Regine Velasquez-Alcasid shares unguarded views about her family life and career

VELASQUEZ-ALCASID. “Practice makes perfect.”

We have long admired Regine Velasquez-Alcasid as a singer-performer. At her peak, no other singer, male or female, could match her lovely, supple voice, made more prodigious by her peerless technique and wide, stratospheric range.

So, when Jojo Aquio and Rica Torres invited us to join GMA 7’s star-studded merrymaking for Araw ng Dabaw last weekend, which included the stellar likes of Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera, Dennis Trillo and Tom Rodriguez, we told them that the biggest draw for us was Regine.

The legendary singer swept us off our feet with her honesty, candor and unguarded views—about her husband, Ogie, and their precocious 3-year-old son, Nate, her father Mang Gerry’s reassuring guidance, winning her battle with the bulge, dealing with her changing voice, etc.!

What has she learned from her dad (who passed away last year) that she wants to impart to Nate? Regine shares, “I was very young when I started joining singing contests. You have to accept the fact that you’ll either win or lose. But, every time I’d fail, he would make me feel good about myself by saying, ‘Ay, luto ‘yun’—even if I sang badly (laughs). Then, he’d point out where I could have gone wrong. So, I didn’t grow up feeling like I had to compete with everybody.

“Nobody’s born a winner—I wasn’t. You start somewhere and learn the ropes. Syempre, when I was just starting out, my voice was young. I had to learn to control it and develop my style. Experience is still the best teacher. When new singers come to me for advice, I always tell them to keep practising, because that’s what I remember doing as a beginner. Practice does make perfect!

Voice problems

“You continue to adjust as you get older. I have not been singing as often as I used to. I began having problems with my voice after I gave birth—so, I had to practice again, and get comfortable with the changes in my body.

“When I was pregnant, I was so big that I looked like a cow (laughs)—and I hate exercising! This is my reality now: I’ve lost much of my postpartum heft, but I need to lose more. Trouble is, it’s harder to lose weight when you’re older.”

For the record, Regine’s voice was in tiptop shape when she performed at SM Davao, singing her signature hits, “On The Wings Of Love,” “Hinahanap-hanap Kita,” the PhilPop love song, “Sa ‘Yo Na Lang Ako,” and Adele’s radio-friendly but melodically complex tunes.

How have marriage and motherhood changed her? Regine quips, “I used to wonder what ‘being settled’ means—now, I know. Family comes first. I’m glad I took my time to settle down, because I was able to do a lot of things as a single career woman—at na-enjoy ko lahat! I wish I had become a mother sooner, though—but, that’s something you can’t plan.”

Which new singer does she see a lot of promise in? “There are so many good ones out there—but, Jonalyn Viray (‘Help Me Get Over’) is my favorite. She can sing very well, has a great voice and a wide range—that’s a potent combination!”

Her tips for performers who sing with other singers: “There are arrangements that demand ‘banatan’ (a duel)—but, most duets require blending and ‘bigayan.’ Kung makikipag-duet ka with the intention na mangla-mon ng ka-duet mo, huwag ka na lang kumanta, because that’s not what singing is all about.”

In terms of singing, whom does Nate take after? She proudly beams, “It’s hard to tell at this point—because Nate is only 3 years old. But, he looks like me, he’s singkit—and he loves my voice (laughs). Every time he watches ‘Frozen’ and gets to the part where ‘Let It Go’ is sung, hindi n’ya ako titigilan, ‘Sing ka, Mom!,’ until I sing it with him!

“Like his dad, Nate is musically inclined—because I see him stop, listen to a song and say, ‘Ganda nun, ha!’ Parang 35 years old na ang anak ko (laughs)! That is why we let him attend a toddlers’ school, so he can interact with other kids his age!

“As parents, Ogie and I don’t practise the ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine, because we don’t want Nate to grow up spoiled! May possibility kasi na hindi na s’ya masundan, kasi jonders (old) na ang Ate mo (laughs). But, we wouldn’t mind having another kid in the house.”

What has she learned from hosting “Sarap Diva” on GMA 7? “I have learned not to talk about myself. You can’t help it sometimes, but you should realize that you need to focus on your guest. So, I always ask myself, ‘Am I talking too much? Is it my turn to share my opinion, based on my experiences related to the subject matter?’ Hosting isn’t about you.”

How does she deal with bashers in social media? Regine sighs, “I’m not very good at it—because pumapatol ako minsan (laughs). I’m not confrontational, but I speak my mind when people go overboard. I grew up in the ’80s and ’90s kasi, when ‘critics’ were not anonymous.

“I’m still not comfortable with the notion that anybody can be a critic these days. It’s scary to make mistakes, because they can easily get magnified, reposted and shared—for all the world to see! —That’s when it becomes destructive!”