Rachel and Carlos: Ten years and counting!
Celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary on April 9 are singer/actress/entrepreneur Rachel Alejandro and her husband, Spanish journalist Carlos Santamaria. Instead of waiting for the actual date, Rachel and Carlos marked the milestone a month ahead, with a vacation in Hawaii from Feb. 28 to March 7. Hawaii proved to be a perfect spot since they got married also on the beach...in Boracay, to be exact.
Rachel told Funfare, “We decided to celebrate a month early to accommodate our work.”
The singer of the new OPM song Takipsilim further explained that although her husband usually hates long flights, she was able to justify the 10-hour trip from New York (where Carlos is based) to Hawaii because a 10th anniversary is a major milestone.
In other words, “Tinodo ko na!” Rachel said with a laugh, adding, “Hawaii has always been one of my favorite places in the world but I had only been to Oahu. This time, Carlos and I decided to check out the Big Island. It wasn’t easy getting there. COVID-19 testing is required before and after arrival, but it was well worth the effort.”
For eight days, the couple explored the beaches and sights and also went whale watching.
“The beaches there are spectacular,” observed Rachel. “But to me, the ones we have in the Philippines are hard to beat.”
The lady behind the 18-year-old health food delivery service The Sexy Chef also said that her favorite part of the trip was a tour of the Lavaloha Chocolate Farm in Hilo.
“We strolled through cacao orchards, picked and ate fresh fruits from the tree, learned their process and, best of all, sampled their mind-blowing chocolate bars.”
According to Rachel, she hopes to get back on track this year with film projects, Song of the Fireflies and Song for Selena, both of which had to be postponed because of the shooting restrictions. For someone who is passionate about her craft, Rachel misses performing for a live audience very much.
“I’m iyakin and I’ll admit I probably cried more in the past year than I have in my entire life put together,” she disclosed. “There were days when it was hard for me to see my own worth but I’m thankful that Carlos was there for me, always ready to provide a comforting chest and fresh T-shirt to drench all my tears with,” she said of her supportive husband.
Rachel eventually got her groove back through a new solo single in almost a decade.
“I realized that, sure, we can’t be performing in live concerts yet but we can certainly be recording.” The song, Takipsilim (on Spotify https://spoti.fi/3te7dyj with music video on YouTube https://youtu.be/4LojSqwr_Ec), was written by 19-year-old Rain Santana produced in a search that Rachel and her cousin Nino Alejandro of Rebel Records announced online.
“My Dad (Hajji Alejandro) is also releasing a brand-new single called Dati on Friday (March 26) after a 20-year hiatus in the recording scene,” she shared excitedly.
The pandemic isn’t going to stop Rachel from pursuing her creative passions. She will continue to shuttle back and forth from the US to the Philippines for singing engagements and other projects, with her loving husband cheering her on and being proud of her.
“I translated into English the lyrics of Takipsilim for Carlos because he knows very little Tagalog,” Rachel related. “He loves the song. He even shamelessly promoted the song on GZero Media’s Signal, the newsletter he writes for.”
Her advice to couples on creating lasting relationships?
“Focus on improving yourself rather than trying to change your partner. Be a joy to have around to attract more love and happiness into your marriage.”
(E-mail reactions at r[email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)
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