Pop singer-songwriter Yeng Constantino has defined a generation with hits such as “Ikaw,” “Chinito,” and “Jeepney Love Story.” Arguably her best-known song, “Hawak Kamay,” sounded entirely different the first time she performed it for the public. Before it became one of her biggest songs in 2006, Constantino had originally written it with a heavier, guitar-driven arrangement influenced by the emo and punk rock music she grew up listening to. She brought that version to the singing competition Pinoy Dream Academy, where she eventually won to become the “Grand Star Dreamer.” The song was later rearranged into the acoustic and mellow version that audiences came to know.
“I had to open my heart na hindi lahat ng gusto mo masusunod, lalo na sa umpisa,” Constantino says in the latest episode of Rolling Stone Philippines Greatest Hits. “Even at that time, I felt like ‘Oh, ang hirap nito, pero sige kung ito ‘yung makakabuti and ito ‘yung kailangan for the show as background music sa mga eksena, sa reality TV show namin.’ I had to bend down.”
The singing competition helped train her as a performer while also introducing her music to a much wider audience. One of her most surreal moments came when “Hawak Kamay” was announced as the No. 1 song on the radio.
Finding Her Voice
The success of “Hawak Kamay” gave Constantino an audience that connected with her beyond Pinoy Dream Academy. During a promotional trip to Zamboanga, she met fans up close for the first time and was overwhelmed by how deeply they connected with her music and story. On the flight back to Manila, she wrote “Salamat” as a way of expressing her gratitude to the people who supported her. While she gained fans, that also came with criticisms she had to learn to navigate.
“Noong nag-uumpisa ka, alam ko na bago ako eh. Kailangan kong makinig sa mga taong nasa paligid ko at kailangan kong makisama muna,” she says. “Hindi mo lang kasi kayang parang baliin ‘yung rule kung hindi mo muna alam ‘yung rules. I had to learn kung paano gumagana ‘yung industry.”
By the time she released her third album, Lapit, in 2009, Constantino felt more confident about making music that represented who she was at that point in her life. She brought in Raymond Marasigan to produce the album, despite coming from different parts of the music scene. Constantino says Marasigan respected the songs she had already written and encouraged her to express herself further, especially on the song “Jeepney Love Story.”
“Ano talaga ako — hindi ko pinipilit pero — jologs-core talaga ako. It is just who I am,” she says. “Kaya taga-Montalban, Rizal ako. ‘Yung mga pagkain na gusto ko, ‘yung fashion na gusto ko, the way I speak, the way I talk, mannerisms ko, ganun talaga ako. Pero [Marasigan] made me feel na parang ‘Okay ka, approve ka sa akin.’ I felt so accepted and seen. Nawala ‘yung fear ko.”
Constantino continues to look back at those hit songs with a mixture of pride and disbelief. What started as a singing competition entry eventually became the beginning of a career where she could gradually learn the rules, work with artists outside her usual world, and eventually make music more closely connected to who she had become.
“Ang fulfilling as an interpreter na pwede pala ’yun na kaya magpasikat ng kanta na hindi ko sinulat,” she says. “Siyempre ‘yung mga pangmalakasan sa interpretation na katulad nila Eric Santos, Angeline Quinto, Sarah Geronimo. Para magawa ko rin ‘yun, nakakatuwa at nakaka-proud din sa akin.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Yeng Constantino joined the first season of Pinoy Dream Academy in 2006. She won the competition and became its first Grand Star Dreamer.
Some of Constantino’s biggest hits include “Hawak Kamay,” “Salamat,” “Jeepney Love Story,” “Lapit,” “Chinito,” and “Cool Off.”
“Jeepney Love Story” was produced by Raymond Marasigan, who also produced Constantino’s Lapit album
Filipino actor Enchong Dee played Constantino’s love interest in the “Chinito” music video.
“Chinito” was originally written by Constantino’s friend Jed Dumawal, who wrote the song as “Chinita” and initially intended it for Shan Cai of F4’s Meteor Garden.
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