The many hits in Lani’s life - DIRECT LINE by Boy Abunda

Who would have thought a woman whose only brush with fame, as it were kept her hidden from her admiring public? Such was the irony Lani Misalucha lived through during her early days as that marvelous voice that "accompanied" the lesser singers in sing-along clubs who fancied themselves the Whitney Houstons, Mariah Careys and Celine Dions in these parts.

But whoever said you can’t keep real, exciting talent hidden from public view was obviously referring to Lani, who went on from an obscure musical career to one marked by several music awards, including Best Female Pop Performer, Best Female Recording Artist from the Katha and Awit Awards plus Best Singer in the 1998 Asia Song Festival for her heartfelt rendition of the Freddie Aguilar classic, Anak; Best Interpreter in the 1997 Musika Manila International Songwriting Competition for Dodjie Simon’s One More Time, and again as the interpreter of the Grand Prize-winning song in the 1999 Metropop Song Festival.

Even better, she has scored enough hits both as a recording artist and as a concert performer for her to join the so-called divas of Philippine pop music this at the insistence of her many admirers in the entertainment media. Among her many hit records are Somebody Warm like Me, Tunay Na Mahal, Can’t Stop Loving You and One More Time.

On Valentine’s Day, she will be headlining along with co-diva Zsa Zsa Padilla and the popular band Freestyle the succinctly titled The Love Concert, which comes into the spotlight at the Araneta Coliseum under the direction of Rowell Santiago with musical direction by Louie Ocampo. Tickets to the concert produced by Viva Concerts and Uniprom, Inc. with Mossimo, Kotex Pantiliner & Close-up as sponsors, are available at the Araneta Booking Office, Video City and at all SM Ticketnet Outlets. Official radio stations are 89.9 DWTM, 90.7 Love Radio, 101.1 Yes FM, 93.9 KCFM and 94.7 DWLL.

According to Lani, the repertoire of the concert and the many production numbers that go with it allow them to shine individually and as a team. Like Zsa Zsa, she realizes that this being the first time the two of them will be working together, the situation is pregnant with opportunities for major diva intrigue.

The dusky beauty however, quickly douses the potential for intrigue saying, "If people want to compare us, I guess there’s nothing Zsa Zsa and I can do about it. But I happen to have only the greatest respect for my peers in the music industry, and that includes Zsa Zsa whom I’m honored to be working with. It’s always been my dream to perform with the best among my peers, and doing this concert with Zsa Zsa and Freestyle is like wish fulfillment to me."

No doubt, The Love Concert will be another triumph on the score card of Lani Misalucha who has also garnered acclaim from the theater community when she spread her artistic wings by taking on the lead role in the multimillion musical Rama at Sita, appearing opposite Ariel Rivera, Franco Laurel and such theater stalwart as Robert Seña.

Beyond The Love Concert, there is her regular hosting of the top rating Sunday noontime program SOP on GMA, plus many other concerts she will be doing throughout the year, which may include a concert series in the US. Such is the demand for this glorious singer who confesses to occasionally feeling daunted by her public’s high expectations but nonetheless thrives in the face of the same.

After all, she did not enter diva-dom in such a short order for nothing.