Despite being Asia’s Songbird, Regine Velasquez still taking voice lessons

Regine Velasquez

With a number of music-related projects and shows slated for her on ABS-CBN—including a regular stint in the soon-to-be reformatted noontime variety program “ASAP”—Regine Velasquez is hopeful that the heavier singing workload will help her get her voice back to top form.

“I had been hardly singing. I usually do only one concert a year, so I can’t just expect my voice to be there when I want it. I need to keep singing now more than ever,” she told reporters at a recent press conference for her coming concert series, “Regine at the Movies.”

“I’m excited to be singing regularly again. I’m also undergoing voice lessons to help get my voice back into shape,” added Asia’s Songbird, whose battle with acid reflux renders her voice more unpredictable. “Even at home, I’ve been singing a lot.”

The series, which will be held on Nov. 17, 24 and 25 at the New Frontier Theater (call 911-5555), will have Regine performing songs from iconic films, both foreign and local, as well as movies she has done in the past years. Each night will feature a different set list, she said, which means she will be virtually doing three shows.

“I will be doing some well-loved tunes from classic films like ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s, such blockbuster hits as ‘Titanic,’ the ‘James Bond’ series, animated movies and, of course, my own films. There will be medleys. I will also allot a segment for the works of Henry Mancini, who’s behind songs like ‘Moon River.’”

“I like making things difficult for myself, so there will be three repertoires,” she quipped. “Luckily, I already know a lot of the songs. But there are still a lot I have to study.”

More than the major concerts, Regine enjoys performing in smaller venues, where she can freely explore more concept-driven shows. “I love doing shows with themes,” said the singer-actress, who last did something similar three years ago, when she did a series dedicated to songs from musicals. “I can experiment more, I suppose. I can do all-OPM, etc.”

“I actually prefer intimate settings, where I can easily see people’s faces—I want to see their reactions, and I want to be close to them. That’s easier for me,” she said.

Each night will also see Regine sharing the stage with a different guest: Piolo Pascual on the 17th, Sharon Cuneta on the 24th and Daniel Padilla on the 25th. “Piolo has never made a guest appearance in my shows before, so I’m looking forward to that,” she said of the actor whom she starred with in the film, “Paano Kita Iibigin.”

As a “Sharonian,” Regine said she’s “touched” that Sharon agreed to join her onstage, despite her hectic schedule and the fact that this isn’t really a major show. “She’s actually going to Hong Kong for her own show, but she has agreed to fly at a later date because she loves me,” she related.

Daniel, meanwhile, impressed her when she saw him perform at this year’s ABS-CBN Ball. “He’s actually good. I know him, but I had not seen him sing live before that. I was impressed by what I saw. So, when we did a show in Sydney recently, I asked him personally, and he agreed,” she said.

Meanwhile, Regine admitted that seeing herself on ABS-CBN is something she still needs to get used to. “I’m so excited, but there’s also this weird feeling. It’s separation anxiety, perhaps,” said Regine, who has left GMA 7 after 20 years. “It’s just like when you move into a new house and you can’t sleep. Namamahay pa.”