Sing out sisters

MANILA, Philippines -If there’s anything we can pick up from The Carpenters (or maybe even Hall and Oates), it’s that there is truth to the cliché, “Two heads are better than one.” Sure, solo acts are great, but by now we all know better than to poke fun at sibling duos — because really, they work. There’s nothing more amusing to watch than two folks who are not only keeping it all in the family, but also making you feel that your gene pool’s slightly inadequate. 

These sister acts may cause you to see double, but just the same, you won’t be able to look away. Trust us, when it’s double the eargasm too, it wouldn’t matter if you can tell them apart.

Gabriela and Kara Pangilinan

How does one stand out from a generation virtually obsessed with doing covers? You can invest on looks alone, and hope that pretty face sails you through stardom; or maybe, that talent of yours is so superb that it was only a matter of time until Ellen Degeneres gives you a call. Then again, you can have both, multiply it by two and you’ve got Gab and Kara Pangilinan belting it out to Poker Face via Facebook, on a rainy day at the beach. Sounds juvenile? You wouldn’t think so once you give it a listen, get past the not-so poker faces, and recognize the euphonic sound nonchalantly pulled off by seemingly seasoned pros.

“I think we started singing as soon as we can talk,” Gab says. Born into a musically inclined family, their flair for performing extends to their cousins, the Valencianos — proving that talent indeed runs in the blood. Both fans of musical theater, Kara says that she and Gab would learn duets and sing them when they had nothing else to do.

Though often confused by other people (including their parents) because of their almost identical looks and voices, they can easily be told apart by the way they dress. Gab puts on her makeup, and Kara’s running to the door. “I’m not really into the (girly) stuff. I like my Chucks!” she says. And when they’re not exercising their enviable vocal chords, Gab can be found putting on her dancing shoes, while Kara gets her guitar on. No word yet if these two are pursuing a career outside performing for their church, family and friends, but they sure make you wish you can sound this good when you’re bored.

Rizza and Raleene Cabrera

There’s a lot that can be deduced from merely observing sister dynamics. Shoving gestures, playful yet snarky remarks, and harmless banter are where rivalry and chivalry collide, at least in Rizza and Raleene’s case. Proving that it’s just better when they’re together, the self-confessed loners engage in an explosion of chatter when put within spitting distances of each other, causing you to reevaluate your definition of tough love. With their fast quips and mocking rhetoric, The Walkie Talkies stay true to form — and they’ve got the voices to back it up, too.

If there’s anything we can learn from these two, it’s that looks aren’t really a giveaway. Raleene balances out her masculine attributes with her ultra-feminine style (as seen on her Lookbook page), while Rizza, obviously sheepish that her sister ratted out her “emotional” side, admits that it’s what inspires the songwriting. “There’s a story everywhere, you just have to see it,” she says.

When they’re not indulging the crowds at Capone’s and Saguijo with their fresh fusions, the “ce-web-rities” that hail from Cebu spoil their Internet fans by doing covers, or giving them something to feast their eyes on courtesy of Raleene’s photography. Either way, these sisters have got your senses covered.

Their electro-pop-acoustic sound is thanks to their often clashing tastes in music (Rizza loves pop, Raleene likes indie), but for art’s sake, these two will agree to disagree. “We do want our music out there,” Raleene says. “We really wanna get heard.”

One thing they do agree on though (and were explicitly asked to let everyone know about) is that they are not lesbian lovers. Yes, folks: for the record, they are sisters, set on disputing every preconceived theory we may have about them. And maybe soon invading our iTunes playlists. But for now, we’ll have to settle for the Walkie Talkies in a less portable form, one YouTube video and Tumblr post at a time.