Concert-bound Aicelle grateful for belated ‘blessings’

Aicelle Santos

While Aicelle Santos’ boyfriend, broadcast journalist Mark Zambrano, has yet to propose marriage to her, the singer admitted that they do talk about tying the knot in the future—“praying hard” for it, even.

“Wala pa [’yung engagement]! I don’t want to expect. Naks!” the singer quipped, adding that she thinks that a proposal will be more or less a formality. “But yes, we’ve been discussing it.”

She’s 32; he’s 40. “I believe we’re in the right age,” she told the Inquirer.

The Kapuso artist’s dream is to wed Mark on a beach, although a garden wedding seems the more practical choice for her. “We have to save up first. I want a simple wedding, but even ‘simple’ these days is expensive,” she said.

But more than financial security, it’s more important for Aicelle and Mark to have “spiritual strength” before taking the next big step. “It’s not just about the two of you—the Lord has to be at the center,” she said. “We inspire each other through Him.”

Aicelle described Mark as a “wonderful surprise.” “At first, I prayed about having a boyfriend at 35, because I had a lot of things I wanted to do. But he came four years earlier than expected, and he’s all I had been praying for—and more,” said Aicelle, who has been dating Mark since last year.

Tonight, the “Pinoy Pop Superstar” alumna and “Rak of Aegis” star will headline a concert at the Music Museum titled “Awit na, Aicelle” (call 721-6726). The setlist, which she herself put together, will showcase her different facets as a music artist.

“I’m very hands-on with the production; I picked the songs myself. I wanted to relate my journey through music—as a singing-contest regular, as a theater artist, as a ‘traffic diva,’ as a Christian, as a Filipino,” she said, adding that the one-night show will likewise be a celebration of her “God-given” gifts and blessings.

“At some point in your life and career, you wonder why you do what you do in the first place. Maybe it’s God’s will for me to share His miracles with the people through my music,” she said. “I feel like I’m now in a place where I’m not so focused on the technical elements of singing. Now I have a purpose.”

Aicelle has been in the industry for 11 years now, but it wasn’t until the past few years that she really started to land big breaks and projects.

“It took some years, and that’s OK. I don’t question why things turned out the way they did. I’m not jealous of my peers,” Aicelle stressed. “If anything, I’m thankful to be given the chance to do shows now that I’m more mature and experienced.”

“I feel like I have more depth now, especially when it comes to telling stories,” she added.