At 60, Agot Isidro eyes return to her first love

While others opt to hide their actual ages, singer-actress Agot Isidro proudly announced to everybody that she was turning 60 (July 20, to be exact). “Hello 20 percent,” Agot smilingly said. “Actually, I’ve been using my card since January. Pwede na.”

“This is actually the best of my life,” added Agot, whose real name is Maria Margarita Amada Fteha Isidro. “I’m so happy that ang forever ko, ‘yung mga kaibigan ko, who are with me celebrating my 60th. Nabudol nila ako to do this concert. But no regrets. I love it. I love being onstage, and I’m happy being here with you.”

Agot insisted she is not loveless even if she has no significant other at the moment, “May love sa puso ko. Nandyan kayong lahat.”

After nearly three decades, Agot returned to the concert stage when she marked her 60th birthday in a special show, “The Story of A.I. (Agot Isidro),” her first in a long while, at the Globe Auditorium at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater at BGC (Bonifacio Global City). The last time she staged a solo concert was in the late ‘90s at the Music Museum. She has been in the entertainment scene for 35 years now.

With Ogie Alcasid

Agot’s 60 years were scanned. Her life was analyzed. Her personal and public data, algorithm made the AI conclude that Agot has evolved to become a believer in this quote. “You’ve got to dance like there’s nobody watching. Love like you’ll never be hurt. Seem like there’s nobody listening. And live like it’s heaven on earth. In short, you have become a free spirit.”

After she sauntered onstage, Agot regaled the full-house crowd with Donna Lewis’ 90s hit, I Love You Always Forever. No elaborate gowns or fancy attire, just an elegant black-and-white suit that made her look comfortable in front of her audience.

She immediately took a sip from the glass of water onstage. “Napagod ako, first number ko pa lang,” Agot smilingly rued. “This is a milestone birthday celebration. I am not just one year older. Hello, senior. Meron na akong senior card.”

Then she gave the audience Swing Out Sisters’ Am I the Same Girl, followed by an original hit, Beginning Today.

Even if she hasn’t performed live for a long while, Agot has maintained the clarity and timber of her enthralling voice. It wasn’t hard for her to realize later in the show she could also revive her singing career in the coming years.

“First love ko talaga singing,” Isidro shared. “How I got there? I came from a family of singers.” Her two older sisters — Olive and Tina — were the first ones to enter the music industry. There was a time when they needed another voice, so Isidro was “roused from my sleep” and was recruited to sing.

“May bayad ba ‘yan?” she asked her sisters. “And then, while it was happening, pakalat-kalat ako sa ABS-CBN and Mr. M (Johnny Manahan) spotted me, so he recruited me to join showbiz and co-host with the APO (Hiking Society). At then the rest is history.” That was show she started with “Sa Linggo nApo Sila.”

Agot was branded as the Julia Roberts of the Philippines. Although her first love was singing, she also got into TV and tried hosting, acting and even went into doing films and later ventured into theater. “But I’m so glad to be back here onstage singing for all of you.”

Today, Agot has accepted regular offers to do mother roles. She loves the energy of working with young artists. One of her teleserye daughters, Agot’s “baby girl,” Maris Racal in “Can’t Buy Me Love” (2023), was a guest in the concert. They delivered Olivia Dean’s So Easy To Fall in Love.

Another young artist, Belle Mariano, also joined Agot onstage and they rendered Olivia Dean’s Man I Need. The two worked together in “Ang Probinsyano,” when Belle was still a young girl accompanied to the set by her mom. They later worked again in “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

Agot rekindled her friendship with her fellow “Sa Linggo nApo Sila” co-hosts — Amy Perez, Bing Loyzaga and Melissa de Leon — who guested in the concert. They sang and danced to Cindy Lauper’s Girl’s Just Want To Have Fun.

APO’s Jim Paredes and Buboy Garovillo also joined Agot onstage and gave the audience the well-loved hit, Kumot at Unan. Then, they rendered another familiar hit, When I Met You, which was well-applauded.

Agot’s carefully-chosen set list included Ben&Ben’s Kathang Isip, Up Dharma Down’s Tadhana, This Is Me from “The Greatest Showman” and two of her original hits — Every Day and Sa Isip Ko.

With her special guest, Jericho Rosales, Agot carried out Sugar Free’s two-decade hit, Makita Kang Muli. The two worked together in the paranormal drama series, “Oka Tokat,” on ABS-CBN.

Another “crush ng bayan,” Piolo Pascual, rendered Kailangan Kita and Sa Kanya with Agot. Both Piolo and Jericho admitted Agot was their “crush” then.

On the second night, special guest Ogie Alcasid crooned Piolo’s songs, while Martin Nievera did a duet of Forever with Agot.

With Rowell Santiago at the helm of the concert — “my ‘husband’ for many, many times, I love you” — Agot worked with young artists in her team. Ejay Yatco was her musical director with back-up singers and musicians. “Nakakabata to work with all of them,” she said.

Agot refuses to retire even when she reaches 60 and above. “In the new chapter of my life, whatever happens to the world, I will always have space for hope — what is real, what is present and what is integral,” Agot said. “The story of A.I. is about love that is broken, love that is bruised, love that is battered.

“All of you are part of that. By showing here tonight, you don’t know what it means to me. You’ve shown that respect and kindness. And I hope, in one way or another, in a few times that we’ve met somewhere along the way, I’ve shown the same for all of you. So, if everyone here tonight keeps showing up in the algorithm of my life, I don’t mind at all. I actually welcome it,” she shared.

“So, tonight, I am not just celebrating. This is also a celebration of each and every one of you, in all that you are, in my life,” she added.

In the audience on Friday night were Iza Calzado, Dolly de Leon, Nikki Valdez, Menchu Lauchengco, showbiz couple Carlo Aquino and Charlie Dizon, talent managers Noel Ferrer and Shirley Kuan, ABS-CBN executives Cory Vidanes and Carlo Katigbak, Janine Gutierrez and sister Jessica.