The Songbird in Regine Velasquez

By Ivy Lisa F. Mendoza
Manila Bulletin
May 15, 1992

Of course, she loves Barbara Streisand - she idolizes her, she sings her. Her repertoires are never sans Streisand top hits. She often opens her shows with Streisand songs. And if the public clamors for more, her encore number is usually a Streisand original. But you see, Regine Velasquez has all reasons.

One of the very few local singers who could give justice to any Streisand ballad, Regine has the "K" (read: the right) to render these songs which are meant to torture the vocal chords of a pretender. In fact, this 22-year old Bulakena sometimes goes positively overboard, singing a pitch higher than the Streisand original.

In her ongoing concert series at the Captain Bar of the Mandarin Oriental (the last night will be tomorrow night, May 16, at 10 p.m.) dubbed as "Songbird" and "On My Way to You." When you hear Regine render the latter song, while a spotlight circles her light frame garbed in an elegant Louie Mamengo outfit, suffice it to say that the effect is hair-raising.

A Regine watcher through and through, we have witnessed, though from afar, how this singer metamorphosed both professionally, personally and even physically. Whereas before, people would find her voice good but her rendition so-so, this could not be said of Regine today. She now sings with more emotions, feeling every lyric of the song.

Could it be that she has already experienced romantic love?

"No, wala pa talagang boyfriend 'yan. May nanliligaw pero ayaw niya," those were the words of Regine's father when we asked him about his famous daughter.

But back to "Songbird," as if the two abovementioned songs were not fitting tribute enough to her idol, Regine also included more Streisand originals and revivals like "Where Is It Written" from the movie "Yentl," "All I Ask Of You" from the "Phantom of the Opera," the last three bars of "Somewhere" "Send In The Clowns" and a medley of "People," "Evergreen" and "Memory."She also took at trip down lane when she performed "For Once in My Life" "You Never Know" and a medley of "From Moment to Moment" and "Two for the Road."

But in spite of the elegant Mamengo outfits, and the heavy stage make-up that Regine swears she herself applies, Regine continues to remain a child heart. Promising to give in to every single request, Regine put one over the audience when she sang a few lines from every requested song. "Para mabigyan ko kayong lahat," she said. The audience though seemingly didn't mind, crying bitin! Everytime Regine sang a bar of two of their favorite songs.

Another most enjoyable part was Levi Celerio's very short stand-up act. He afterwards accompanied on the violin Regine who sang Mang Levi's very own "Saan Ka Man Naroroon."

More Streisand hits? You bet. Regine delivers them with a grain of salt. But she says she "hates" Mariah Carey. So next time, watch out for Regine belting out, perhaps, Mariah Carey ditties.