By Pocholo Concepcion
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–Vina Morales arrives in full makeup, hair neatly in place and casually dressed in a white shirt that gives her an aura of calm.

She was in a state of panic a few hours back. Heavy rains had made the creek beside her rented house in San Juan overflow, flooding the basement and damaging her DVD player, CD collection and other things.

“You should have seen me,” Vina gushes. “Di ko malaman ang gagawin, ang bilis ng akyat ng tubig. Akalain mo, binubuhat ko yung malaking TV. Naisip ko tuloy, sobra-sobra na yatang blessing ‘to, bumabaha!” (I didn’t know what do with the flood. I carried the big TV set. I thought, The blessings seem to be excessive to the point of flooding.)

The blessing she’s referring to is her triumph in the Asean Ikon music competition held recently in Kuala Lumpur. The contest pitted Vina against the best singers from Indonesia and Malaysia, for a shot at fame in the whole region.

Malaysian producer

For the feat, Vina was rewarded with $25,000 and a crack at recording albums and doing live performances in Asean member countries.

She can’t hide the joy in her heart. She breaks the news that a Malaysian producer has expressed interest to sign her to a record deal, along with Kjwan, the other Ikon big winner (band division). “We’ll be recording soon,” Vina says, “maybe after I finish an eight-city concert tour in the US.”

Music is a passion that’s made Vina look younger than her 31 years. She was only eight when talent scouts from Viva Records spotted her in a singing contest in Cebu (which she won).

Vic Del Rosario quickly signed her up. His wife Mina Aragon took an active part in grooming the talented tyke for the major league. Sharon Magdayao was renamed Vina Morales, adapted from Mina’s own daughter, Vina Vanessa.

“That contest in Cebu was my first time ever to compete. Ikon was only my second and probably the last time,” Vina reveals. “I guess I can’t take the pressure.”

Stage presence

What was her winning edge in Ikon?

“Stage presence, I think,” Vina surmises. “It also probably helped that I sang in a very clear manner. I thank Eugene Villaluz for that because he told me, ‘Kailangan buo ang boses mo, may power, huwag mo ilalayo ang mike para clear ang tunog.’ (Your voice should be full, with power. Keep the mike close so the sound is clear.) Plus of course my dancing. We were given two numbers to show off our skills. I chose a ballad (Pangako Sa ‘Yo) and a fast one (‘Feels So Nice’). Nobody else did that, I mean sing and dance, complete with dancers and difficult choreography.”

Why “Pangako sa ‘Yo” (A Promise to You)?

“I consulted my manager (Joji Dingcong) and musical director (Butch Miraflor) for that. It’s a very touching song that I have been identified with. And people in Malaysia have seen the TV soap where the song was adapted as soundtrack. True enough, the audience liked it very much.”

Big break

Vina is still visibly high from her victory. “I hope to do a major concert in Malaysia, maybe a Southeast Asian tour with the other Ikon contestants. The thought excites me. There’s a good chance it will push through. This is a very big break for me. Ayokong pakawalan ’to (I don’t want to let this go).”

On the other hand, Vina expresses some frustration over the status of her recording career in the Philippines.

Perhaps she’s not given the opportunity to sing the right kind of songs?

She points out, “Actually, nagawa ko na lahat (I’ve done everything) — OPM, English, pop, R&B, etc. I’ve recorded nine albums and the early ones went platinum and gold. But it’s hard to sell a lot of albums now, with so many singers and bands offering many choices. Plus, there is piracy to contend with. It’s all very sad.”

Given a free rein, what kind of album would she like to record?

“Maybe I’ll do five ballads and five fast numbers. I need a producer to guide me. Pop and R&B are still the sounds that I like. Also a little house, you know, dance remix material.”

Just like Madonna?

“I like her style, but Beyonce is my favorite. Her voice has power and she’s a gifted dancer. I also admire Christina Aguilera and J Lo, but they don’t have the complete package that Beyonce has.”

Complete package

Complete package is what Vina thinks will come in handy when she starts trotting her act in other Asean venues. “That’s what the judges in Ikon were looking for in the contest,” Vina says. “At first my manager and I were worried about the risks, like, what if I lost? That could mean losing face here, I mean I’ve invested so many years building a career in the Philippines, tapos matatalo lang ako (only to lose). That’s why I don’t like joining contests anymore. But then again, though we took a chance, I went in prepared.”

Being prepared is a disposition she swears by. She has invested her show biz earnings in a family corporation which has interests in 30 branches of Ystilo Salon, 10 of which are owned, while the rest are franchises.

Business-wise, she looks up to Sharon Cuneta, Vilma Santos and Maricel Soriano. “Magagaling sila humawak ng pera. (They know how to handle money.). ”

As for romance, Vina is not in a relationship just now, having broken off with her Chinese businessman boyfriend Cedric Lee over a year ago. But she hints that “nandiyan pa rin naman siya. Kaya lang maraming hindrance e, ang hirap talaga pag show biz ka, walang privacy. (He’s around, but there are snags. It’s really difficult to be in showbiz — no privacy.)”

Then again, Vina would rather take things in stride and dream of other things.

“I want to have my own show. I want to act in another film.” She catches herself: “Naglambing daw ako sa ABS-CBN.”