Aguinaldo descendant tries her luck in show biz

Lizzie Aguinaldo

Lizzie Aguinaldo, a great, great granddaughter of the first Philippine President Emilio Aguinaldo, always knew that she wanted to become a singer and actress. But it wasn’t until she turned 15 that her parents finally allowed her to pursue show biz.

“My parents were a little strict about what was happening (my venture into show biz), because it’s rare in the family—nakailang pilit po ako,” she told the Inquirer at a press conference for her debut single, “Baka Pwede Na.”

“I guess it’s because they’re shy, introverted. I’m the only extrovert among my five siblings. I’m the more outgoing one,” she added, laughing. “But thank God, my parents finally let me.”

But while Lizzie doesn’t make a big deal out of her surname, it does inspire her to do a good job. “There’s no pressure. But I feel very honored and I will try to do my best,” said the newbie singer, whose father is a great grandson of President Aguinaldo.

Young love

The newbie singer recently signed a recording contract with Star Music. Her first offering, “Baka Pwede Na,” was composed by director-songwriter Joven Tan and talks about the rush of young love and right timing.

“It’s about admiring someone and finally feeling that maybe this is the right person or time for us,” she said. “That’s why I will face whatever difficulties we may face… When I first read the lyrics, I thought it was sad. But when I recorded it, I started to feel the story.”

At 15, Lizzie has yet to experience what it’s really like being in a romantic relationship. So, she tried thinking about her crushes and watching romantic movies and Korean drama to help her imbibe the lyrics. “It was difficult at first. But doing those things really helped. I drew inspiration from my crushes and delusions over K-pop idols,” she joked.

The song is a sentimental ballad that showcases her vocals. But moving forward, Lizzie hopes to try other music genres, like pop and dance. “Similar to Dua Lipa’s sound,” said Lizzie, who plays the piano and the guitar. She has also started writing her own songs. “I don’t want to stick to just one genre. I’m excited to meet more singers.”

Villain roles

Lizzie dreams of headlining her own concert, something that she has been “practicing” for in the shower. “It’s so overwhelming… Back then, I was just singing in the bathroom; now I’m singing in the recording studio,” she said.

Given the opportunity, Lizzie also hopes to dabble in acting.

She has previously auditioned for the role of young Darna in the 2002 television adaptation of the Pinoy superhero’s story. She was also supposed to be part of Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon’s upcoming romantic movie, “When I Met You in Tokyo.” Unfortunately, Lizzie couldn’t work around her school schedule.

“School, of course, is a priority. But given opportunities to do more projects, I will grab those,” Lizzie said. “I would like to play someone maarte… a kontrabida role. I’m willing to audition and try out for roles. ”

Is she ready for the possible social media bashing common in show biz these days? “It’s something that had already crossed my mind… and something that comes with the territory. But sometimes, criticisms are needed to learn and improve,” she pointed out. INQ