Hits and misses in Angeline Quinto’s latest collection

QUINTO. Judiciousness serves her well.

Some viewers find Angeline Quinto’s candor disarming—after all, which other female singer is bold enough to admit that she’s waiting for her preferred romantic consort, in this case Erik Santos, to make their “consensual coupling” mutual and official?

The singer is more discerning in her professional and artistic choices, however. In the beginning of her career as a singing-tilt champion, she bleated and squealed her notes, so it wasn’t unusual to hear her go way off the mark on “ASAP.”

Style

Obviously, she had learned from her early “hit everywhere” style and is now more judicious in the way she sings her tunes—as her latest album, “Angeline Quinto Sings Themes from ‘Sana Bukas Pa Ang Kahapon,’” proves.

Recently, we noted how Quinto had drastically “revamped” Sharon Cuneta’s “Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin?” in the soundtrack of “Muling Buksan Ang Puso.” So, we were afraid that she would shriek the notes of the main theme song of the Bea Alonzo-Paulo Avelino starrer from start to finish. That would have veered far away from the ruminative sophistication of Kuh Ledesma and Anthony Castelo’s original versions.

We’re happy to note that, for much of the latest cover of “Sana Bukas Pa Ang Kahapon,” Angeline keeps it together until she’s allowed to “let it go” for the tune’s big wrap-up—all’s well that ends well!

Her tender trills are sublime in her revivals of Gino Padilla’s “Gusto Kita,” South Border’s “Wherever You Are,” Rodel Naval’s impeccable “Muli” and Nina’s wistful breakup song, “Someday,” which she renders with reassuring hope: “Someday, you’ll see this through my eyes/ But, I won’t even be there/ I’ll be happy somewhere.”

There’s some novelty in Angeline’s covers because, except for the hit singles of Kuh Ledesma and Nina, the rest of the repertoire was originally interpreted by male singers—including Rannie Raymundo’s “Why Can’t It Be?,” Richard Reynoso’s “Hindi Ko Kaya” and April Boy Regino’s inescapable jukebox ditty, “Umiiyak Ang Puso,” which allows the songstress to go for the musical jugular!

High notes

Ironically, it’s Quinto’s torchy duet with Erik Santos, “Forever,” that goes a little off-kilter. Don’t get us wrong: Angeline and Erik match the high notes and resonant voices of Martin Nievera and Regine Velasquez, who recorded the enduring ballad in 1995.

But, singing isn’t just about technical proficiency and polish. The track’s new version lacks emotional spontaneity and is devoid of the original tune’s sweep-you-off-your-feet quality. Eric has always been a credible singer, but his penchant for singing every song like a contest piece weighs down his performances.

Like Erik, Angeline’s pipes are also formidable—but, when you sound like your idol (Regine), you have to do something extraordinary, vocally and emotively, to avoid coming off as just another knockoff!