WHILE many fans would agree that Regine Velasquez remains timeless, the singer opened up about learning to work with a singing voice that has changed as she goes through menopause.
During the press conference for her upcoming “Finale” concert last Friday, Sept. 25, in Quezon City, the Asia’s Songbird revealed that she previously went to Singapore to have her voice checked, and despite having no problems detected in her vocal cords, she experienced what she described as a “menopause voice.”
“I went through something like… it’s called the menopause voice. My vocal cords are actually very clean, there’s no polyp, there’s nothing, but somehow, alam mo ‘yung nagka-crack ‘yung boses ko, and somehow, I cannot control it,” she said.
“There was a time, parang nakalimutan kong kumanta, and I couldn’t figure out what was going on with me, but every time I would go and see my doctor, there was nothing wrong,” she added.
Velasquez admitted that she felt devastated with the experience as she explained that her voice is still there although it no longer sounds the same.
“It’s a system of menopause, and it’s actually devastating. Not all women experience it, but sabi ni (Vicki) Belo, it apparently affects 50% of women in the absence of estrogen. ‘Yung parang kumakapal na ‘yung vocal chords, nawawala ‘yung elasticity ng vocal chords which is unique,” she said.
“I still have my voice, it never left; it’s just that it’s in a different form, so I have to work with what I have now. I can no longer be what I used to be 10 or 20 years ago. I can no longer sound like that,” she added.
Velasquez has also reiterated that “Finale” does not mark her retirement from the entertainment industry but she plans to step away from mounting large-scale concerts.
Given the magnitude of her discography that would be impossible to cover throughout the three-night sold-out concert, Velasquez plans to vary the repertoire.
Meanwhile, Asia’s Songbird also said that at the moment, she has no plans to go back to acting. What fans can look forward to is a musical production that she will take part in. The project is related to Alcasid.
Velasquez’s finale concert, which will take place from Oct. 17 to 19, will also be documented in an upcoming feature film titled “SONGBIRD: A Regine Velasquez Documentary Film.” (Jessica Ann Evangelista © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
