Dulce
Christmas is over, but Asia’s Diva Dulce continues to pay it forward. After a recent singing gig in Angeles City, she granted a special audience to two teenage fans who patiently waited for her. Dulce shared that the two are “DuRey” (Dulce-Rey Valera) fans whom she met outside the venue since it did not allow guests below 21 years old.
Despite the late-night run, Dulce was still in high spirits, sincerely accommodating every request for a photo op from audience members who went to see her show. She also immediately agreed when we asked her to grace the 2019 Indie Bravo Awards show at the PowerMac Center Spotlight, where she blew everyone away with her prodigious talent.
Away from the cameras, she continues to meet fans who continue to support her as one of the hurados for “It’s Showtime’s” “Tawag ng Tanghalan” segment, where she’s often “partnered” with music icon Rey Valera.
“Nakakatawa, nakakatuwa that there are young people who are entertained by us. Akala nila si “CharDawn” (Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta) na daw ang pinakamatandang love team, hindi pa pala (laughs)!”
Dulce recalled that the DuRey tandem started as a joke from hosts, Vice Ganda and Vhong Navarro.
“During my first week in the show, I saw Rey doing some dance moves as pa-sample and niloko s’ya ni Vice. A few days after, nagsabi sa akin si Rey, ‘Baka biruin ka din nila, huwag kang mapipikon.’ Sabi ko, for fun lang naman. Then, the following week, humirit si Vice by saying, “Sir Rey, sinabi nyo sa akin na ang kantang “Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok ko” ay sinulat n’yo talaga para kay Ms Dulce, pero nahiya po kayong sabihin sa kanya. Nagulat kami pareho ni Rey, and that’s how it started.”
Her diva-esque eyes and stature belie Dulce’s real persona: fun, motherly and very “cowboy.”
In fits of laugher, she added, “Nakiki-‘hep-hep, hurray’ ako, ‘yun pala, ‘Hep-hep, DuRey’ na! It’s a good feeling na nakakapagbigay kami ng saya sa younger generation who appreciate us and our music. I learned from social media groups who got in touch with me that most of them are children of OFWs. Nakakataba ng puso kasi ‘Nay’ ang tawag nila sa akin.”
In fact, Dulce was initially hesitant to sit in the “TNT” panel because she knew what it’s like to be scrutinized by judges’ prying eyes and ears—something that she personally went through at the beginning of her career. She is careful not to hurt contestants’ feelings with her comments. This explains why Dulce considers the task of judging as both a blessing and a responsibility.
“When we sit as judges, we have a limited time to give our comments. So, as much as possible, I give coaching notes in a manner that will be beneficial to them. I base my comments on the performance, the vocal quality, and given more time, I share nuggets of wisdom from my personal experiences as a singing contestant.”
Dulce was only 18 when she joined the Metro Manila Popular Music Festival (MetroPop), where she performed George Canseco’s classic, “Ako ang Nasawi, Ako ang Nagwagi,” which eventually became her signature song.
As she told one contestant who had a great singing voice but felt insecure about her looks, “I had my fair share of bashers back in the day. I was called ‘pangit’ many times in the past, but when I open my mouth to sing, I prove to them that I am worth more than my looks. I hope my words inspire them to soldier on.”
Does she find it difficult to comment about a contestant and his or her performance?
“It’s easy when the performance is very good, but it’s challenging when it isn’t, kasi you have to focus on the positive points,” she said. “Even if we have the best intention, we can’t avoid contrarian views, because another judge might have a different take on it. Iba kasi ang Pinoy—ang culture natin, medyo emotional, so I have to deliver my comments in a manner that sounds positive, logical and not offensive. One thing’s for sure: I will say nothing but the truth and be gracious about it.”