Feature Article:
PERFORMING IS JOLINA MAGDANGAL'S
FIRST LOVE
EXCEPT for the dull sound of the air
conditioner, there is silence in Jolina's Fashion Gallery in Project
6, Quezon City dominated by a lively display of framed magazine covers
heralding Jolina Magdangal's success in film, television and
recording. "Kauuwi lang namin galing Hong Kong,"
shares Jolina, sitting on the bed with legs crossed. She is taking a
breather in the privacy of her room two floors above her boutique. Her
taping for "Richard Loves Lucy" has been cancelled.
Musical roots
"Pero kapag wala ako dito, pinapatugtog
nila ang album ko para sa mga customers. Ngayon lang
tahimik dito. Nag-aayos kasi ang mga tao dito at mas gusto nila ang
tahimik," explains Jolina who, in lavender baby tee and denim
bellbottoms, isn't wearing any make-up that could have concealed her
exhaustion from a backbreaking schedule of shooting movies, doing
shows and promoting "Gimik, The Reunion." But her youthful
exuberance shines through as she talks about her musical roots.
"Mahilig ako sa mga love
songs na ballad," Jolina relates. "Bago ako
matulog, nakikinig ako sa selection ko ng tapes and CDs na
puro love songs. Ayokong matulog ng walang music kasi
baka kung ano pa ang marinig ko! Mahilig din ako sa instrumental
music ni Jim Chapell at saka Jong Cuenco. Although magaganda
'yung mga kanta ngayon, mas gusto ko pa rin 'yung mga luma."
Jolina smiles as she remembers singing
Sharon Cuneta's hits when she was a kid. "Mahilig akong sumali
sa mga amateur singing contest sa village namin. Ang mga
kalaban ko pa puro matatanda sa akin. Tapos, magugulat na lang
sila sa bahay dahil bigla na lang akong mag-uuwi ng pera sa nanay ko.
First love ko talaga ang pag-perform. At saka ko na lang
nagustuhan ang pag-arte."
But curiously, Jolina wasn't fond of
joining singing groups when she was growing up. She didn't take formal
lessons in voice, either. She thinks that she got her musical genes
from her father's family whose members sing really well.
14 K
Jolina's ticket to professional singing
came when she became a member of Ryan Cayabyab's 14K almost a decade
ago. "I was 11 years old then," she recalls. "Nag-audition
muna ako, tapos kasama sa pagiging 14K member 'yung training
sa singing, dancing at saka acting na rin. So,
performing talaga! Na-train din ako na maging
disciplined. Hindi mo kasi mame-memorize ang dance steps
kung hindi ka nagko-concentrate. Natutunan ko 'yan kay
Douglas Nierras.
"My fondest memories of 14K? Kapag
nagpe-perform kami nang sama-sama - Ang dami-dami kasi namin.
Tapos, marami kaming costumes na kailangang isuot kahit ayaw
namin. Pero ang pinaka-love ko 'yung kapag nagvo-voicing na
kami. Pinagsasama-sama 'yung mga boses na iba't-ibang tono.
Soprano 2 ako-hindi masyadong mataas. Hindi rin masyadong mababa."
Jolina stayed with the group for three
years. Then, she resurfaced in the biz as one of the pioneers of the
youth-oriented musical variety show on Channel 2, "Ang TV."
At 15, she didn't know it was the beginning of her rise to stardom.
"Wala talaga sa utak ko na
mararating ko ito," she avers. "Basta laro lang ako
nang laro dati na kunwari may business ako, o kunwari magaling
akong kumanta, o kunwari may show ako."
Strict regimen
To preserve her singing voice, Jolina
has a strict regimen. She doesn't drink cold water or munch anything
sweet before a singing performance. "Makati kasi sa
throat," she explains. Instead, she asks for bananas and apples.
"Para malinis ang throat."
To condition her voice, Jolina doesn't
vocalize the conventional way. "Nagdadala lang ako ng
tapes ni Mariah Carey o kaya Celine Dion. Kakanta lang ako
nang kakanta hanggang bumuka ang lalamunan ko. At saka sa umaga pa
lang, nagpa-practice na kami."
Jolina has learned her lesson.
"There was a time na parati akong paos for three
months," she recalls. "Kaya lang, kailangan kong kumanta
sa 'Ang TV'-kahit paos. Ang sakit sa throat! At saka
hindi maganda ang pagkanta ko. Nagkaroon tuloy ako ng nodules sa
throat. Mabuti na lang may kamag-anak kaming doktor na tumulong sa
akin."
These days, Jolina can very well sing
all the cuts in her self-titled album under Star Records with ease.
The carrier single, "Laging Tapat," is ruling the
airwaves--an indication of her popularity among radio listeners and
disc buyers.
Soundtrack album
Well, it helps that half of the
selection in Jolina's current album is made up of songs from her
soundtrack albums. "Paper Roses," on the other hand, is the
theme song of an episode in "Maalaala Mo Kaya" where Jolina
guested.
Plus, lots of Jolina's personal photos
adorn the album's sleeve. A special treat, indeed, for Jolina's legion
of fans.
Her dream is to do a revival album that
will include Angela Bofill's "You Ought To Know By Now,"
Patti Austin's "In My Life" and Tina Paner's "Tamis ng
Unang Halik."
But doing another album is not her
priority right now. "Sa movies muna ako or sa
TV. Medyo nawala ako sa TV, so doon muna ako magko-concentrate.
At saka ilalabas muna 'yung ibang singles sa current
album ko."
"Actually," she continues,
"mas madali ang mag-recording. Pupunta ka lang sa
studio, kakanta ka. Tapos na. Madugo nga lang sa promotion. Pero
sa shooting or sa taping, maghihintay ka hanggang
madaling-araw. Kung comedy, madali lang. Kapag drama, kahit
madaling-araw, nag-iiyak ka sa eksena. Pero pareho kong gusto ang
singing at saka acting. This way, nailalabas ko ang lahat ng
talent ko."
She nods when musical theater is
mentioned to her. Jolina also aspires to play the role of Kim in
"Miss Saigon." "Hindi nga lang masyadong
wholesome," she sighs.
Provincial concerts
Jolina has been doing concerts in the
provinces but not yet in Manila. "Mas panatag ang loob ko sa
probinsya dahil hindi nila ako malimit na makita," she points
out. And in the same breath, she fantasizes about her dream concert:
"Hindi naman parang Spice Girls ang dating. Fashion
ang concept. Parang fashion show na may music. Pero
dito, ako 'yung kumakanta at saka nagmo-model ng mga
damit na ako ang nag-design. Ang mga songs ko, 'yung
pang-concert talaga."
This dream may not come true right away
but Jolina remains hopeful. In the meantime, she is moving heaven and
earth to squeeze in a few hours in her hectic schedule for guitar
lessons. "When I was 13, nag-aral na akong mag-gitara pero
hindi ko natapos dahil nawalan ako ng tiyaga. Maliit kasi ang mga
daliri ko para sa gitara at saka parati akong puyat kaya kapag
dumadating ang teacher ko sa bahay, tulog ako. Or kapag
nagti-training ako, inaantok ako. Alam ko na ang basics
pero gusto ko pa ring matuto. Masarap kasing mag-gitara. Kahit saan,
puwede mo pang dalhin."
- end -
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer, May
1, 1999
Article by: Jocelyn Valle
