Four Divas

Last night, Fort and I went to watch Divas 4 Divas at a jam-packed Araneta Coliseum. This is the first concert that features Kuh Ledesma, Pops Fernandez, Zsa-Zsa Padilla and Regine Velasquez on one stage. We had front row seats which was a blessing for a short-sighted person like me. Up close, the four were at the top of their svelte forms with voices that have defined Philippine music for the past several years. 

Through costume changes and in between girl-talk, the four carried themselves well, projecting an aura of friendship and ordinariness, thus letting their songs and performances speak volumes about their talents. I like Kuh Ledesma’s voice best of all while the best entertainer of the night surely goes to Regine Velasquez with her masa appeal and birit-voice. Pops was indeed drop-dead gorgeous and clearly the sexiest of them all. Zsa-Zsa Padilla was impressive when she sang solo but her voice gets easily drowned out by Regine’s and Kuh’s vocal power.

 I only wished they sang more local songs. The best part of the show for me was when Kuh led the quartet in singing - and I am not sure about the title - “Sa Duyan ni Nanay”. Or something like that. I was waiting for Kuh to sing her famous “Dito Ba” anthem but she chose to sing “Somewhere” in her solo act. Regine shed a few tears while singing a love song in her solo act. Oggie was in the audience and was made the butt of jokes by the four, “Asan si Oggie? Tumayo ka nga!” It would be easy to attribute Regine’s emotional state during that song number to Oggie’s presence, but I somehow think she was offering the love song to her father and to God as well.

As to Pops, when she held her own as a dancing queen and dominated the stage during her solo act. I am not familiar with the songs she sang - but her voice was not powerful enough to carry them off. Rihanna, she was not. But she entertained the crowd and can be relied upon to bring life to the conversations among the four divas when they start to drag. Joemari was in the crowd beside Richard Gomez to root for Pops, Oggie was there to cheer Regine on, and Dolphy was present, as he always is, as Zsa-Zsa’s man. Kuh had her pretty daughter, Isabela, with her. 

 The concert was worth it, and it showed the four Divas as friends and performers worth cheering for.