A 30-song album for Regine’s 30th year in the biz

CEBU, Philippines – Screaming fans and a jam-packed SM City Cebu Northwing Atrium greeted Regine Velasquez-Alcasid on Saturday as she flew into the Queen City of the South for the Cebu leg of the Regine Concert Series—a nationwide tour to campaign for telecommunications and digital services provider, Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Company’s Telset product line.

Nostalgia was thick in the air as Regine performed classic hits like “Tuwing Umuulan” and even songs from other artists like Nina, Rivermaya and The Eraserheads. The Asia’s Songbird also rendered her version of the Bisaya song “Usahay,” rearranged by her musical director Raul Mitra.

Balladeer Christian Bautista graced the event and performed with Regine, while impromptu duets with Donna Cruz and husband Ogie Alcasid were much appreciated by the crowd as well.

In a press conference at the Radisson Blu Hotel after the concert, the 46-year-old music icon expressed her gratitude to avid fans who have supported her throughout the years.

“I’m really happy and very, very thankful,” Regine says. “After 30 years, people are still excited and interested to hear me sing.”

The singer-actress will be celebrating her 30th anniversary this year, and her fans would be glad to know that she’s cooking up something in the recording studio to mark the career milestone.

In a recent Instagram post by her sister and manager, Cacai Mitra, a project dubbed #R30 with Viva Records is in the works.

“We are working on a new album and I’m very excited about this one. Thirty songs representing 30 years in the business,” shares Regine, who, along with her husband and four-year-old son Nate, has been in Cebu since Thursday for some R&R before her scheduled show at SM City Cebu.

In a career as long and fruitful as Regine’s, there is as much struggle as there are victories. When asked if there were moments she fell out of love with performing, she reveals: “That happens once in a while. You feel like doing the same thing. But for me, I rest for two weeks or up to a month and then I’m back to being a singer again and wanting to perform.”

Regine had taken some time off to focus on her firstborn. She became a full-time mother and wife for almost three years.

“When I got pregnant, that was the only time I really stopped [working]. In my entire life, that was my first time,” Regine shares.

“I enjoyed that time, being a wife and taking care of Nate but I like singing so much. When you’re a performer you look for it. I wanna go back to work, I wanna sing again. More than acting, this is my first love—performing and singing.”

The star is looking forward to many things, but first she and her team will be focusing on a concert in October to celebrate her 30th showbiz anniversary.

 “This is a gift from God, and I want to share it. I want to sing to you, and I get very passionate. There is this adrenaline rush,” Regine says.

As for her sound, Regine says she will be staying true to herself despite the evolution and changes in technology and in the Filipino music scene.

The celebrated singer just wrapped her GMA-7 primetime series “Poor Señorita,” while her cooking-cum-talk show “Sarap Diva” is still ongoing.

After Cebu, Regine will next head to Davao for yet another leg of her warmly received PLDT Regine Concert Series. Photos by YASUNARI RAMON TAGUCHI