Lani Misalucha: O, di ba? : The Diva Who Doesn’t Need a 'Title'

A title is just a title is just a title. It doesn’t mean anything if it’s not supported by Talent (with a Capital T). You can have all the titles in the world, from A to Z, but if you don’t have "it," you amount only to zero.

Talents who really have the talent don’t need any title. They shine through and they last longer even sans a title. An untitled poem is more intriguing and more meaningful and more thought-provoking than a titled one, isn’t it?

In a field like the local showbiz where denizens seem to be starving for titles, no matter how undeserved, you can count with the fingers in one hand the exceptions to the "rule." Name one? Yes, Lani Misalucha.

There are divas and there are divas – or diva-divahan claiming to be so – and then there’s Lani, an authentic diva who doesn’t need a "title" (just like Pilita Corrales and Dulce, veritable divas who have refused to be dragged into the fray of "title-snatching" diva-divahan).

"I let my performance speak for me," says Lani who topbills A Nightingale Sings, a true musical event slated for Tuesday (Oct. 30) and Wednesday (Oct. 31), 8:30 p.m. at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, with the 40-piece Philharmonic Orchestra (Antonio Maige as flutist and tenor Ramon Acoymo) and Kuh Ledesma (another true diva) as co-performer. (Stage direction is by Leo Rialp, musical direction by Gerard Salonga, fashion by Larry Espinosa who designed the fabulous gown Lani is wearing on this page, and script by Noel Ferrer and Ida Henares.)

"If the audience is pleased with my performance," adds Lani, "then that’s the best trophy I can ever hope to get. For what good is performing if the audience goes home disappointed?"

Well said. A nourishing food for thought.

For sure, Lani wouldn’t be singing on her back like she did in that Valentine show with Zsa Zsa Padilla at the Araneta Coliseum which drew a defeaning applause from the SRO crowd. No, that "act" isn’t pang-CCP.

Meanwhile, let’s delve deeper into the soul of Lani who’s considered to be the most versatile (bar none!) female singer in the country today.

Why don’t you need a "title"?

"A ‘title’ puts undue pressure on you; it’s something that you have to live up to. Nakapako ka na doon. People will expect too much from you. I’d rather be called plain Lani Misalucha. I’m more comfortable with that than with a ‘title’."

Give a one-line or a one-sentence comment on the so-called "divas". First, Jaya.

"Down-to-earth. What you see is what you get from her."

Zsa Zsa Padilla.

(Thinks long and hard) "Hmmmm...Wow!...Well, she’s divine."

Totoo ba ’yan?

"Oo...Totoo...Totoo!"

Pops Fernandez.

(Breaking into wide smile) "A, this one is really true. She’s the true concert diva. Concert Queen talaga siya."

Kuh Ledesma.

"Classy ang dating ng babaing ’yan. Elegant!"

Regine Velasquez.

"Oh, she’s versatile! Besides singing, she has proven that she’s a good actress."

Sharon Cuneta.

"Wow... si Sharon... She’s a really nice person, besides being multi-talented."

Who do you think is on the same competitive level as you?

(Without batting an eyelash) "Si Regine."

Why Regine?

"Because siya naman ang top singer talaga ngayon."

Pareho ba ang choice of songs ninyong dalawa?

"Almost. Yes, almost."

When you "stole" the scene from Zsa Zsa during your Valentine concert at the Araneta Coliseum, was it part of the script? Was it the first time you did that?

"The first time I did it was last year when I did a solo show at Music Museum. Itinuro sa akin ni Floy (Quintos, concert director). Nag-prepare sila ng divan. The audience loved it, kaya inulit ko doon sa Araneta Coliseum."

There you are... your title: Diva on a Divan. The Reclining Diva. Ang Divang Pahila-hilata.

"I did it for the same song, Loving You (by Minnie Ripperton). That ‘act’ is part of the script."

Did it (the "scene-stealing") affect your relationship with Zsa Zsa?

"I guess naging aloof kami sa isa’t-isa, but only for a while. Because of what came out in the media, I think medyo nailang kami sa isa’t isa, but only for a while. Feeling ko baka nagagalit na siya sa akin, and maybe she felt that way, too. Zsa Zsa was nice enough to call me, maybe because medyo iba na ang nararamdaman niya and she wanted to clarify things with me. We did talk about the matter. Okey naman ang nangyari."

