Still Pilita after all these years

MANILA, Philippines — Pilita Corrales has had her share of ups and downs – some may say more downs than ups – but the phoenix that she is always rises up from the ashes.

Case in point: Upon the invitation of American actor and magician John Calvert, who performed for standing room only audiences in Manila, Pilita joined the traveling troupe on their Singapore and Australia tours. But en route to Sydney on board the yacht The Sea Fox, they suffered paralyzing trouble, aimlessly drifting, without power or communication.

Lost at sea for four days, they were rescued by the Australian Air Force and Navy, and the saga hogged the headlines throughout the continent.

Initially introduced as Calvert’s assistant, her star began to shine due to her exceptional talent, not to mention her quirky nature, and immediately scored TV guestings in Melbourne prime time, such as Club 7 and Melbourne Tonight.

The newly-established Australia-based Astor Records made its mark in the music production industry through Pilita Tells the Story of Love album – romantic anecdotes in English, Spanish, French and even Filipino. Together with her single Speak Low, these songs became hits in mainstream radio. Through her then-latest release Come Closer To Me, Pilita became the first-ever female artist to be listed in the fairly young nationwide pop charts.

She continued to ride her wave of fame through well-attended concerts in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Victoria and Hobart on the island of Tasmania, complemented by frequent appearances on television. She has been named one of the Great Dames of Victorian Radio and Television and, believe it or not, has a street named in her honor in Forrest Hill, a suburb in Melbourne.

In spite of her achievements abroad, this Manila-born, Cebu-raised lady never forgot her roots. Pilita decided it was time to return home, and immediately resumed her local showbiz career as the charismatic DJ of the Spanish program La Taverna.

She became a regular performer of the celebrity-studded Clover Theater and the Manila Grand Opera House. Though she had difficulty with Tagalog, she peppered her acts with Cebuano words and phrases and it quickly turned into her signature.

Her performance was a busy one, coupled with numerous TV appearances and comedy skits. Her iconic shows An Evening with Pilita and Your Evening with Pilita were highly rated through numerous seasons.

Recently, she served as judge in popular competitions such as The X Factor Philippines. “That’s where you discover real and raw talent of today!” she says.

Her successes were not limited within our shores. She collaborated with the one and only Sammy Davis Jr., who personally extended an invite for her to team up with him at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas for a series of extravaganzas, all conducted and arranged by maestro Ryan Cayabyab.

More offers came her way to perform with other musical legends, to include Frank Sinatra, Julio Iglesias, Bob Hope, Engelbert Humperdinck, Matt Monro and Jack Jones. She was even part of the opening act of The Beatles during their Manila tour in 1966.

“The bigger they are, the more humble. They who pretend to be big are those without talent,” she comments.

As a pre-show ritual, Asia’s Queen of Song takes a spoonful of Pei Pa Koa, sometimes infusing it with tea, then gargles warm water with salt.

She then peeps from the side of the stage to study her audience – is it mainly male or female? Predominantly young or old? And due to years of experience, she can gauge whether they would be friendly or hostile. Then she adapts her performance accordingly.

She will never forget the time a grumpy female seated in the front row suddenly ask her, “How many loves have you had in your life?” to which she replied, “I’m still waiting for your husband.” There was total silence, then thunderous applause.

Another time, she felt her body-hugging gown slowly unzipping. She quickly zeroed in on a charming gentleman and coyly asked, “If you don’t mind, can you kindly zip me up?” to wild cheers.

She has vowed never to use false eyelashes again after the glue slowly dripped into her eye in the middle of a dramatic song. Tears started to roll down her face. She heard comments like “Ang galing talaga ni Pilita! Emote na emote!” without realizing it was because of the agonizing pain.

At an American base before hundreds of active military on rest and recreation, one very drunk shipman got up and urinated on the stage. The military police quickly hustled the enlisted man away, but a puddle remained on stage. Pilita didn’t skip a beat, but whenever she would cross this area, she gamely said “Excuse me!” The men in uniform properly showed their appreciation.

When asked about retirement, she says, “As long as the Lord allows me, and there are people who love to listen to me, I will be here,” adding, “You simply cannot get rid of me anytime soon.”

Through the years, Pilita has raised her children Jackie Lou Blanco and Monching Gutierrez, and is proud of her seven grandchildren – Jacky’s Kenneth, Rikki May and Arabelle, who hopes to get into showbiz, and Monching’s Janine, Jessica, Diego and Maxene.

“The role of a mother and grandmother never ends no matter how old you are,” she shares.

An early riser at six, Pilita consumes guyabano for breakfast, then does her daily routine of stretching and bending. For lunch, she may prepare cheese and tomato sandwiches, while dinner is best enjoyed with members of the family.

On days off, the chanteuse normally gets some well-deserved rest, or watches suspense movies – her favorite – while humming, singing and learning new songs. This diva is a home body – no outings, and no night clubs whatsoever, though she loves to attend concerts.

The songstress looks forward to shopping – supermarket shopping, to be precise. She personally chooses the fruits, veggies and even pan de sal for their daily meals. When she cannot find some desired items in the grocery, she does not fret as she treats the search as exercise instead of a hassle.

Despite her busy schedule, she claims she is never stressed – no massages as stress relievers. She has never succumbed to facials and does not use soap on her face, just her trusty liquid toner. She adheres to the strict rule to not be under the sun. “Muy (Very) ageing,” she quips.

Due to a severe case of vertigo that lasted seven days, she quit smoking, even though she used it as a tool to lower her voice to make it sexier. Eventually, she regained her own key. She is not even a social drinker, for she has not acquired the taste for wine or alcohol.

And lessons to share with the artists and performers of today? “That’s none of my business,” she replies with a sly smile.

“But whenever I’m asked for advice, I always insist – love your profession of choice. Passion should always be present. You should be willing to sacrifice, whatever it takes, for there is no easy way to stardom. And most importantly, respect the public – for you owe them for wherever you are today,” she says.

“Don’t drink, don’t smoke, and please, please, please don’t do drugs, and focus on your audience!” she ends.

As for the Pilita of today, she is busy preparing for “An Evening With Pilita” at The Theater at Solaire, a one-night concert which looks back at her six-decade career, scheduled for Friday, Nov, 17. Her next album, she muses, could perhaps be taped live at the concert.

It is clear Pilita is not going anywhere soon – her glittering gown with the mile-high slit, her brightly colored nails, her pouf hairdo, her mischievous quips, the emotions she brings to her songs and of course her iconic gravity-defying backbend are, happily, here to stay.