The How, Why and What in Regine's 'Twenty'

by Jojo P. Panaligan
Manila Bulletin

Asia's Songbird Regine Velasquez showed nothing in her 20th anniversary concert, "Twenty," at the Araneta Coliseum last weekend that her fans have not seen before.

And that's good news.

The songstress, after all, was celebrating a career milestone in terms of tenure. Few last as long as she has in the business. Certainly there's nothing to prove from her end; the numbers, they speak volumes and on her behalf.

As for her fans, all they expected and deserved from Regine in "Twenty" were to be reminded how she lasted, why, and what she has to show for all these times.

So dutifully, she did.

The first, she accomplished easily enough through the repertoire. Two and half hour did Regine sing 80 percent originals including top hits from the 30 plus albums she has done so far. Among these were "Narito Ako," "You've Made Me Stronger," "Please Be Careful with My Heart," "Dadalhin" and "Kailangan Ko'y Ikaw."

egine's treasure trove of smash hits is so gargantuan that she had to resort to doing several medleys to accommodate as many of these as possible. Yet despite "Twenty" running longer than the usual concert, it still wasn't enough to include all of her hits. Noticeably missing from these was "Kung Maibabalik Ko Lang" and "Urong Sulong" which became her first bona fide charters in the '80s.

To compensate, the Songbird had the lesser known "Love Me Again" (her first single, issued when she was still Chona Velasquez) orchestrally rearranged by Gerard Salonga to sound like an OPM classic that it should've been. In lieu of "Urong Sulong," there was the novelty of club remix of ballads "Reason Enough" and "Follow the Sun."

As for Regine lasting this long, the answer lies not in the concert but the current OPM scene. Most of our top-selling new female singers are still and mere parrots of her in terms of vocal acrobatics and predilection to show off high range.

Is that bad? Not really. Is that good? Not really.

But, 'Is it original?' is question that could be answered straightforwardly: No.

For if Regine could only charge 10-cent royalty every time some amateur female singer clones her, then she probably wouldn't need to work.

We bring this up because people heard the same singing style and prowess from Regine in "Twenty." By and of the same voice so powerful to have remained paramount.

Regine's birit way of singing (screaming, detractors call it) has caused waves so big throughout the industry that its ripples have no way to go but redound to her and in "Twenty."

Many like the voice, some don't - it's not the point. What matters is that few could deny they have been touched by it one way or another.

That is power - the same one we heard in "Twenty" in songs as "In Your Eyes," "And I'm Telling You," "You'll Never Walk Alone," "What Kind of Fool Am I" and "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing."

All covers, yes, but all stylized by Regine in such a manner as to own these.

Two decades of reign is more than enough testament to Regine's talent. Yet Asia's Songbird doesn't rest on her laurels. Despite having done concerts literally hundreds of times, sung the same songs for the nth time, too, she remains hungry to offer people a new perspective into who she is and her music via well-conceptualized productions.

That even if Regine's selling point will always be her voice, it doesn't mean she relies on it wholly.

Hence, the 60-piece orchestra backing her up in "Twenty." Hence, the expense to turn the Big Dome into a Roman Coliseum with a grand staircase to boot. Hence, the "flying" dancers. Hence, she dancing even when it was unnecessary.

Asia's Songbird aims to please people in many ways. Hence, successful returns in many levels, too.

Regine was able to last this long by constantly refueling her career with hit songs of varying genres through out the journey.

Regine has reached "Twenty" years in the business because others, from past to present, could only approximate the power and impact of her voice. If this goes on, then so will she.Regine has earned the clout to make her every project according to how she envisions it to be. And usually it's vision grand as befits her stature. Not everyone could do the same.

Then again, and like what she says in one of her popular T.V. shows, "there could only be one." Regine Velasquez.