The issue reached its peak when Zsa Zsa did a repeat of the show and she didn’t get you as "guest performer." If ever she invites you to have another show with her, will you accept the invitation?

"Why not? If she wants to."

Would you do the same "reclining" act again?

(Breaking into laughter) "A, hindi na! Once is enough. Tama na ’yon siguro."

In hindsight, do you believe that you upstaged Zsa Zsa (who, thankfully, wasn’t in the same scene with Lani)?

"Honestly? No. At the moment I was doing it, I never expected na ganoon ang mangyayari, that the audience would give me a big applause. It was not my intention to upstage Zsa Zsa or anybody."

Don’t you think other singers are "afraid" to be on the same show with you because you might "upstage" them without your meaning or intending to?

"I hope not. Sana hindi ganoon ang attitude nila sa akin."

A few weeks ago, you did an SRO solo concert at the Araneta Coliseum. And now, your A Nightingale Sings concert at the CCP. Wow, isn’t it? Not every singer can perform with the 40-piece Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s really wow!

"It’s really a dream concert, a dream come true for me. ’Yan talaga ang pinapangarap para sa akin ni Ronnie (Henares, her manager) at ni Ate Ida (Ronnie’s wife who co-wrote the script with Noel Ferrer)."

What can we expect from your CCP show that we haven’t seen yet in your previous concerts?

"Performing with the Philharmonic Orchestra is a big first in itself. My repertoire includes (Randy Crawford’s) One Day I’ll Fly Away; gandang-ganda ako sa song na ’yan... Here I Am and I Wouldn’t Change a Thing na pinagsama... I’m also again doing Nessun Dorma which is usually sung by male singers... Some selections from Carmen. Marami."

Would you have to adjust your voice, your style, to the Philharmonic Orchestra?

"Not really adjust my voice... Well, you know, if you’re singing a pop song, you have to do it the pop way. And if you sing Nessun Dorma, you have to sing it the operatic way. You have to adjust your voice to the kind of song that you’re singing."

This being your dream concert, how are you preparing for it?

"To tell you frankly, I’m getting nervous already. We have been rehearsing, with the director, then with the Philharmonic Orchestra. Rehearse kami nang rehearse. Part of the preparation should be enough rest but I don’t think I have enough time to rest. Sleep is very important. If you don’t get enough sleep, kahit papano apektado ang boses mo. It’s a good thing I don’t drink and I don’t smoke, so wala akong problema diyan."

Who are your role models?

"Barbra Streisand. Malinis siya kumanta. Since I was small, talagang si Barbra Streisand na ang idol ko. When it comes naman to roughness ng voice, si Whitney Houston. Also, si Shirley Bassey. Nakakaaliw siya mag-perform."

Which Barbra Streisand song do you like most?

"As If We Never Said Goodbye (from Sunset Boulevard). Kay Whitney Houston naman, Saving All My Love For You which I used to sing sa mga contest-contest."

Did you have formal lessons in music?

"None. Pero malaking tulong sa akin ang choir, church choir. I was 14 when I joined the choir at Ellinwood Malate Church (protestant)."

But you really wanted to be a singer talaga?

"Yes, but I never expected that I’d ever be a solo singer. Not the way I’m doing now. I used to do jingles, at naging back-up singer ako for Bodjie (Dasig’s) Law of Gravity. Happy ako sa ganoon. In school, I took up Business Management (at the Philippine Christian University)."

Were you a perennial contest-joiner?

"Paminsan-minsan lang, in school. I stayed with the choir for two and a half years. And then, in 1989, while still in school. I joined a band (Prelude) performing at the Manila Hotel Tap Room, Birdland, Music Hall and Circus Circus. There were three of us female vocalists; the rest were male members. In 1990, the Prelude performed abroad but I didn’t go with them because my fiance (Noli Misalucha, working with PLDT. – RFL) and I wanted na to get married. I also began performing solo in music lounges (in Mandarin, Shangri-La, etc.). Noli and I got married in July, 1990, and in August, hayun, nagbuntis na ako. Mabilis!"

And then you started na having children.

