Singing her way into her kababayan’s heart

Just like Ariel Rivera before her, Canada-bred chanteuse Yamani has returned to her parents’ homeland to sing and hopefully conquer the music scene. "Three years ago, I didn’t speak a word of Tagalog," Yamani says of the time she first arrived from Vancouver. "My parents are Ilonggo, that’s why. But I’ve always had a way with languages. I can pick it up quickly. In fact, I can speak Chinese, French and now, Tagalog."

Now, she not only speaks Filipino, she can also belt out OPM songs like a true native. "It is because I was determined to learn," she explains. "I practised constantly. And I didn’t care whether I was wrong or right. I even asked the people around me, like the musicians to correct me if I were wrong."

Practice makes perfect for this determined diva-in-the-making. For her debut album, Prime Records executives asked her to wax Imelda Papin songs just to test the budding crooner. Of course, she passed with flying colors. Her debut CD was titled Bakit Ba? and the carrier single was Hindi Ako Laruan. "That was very masa, very pop, very jukebox," she says.

After trying the commercial route, Yamani wants to explore a different kind of sound. "When I was younger, I used to like R&B, hip-hop, rap and dance music a lot," she relates. "I was very much into Mary J. Blige and Toni Braxton. When I was spotted by Prime, I used to sing in a band called Great Divide and we had gigs at the Hard Rock Café and Strumms. But now, I just got tired of the old songs that I used to do. After a while, it became repetitive for me. I needed to move on."

That artist in her was more than ripe for something new, something fresh. "Now I am very much into standards, classics," she pipes up. "I guess it’s because I can feel the songs more. And they suit my voice, which is the low register, very well. I’m an alto, almost a bass really."

Yamani’s nights are spent thrilling the torch-loving crowds in three of the best music bars and lounges in the metropolis: the Exchange Bar (Richmonde Hotel every Wednesday), the Diamond Sky Lounge (Diamond Hotel, every Friday) and the Calesa Bar (Hyatt Hotel, every Saturday).

"I’ve really learned to appreciate those old songs from the 1930’s and 1940’s," she says. "How I adore Diana Krall. I love her style and her songs. I think that this is the trend now. Everyone is doing revival these days. A lot of artists are going back to the basics. Norah Jones won all those Grammys and even an old rocker like Rod Stewart is into standards now. It’s because these songs are timeless."

She is keeping her fingers crossed that Filipinos will eventually embrace her new sound. "I think the audience here is ready," she says. "I went to the Diana Krall concert at the CCP last year and the venue was packed. Sold-out. For me, it was an indication that Filipinos are open to this kind of music."

Among the local divas, she singles out Lani Misalucha as her favorite. "Vocally, musically and as a person, she’s tops," Yamani notes. "Although she’s very popular, she’s still very humble. I had the chance to work with her when I guested in her concert at the Le Pavillion. Actually, I’m a big fan of hers. I really love the way she sings. Always with feeling. And she doesn’t just hit the high notes all the time. She also has soft low tones."

Truth to be told, she followed the local pop music scene when she was in her teens back in Canada. "I was aware of Sharon Cuneta, Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano and Regine Velesquez," she recalls. "And I knew most of the songs of Sharon, I used to watch her old movies. We would rent tapes of her movies and since they had no subtitles, my cousin would translate the story for me. They were very dramatic."

In a way, that was how Yamani kept in touch with her Filipino roots, her family’s heritage. "My Mom always pointed out to us the Filipino family values we saw in those movies," she remarks. "Like the sacrifices you should make for your younger brother, for your family. She always told us, ‘Even though we now live in Canada, we are still Filipinos’."

Although she grew up in North America, Yamani (or Michelle Tan in real life) insists that she has remained 100 percent Pinay at heart. "Even though I’m all grown up, I am still very close to my parents," she shares. "And I respect them very much."

Yamani, who started out as a GMA 7 talent, topped a slew of contests in Canada like the Miss Tribune Girl in 1993, the Artist of the Year in Vancouver in 1994 and the Bb. Pilipinas-Canada in 1999. But more than these awards and accolades, she considers the chance of singing for her countrymen as the most special achievement of all. "My biggest dream is for the Filipino people to appreciate my songs," she ends. "I hope they will open their hearts to a different kind of soulful, mellow, emotion-filled music."