lack of a better name, they called the band, “Good Morning.” Needless to say, Yeng said, they lost their first contest. She reunited with that band, now called Morning Glory, onstage. They dished out an original song, “Sulyap.”
Singapore trip
From small band competitions, Yeng now has a single released in Singapore—a rock-hip-hop ditty, “Better than Yesterday,” which she now performed with rap artist Sheikh Haikel. She related the experience of hearing the song on radio recently in Singapore: “It was surreal… nakakakilig!” she gushed.
The singer-songwriter, who turned 25 on Dec. 4, said there was nothing more she could wish for. “I just want to continue what I’m doing,” Yeng said. And by way of expressing gratitude to her fans, the “Pinoy Dream Academy” Season One champ fittingly ended the night with her original composition, “Salamat.”