"I gave birth to our first child in 1991 and I wanted to quit singing to be a simple wife and mother. Besides, tumaba ako. My sister May, member of Law of Gravity, was going abroad and she talked to me to take her place in the band. Although reluctantly, I agreed. Buntis na ako with our second child, pumupuwesto pa ako sa mga lounge. Even then, Bodjie was already trying to convince me to do an album; siya daw ang magpi-finance. Pero I guess at that time, hindi ko pa talaga gusto."

At around that time, from 1993 onward, you became known as The Multiplex Queen. Even then pala, may "title" ka na!

"It started sa mga kasama kong gumagawa niyan... ’yung mga ghost singer. Nag-ghost singer ako for a few actresses sa mga pelikula nila. Then in 1996, I joined the Metropop when it was revived (by the GMA Network). I interpreted Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw (composed by Jimmy Borja), pero I didn’t win. After that, maski maraming nagaalok, I avoided joining contests. But I did join the Metropop again in 1999 – and I won. I interpreted Dodjie Simon’s composition, Can’t Stop Loving You. Nag-join din ako sa Asia Songfest and I placed second (to the Indonesian contestant); I sang Handle with Care (composed by Jungee Marcelo). Pati sa Musika Manila competition, nag-join din ako."

Is success – and popularity – easier to handle when achieved kapag mas mature ka na, kaysa when you’re younger?

"If all these happened when I was younger, very possibly baka naiba ang takbo ng buhay ko. Maybe I wouldn’t have gotten married; siguro, nag-concentrate ako more on my career than on my personal life. I’m fortunate and I’m thankful na ngayon lang lahat nangyayari sa akin ’to. I can handle it better. Besides, having a supportive husband and your children as inspiration, with them beside and behind you, you feel complete. May sense of fulfillment in everything you do."

You seem to have had a happy past. When you sing about heartaches and heartbreaks, where do you draw your emotion?

"Many people ask me that question and it makes me wonder - saan nga ba? I’ve been analyzing my life and myself and I couldn’t recall having been heart-broken. Masaya ang love life namin ni Noli even when we were just going steady."

How do you keep a balance between your career and your family life? Now that you’re in-demand, hindi ba apektado ang family life mo?

"Ewan ko lang, ha, pero sana hindi. I hope I’m not neglecting my family which is my priority." (Lani and Noli have two children, Louven, 10, and Lian, 8. – RFL)

Are they conscious of the fact that their mom is the Lani Misalucha, ang divang ayaw ng title?

"They see me on TV but to them, I’m just an ordinary person; I’m just their mom."

What about Noli?

"He shares my passion for singing because he also sings. He was also a member of the Ellinwood church choir. Doon kami sa choir nag-meet."

Do you have a theme song?

"It’s not a theme song but just a song that we both like so much. It’s called Hasta la Eternidad (Until Eternity), from my old album."

What are the things ordinary housewives do that you still can even now that you are a Lani Misalucha?

"I can’t go to the (wet) market like I used to."

Why not? You can sing at every stall – vegetable stall, meat stall, etc. – and do an instant mini-concert and get discounts, or things you need for free, in the process. And then you can be called Ang Diva ng Palengke or The Wet (Market) Diva.

(Joking) "Maybe I should try doing that some time. I cook. I spend as much time as I could with my family when I’m not working. Like this morning, ’yung yaya ng anak ko pumunta sa probinsya so I’m acting as the yaya. I woke up very early, too, and did the household chores."

Doesn’t Noli feel, you know, insecure?

"Not at all. Supportive siya sa akin. He’s a very secure person."

Come to think of it, would you be as successful if your surname were Bayot? Ang Misalucha kasi may certain "ring" to it. Iba ang dating, iba ang tunog.

"Napagisip-isip ko rin ’yon. Noon nga, sina Bodjie were thinking of changing my surname. Baka raw kasi mahirap matandaan ’yung Misalucha; too long daw. So they asked me, ‘What’s your maiden name ba?’ I told them, ‘Bayot.’ And they said, ‘Sige, Misalucha na lang.’ So, hayun."

And now, my favorite question for singers: What’s that song of your life?

"Actually, wala. But I have an all-time favorite song – All My Life (by America). It’s a beautiful song."

(And she proceeds to hum and then sing a few lines – All my life, without a doubt I’ll give you all my life...)