The reasons behind Lani Misalucha’s voluntary semiretirement

Lani Misalucha

At this point in her career, Lani Misalucha considers herself “semiretired.”

While she still holds shows and goes on tour occasionally, the singer no longer does grueling hotel residencies, which was her bread-and-butter when she first moved to the United States in 2004. One of the reasons she decided to slow down, she said, is that she wants to preserve her voice, which has been admittedly going through changes as she ages.

“Up until around 2012, I used to do five or more shows a week. I sing without the help of backing tracks or any electronic assistance—just raw singing, ubusan ng boses. And so, my voice wasn’t always in top condition,” Lani told the Inquirer in a recent interview.

“It was especially tough in Vegas, where there’s little humidity. Your vocal cords get dry quite easily,” added the 48-year-old recording artist, who had headlined various series of gigs on the Las Vegas Strip and in Hawaii.

Dubbed on the local music scene as “Asia’s Nightingale,” Lani is known for her expansive vocal range and dexterity, and her ability to perform operatic music. She still possesses the same qualities, albeit some inevitable changes.

“When I was in my 20s, my vocal resonance was lighter and brighter—like that of a lyric soprano. Now, my tone is a lot thicker-sounding,” she pointed out.

“I can still pull off songs that are usually part of my repertoire, but I have to be well-prepared now. Back when I was younger, I could go onstage, without much sleep, and my voice will be there.”

But more than protecting her voice, Lani is admittedly more focused on being a doting grandmother nowadays. In fact, she jested, she continues to work only because she wants to earn money and spoil her grandchildren.

“I’m obsessed with them,” said Lani, as she scrolled through her phone gallery filled with photos of her apo. She has two boys—4 years old and 7 months old—from her younger daughter, and a 6-month-old girl from her elder daughter.

“To be honest, I can’t do anything else when they’re at home. I spend all my time playing with them, so I usually end up forgetting about my household chores. I can’t imagine leaving them,” she said.

Another one of Lani’s favorite bonding activities with her grandkids is watching educational children’s shows and singing ABCs. “With voicing, of course!” she quipped.

Still, Lani is thankful that she still receives plenty of job offers “even if I’m almost 50.” “I do shows around the US, Asia and Europe. I’m now in a place where I want to do things at my own pace. But it’s heartening to know that many people still want to hear me sing,” she said.

Meanwhile, as one of the judges in GMA 7’s new singing contest “The Clash,” Lani said she will have to stay here in the Philippines for a few months.

“This will be the longest time I will be away from my apos!” Lani said, adding that she will also take this chance, however, to reconnect with her former Kapuso colleagues, like Regine Velasquez, who’s hosting the talent search.

Can the fans expect Lani to do a duet with Regine while she’s here?
“It would be great if we could record a song together. But, we will see,” she said. “For now, I’m just excited to be working with her again.”