Curiously enough, the two both come from humble beginnings. But they resolved to hitch their wagon to a star, so to speak. They dreamed, they believed and they survived the rigid auditions, the back-breaking rehearsals and the suspense-filled elimination process watched by millions around the country. Their fate was sealed not only by "star potential" (as was those of the other "dreamers" and "possible idols") but by the whim of televiewers whose text votes were a decisive factor.
Even before Yeng entered the Academy as one of the "scholars," she had already composed a song entitled Hawak Kamay (used as theme song of Star Cinema’s Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo, starring Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo, the top-grosser of last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival), dedicated to her cousin who ran away from home feeling unloved but welcomed back with open arms by kith and kin. Hawak Kamay has become the anthem of teeners who draw strength from one another if, you know, they hold on together.
A few years before she competed in the Star For a Night search (won by Sarah Geronimo), Mau decided to live in with her boyfriend and have two children. "That’s true; I don’t deny it," said Mau whose hefty build reminds people of Jennifer Hudson, the American Idol loser now winning raves in her first Hollywood movie, Dreamgirls. Mau has just wrapped up her debut album, On My Own (released by Sony BMG Music Entertainment), which was her winning piece.
Yeng and Mau have interesting stories to tell – that is, stories of hope and faith and not giving up on wishing upon a star.
What have been the changes in your life since you won?
Yeng: A lot, financially. We don’t have to borrow money anymore. I’m the youngest of five children and my family was really hard-up. My parents had to borrow money for our tuition fees. My dad (Joselito Constantino) worked as an assistant librarian at Ateneo de Manila; my mom, Susan (Eusebio), is a plain housewife. I wanted to take up a course in music at UP but then... medyo sablay. Lack of funds. In attitude, I think I have improved. Nagkaroon ako ng... how do you call it... breeding?
Mau: Not much, really. Well, my lifestyle has improved a bit. Anytime now, my family (husband Richie Marcelo, 27, and their two children, Patricia, four years old, and Paulo, nine months old) are moving to Manila from Lucena where we have been renting a small apartment. My husband stopped working as messenger at the Lucena City Hall and he helps me in my career. But I’m still the same. It’s not true that my winning has gone to my head.
Did you think that you would end up the winner?
Yeng: No, I didn’t expect to win. Any of us could have won. It was tough. Thousands auditioned, coming from all over the country. Only 20 qualified for the Academy. Then, only 10 were left to do an album for (Star Records).
Mau: No, I did not. Kasi, botohan ‘yan, eh. We didn’t have money to buy loads for texting. (Laughs) You need lots of money to do that. My opponents were rich, so I was scared. I didn’t know that the televiewers liked me. Thank you po sa kanila.
Who did you think was your closest rival (during the Final Six portion of the PDA at the Big Dome selection, the five others being Jay-R Siaboc, Ronnie Liang, Panky Trinidad, Irish Fullerton and Chad Peralta; and for Idol, the two other finalists were Jan Nieto and Gian Magdangal)?
Yeng: I thought Kuya Ronnie would win. He’s a nice guy; he showed his talents by trying all kinds of music genres – nag-Macho Guapito siya – while we were inside the Academy. The televiewers saw how talented and diligent he was. Or Ate Panky. Or Ronnie. Or Irish. Or Chad. They were all my closest rivals. Magagaling, eh!
Mau: Si Jan po. Rich ‘yon, eh! Gian also had a lot of supporters. I thought I had only a few.
What do you think was your edge over them, your having written a hit song?
Yeng: I don’t think my song writing ability was an edge. My classmates also knew how to write songs; they sing and dance well.
Mau: Kasi ako lang ang babae sa finalists. (Laughs) People told me that with my voice, I had an edge over the other finalists. And it turned out that I had many supporters pala out there.
What about the text votes from televiewers?
Yeng: I thought I’d lost because we couldn’t afford to spend money on texting. I asked my mom, "Did you ask anybody to text votes for me?" She said, "No, I did not." Thank God, I thought she borrowed money for text-voting. I’m thankful that the televiewers believed in me enough to text votes for me.
Mau: Salamat po sa mga bumoto sa akin!
