FINALE, the Regine Velasquez-Alcasid final concert series, is the closest I’ve had to a religious experience in a while. On a Sunday night, legions of fans witnessed the divine miracle of Regine, who celebrates her 40-year career first with a confession before the faithful Reginians at the SM Mall of Asia Arena: “Unfortunately, I can no longer give justice to these songs… so I am retiring them.” She is, after all, human, and despite the greatness she’s sustained since we first heard her voice in the ‘80s, she admits with much humility, “My voice has changed.”
And so FINALE becomes her final bid to reclaim songs that once defined her career. “Narito Ako,” “You’ve Made Me Stronger,” “Araw-Gabi,” among other hits sung with a voice that has evolved with age. And through sometimes turbulent attempts — especially in a nervous but nonetheless transcendent start — the fans, as they always have, stood by her, unjudging, grateful to stand in proximity to greatness.
Regine, meanwhile, is at peace, ever as confident even with the changing capacity of her instrument. In “Narito Ako,” a fitting opening as if to say she’s still here, she makes up for a rocky start — with a little help from the audience who takes the steering wheel for a second — with the spectacle of staging: Regine, decked in a winged white frock, standing in what is literally a stage designed to look like an altar with interior flourishes in the vein of South Korean artist Do Ho Suh’s intricate sculptural exoskeletons, and a floor of a revolving astrological clock, from where she emerges.
“You’ve Made Me Stronger,” her 1995 song about moving on from a heartbreak, takes on a subsequent life in her opening. The lyrics “But time has been such a friend/ Brought me to my senses again/ And I have you to thank for setting me free” in particular felt like a real-life realization for her. This is not the same Regine who can belt without much strain, but it is still Regine. “Don’t feel so sorry for me, my friend.”
After trying to invoke and maybe even find her new range within the scratchy, sultry sounds of Debbie Harry in “Call Me,” Regine, in an ecumenical manner, calls for a prayer. In it, she asks God, knowing she is fallible and human, to “Please be my voice. Sing for me. Sustain me.”
Next, she takes on “Araw-Gabi,” to the faithful’s ecstasy — but not without a disclaimer: “I have been singing this song forever, so I shall try to sing this song again tonight.” With half the range, and with a more forgiving arrangement, it’s enough to send those who believe in a transitory state that’s neither here nor there.
Relief comes later. She sits, her flock of a dress buttressing her on the edge of the clock. In her career, she’s sung and made others’ masterpieces her own through covers, including the Michael Johnson soft rockRockA guitar-driven genre that grew from rhythm and blues in the 1950s and splintered into countless styles, from punk and metal to alternative. With a long history of rebellion andGo to Rock Glossary ballad “Bluer Than Blue.” She reminds us, “Yes, I have original songs. Unfortunately, I don’t get to sing all of them live,” and thus begins “Kung Kailan Pa” — with a comedic act that fans have come to love her for. Regine, sat, tries to start, but realizes she’s uncomfortable. Resettles. Then tries again. And again. The arena bursts into laughter. Just when we think this night has gone back to the solemn rituals of a typical Regine concert, she caps off the song with another punchline. The crowd stifles a laugh mid-tears.
The second night, the Songbird says, is dedicated to those who keep showing up despite her shortcomings e.g. that time she lost her voice in her 2012 concert, Silver. True enough, the fans, however far they are, some in the nosebleeds, cheer on their “Ate” as she pulls miracle after miracle, defying the limits of her vocal chords that has seen her through four decades of her OPMOPMShort for Original Pilipino Music, the broad body of songs written and performed by Filipino artists, from kundiman and folk ballads to rock, pop, and hip-hop. OPM is a cornerstoneGo to OPM Glossary reign.
For the sheer might to try and try again, even as she says these songs that used to be hers, now “scare” her, Regine should be lauded and rightfully so. As superfan Xtina Superstar said in an interview weeks before the FINALE concert, “Wala na syang kailangang patunayan.” And Regine is the first one to admit this. “I’m not doing this to prove to you guys that I can still perform or that I have the voice,” she tells everyone at the SM MOA Arena that night. “I’m not here to prove anything. I’m here because of you. I show up because you keep showing up. I don’t understand why you keep showing up kahit garalgal ang boses ko. Your adoration has never changed.”
And so the faithfuls are rewarded with two more hours of their idol and some surprise appearances that included — as my seatmate in the “premium” boxes said matter of factly, her first duet ever — Jose Mari Chan (a living legend who just might have a tip or two for Regine on how to adapt to an ageing voice), who reprised their 1989 duet, “Please Be Careful With My Heart.” There too were every grown up millennial Regine fan’s dream featured artists, Donna Cruz and Mikee Cojuangco, who she co-starred with in the 1996 movie Do Re Mi, and who themselves proved to be reliable even after all these years.
From the opening clip from the newly-announced documentaryDocumentaryA nonfiction film that explores real people, events, or issues, using interviews, archival material, and observation to tell its story. Documentaries can inform, challenge, and move audiences, and Philippine filmmakersGo to Documentary Glossary Songbird, which will be out in theaters next year, we already got tipped off that — as always — Regine is keeping this a family affair. Enlisting the help of her sister Cacai Velasquez and her husband, musical director Raul Mitra, she set out on this “finale.” Towards the end, she sings “Leader of the Band,” a tribute to her late father, Mang Gerry, who would have turned 89 this month. Meanwhile her son and his cousins, known collectively as the band Meet Me at the Elevator, performed a track off her new album Golden Hours called “The Easy Kind.”
Her husband, the singer-songwriterSinger-SongwriterA musician who writes and performs their own songs, usually with just a guitar or piano. Singer-songwriters are valued for honest, personal storytelling, and many of the most beloved voicesGo to Singer-Songwriter Glossary Ogie Alcasid, dashing in a tux, injects even more comedic lightness into the night after sharing the soulful “Hanggang Ngayon” with his wife, whom he jokingly calls, “the greatest singer” at home, before sincerely saying “in the entire Philippines,” which makes Regine tear up.
Regine was never one to toot one’s horn, although she had to literally lift her own chair that night after a solo performance of her 2001 duet with Martin Nievera (“Walang Regine-Regine dito. Kanya-kanya ‘to,” she jokes). “I wouldn’t say things like, ‘I have a good voice,’ ‘My career was good.’ I wouldn’t say those things even though I worked so hard… Kasi mahihiya ako na [sabihing,] ‘Ang galing ko.’ But you know what? I think it’s okay to say that. I think magaling ako. And I think I did a great job.” And even in her golden hour, with half the vocal artillery she used to have, God, did she.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
FINALE the concert series is said to be Regine Velasquez’s final concert, where she reportedly said she is retiring some of her hits as her vocal range has changed with age.
Regine Velasquez’ FINALE concert series took place at the SM Mall of Asia Arena for three days from October 17 to 19.
Regine Velasquez performed her hits “Narito Ako,” “On the Wings of Love,” “Araw-Gabi,” “Shine,” “What Kind of Fool Am I?” and more during her FINALE concert.
Regine Velasquez brought out Jose Mari Chan, Donna Cruz, Mikee Cojuangco, and Ogie Alcasid during her FINALE concert.
Regine Velasquez announced that she will be retiring some of her hits, while also promoting her new album Golden Hours as well as an upcoming documentary called Songbird, which premieres in 2027.
Recommended Video