How many other contests had you joined before you joined the Academy/Idol?
Yeng: A few – Battle of the Bands, StarStruck, Star in a Million, Star Circle Quest, amateur singing contests. I’d been auditioning and joining contests since I was nine years old; kadalasan, talo. I’d been so used to losing that I didn’t expect to win at PDA. During the auditions, I told myself, "If you don’t make it, okay lang." Sanay ako matalo, eh! Before joining the PDA, I was with my own band called Morning Glory. I was the only female member. I was only 14 then.
Mau: A lot. Sing-Galing (finalist), Star Circle Quest, Panasonic Karaoke Contest, the Tsibugan (on RPN 9) singing contest (winner) and the Star For a Night.
Who are the artists who have influenced your singing style?
Yeng: A lot. Dionne Warwick, Shirley Bassey, Diana Ross. They are my dad’s favorite singers and he made me listen to them since I was a kid. My dad is fond of mambo-jazz. I prefer pop, R ’n B and, later, rock. I like the style of Mandy Moore, Destiny’s Child, Toni Braxton.
Mau: I idolize several singers but I don’t let them influence me. Otherwise, I might end up imitating their styles. I want to have my own style. My big favorite since I was a child is Whitney Houston, that’s why I chose her song, On My Own, as my (winning) piece.
To Mau: How many siblings do you have?
Mau: My father, a Puerto Rican, left us when I was four months old. My mother died when I was 14. I’m their only child. My mom remarried and she had one child; on my dad’s side, I have three siblings. My dad lives in California. He was about to petition for me when I joined Philippine Idol.
Was your dad the one who trained you?
Yeng: Yes. He didn’t know how to sing but he taught me how to sing. Magaling siya! He would tell me how to move my lips while singing. At first, I didn’t believe him. I would tease him, "Why teach me when you don’t know how to sing?"
Mau: I got my love for singing from my parents. Pareho silang singers, members of bands in Angeles City where they met. My dad played musical instruments very well. It was my mom who trained me. At first, she thought I was a better dancer than singer. When I was in grade school at the Manuel S. Enverga University in Lucena, I joined a singing contest. It was the school’s Foundation Day. The teacher asked who wanted to join the singing contest and I raised my hand. My mom was surprised. "Why, do you know how to sing? I thought you were a dancer." I sang Somewhere Out There and I beat contestants from Grades Two to Six. I was only seven years old. Since then, my mom began training me as a singer. Everytime she heard a new song, she would ask me to study it.
How old were you when you realized you could sing?
Yeng: I was four years old. I stood on top of a table in my dad’s room and sang Total Eclipse of the Heart (by Bonnie Tyler).
Mau: When I joined the singing contest during our school’s Foundation Day. When I turned eight years old, I started joining singing contests in different towns in Quezon.
What’s your favorite piece?
Yeng: Hawak Kamay. That song is very me. Akong-ako ‘yon, eh! I wrote that song for my cousin who stowed away and came back after eight months. She was an orphan and she felt that nobody loved her. She was my confidante, my shoulder to cry on. When she left, I felt lost. That song was some kind of a reassurance that everything will be all right if we only hold hands. I’m now sending her to school. I used to sing that song with my band but nobody noticed it until I got into the Academy.
What did you do with your prizes?
Yeng: I bought a piece of lot. We have moved to an apartment on Boni Avenue in Mandaluyong. We were squatters in Montalban, Rizal, and the place was recently demolished.
Mau: I won P1-M cash and a P1-M non-exclusive contract with ABC 5 and a recording contract with Sony BMG. I bought a second-hand car and things for our house; we paid our debts and I gave some to my relatives. Dumami nga ang mga kamag-anak ko, eh! (Laughs)
Doesn’t your love life get in the way of your career?
Yeng: No. I don’t have a boyfriend. I never had a boyfriend. I’m only 18. Having a boyfriend is a nice inspiration but it doesn’t mean that just because you need an inspiration you have to look for one.
Mau: No. My husband is okay; he’s supportive of me. We’re planning to get married.
If you were a song, what would it be?
Yeng: Hawak Kamay.
Mau: On My Own.
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)