What Roselle is afraid of

Besides cockroaches, guess what Roselle Nava is mortally afraid of – yes, having her tonsils removed or even "tampered" with, inflamed though they may be.

"What happened to Julie Andrews should be a warning to all singers, and other people as well," said Roselle, 27, a Business Administration graduate of La Salle where she was said to be the crush of basketball players. "After her throat surgery, Julie was never able to sing again, di ba? May nagalaw na vital parts sa vocal chords niya, that’s why. I don’t want that to happen to me. You know naman that my voice is my most valuable asset."

And her source of livelihood.

Now managed by Wyngard Tracy’s Artistation, Inc., Roselle has moved from Star Records to Viva Records which is now preparing her new (fourth) album, untitled just yet, coming after On Higher Ground, Simply Roselle and All About Love (all for her former studio). The album will carry easy-listening songs (perhaps with one or two revivals), more of the acoustic sound which is very "in" these days.

Does she have any grudge against Star Records?

"None at all. My contract with Star had expired," she replies. "I hope to finish my first Viva album by September or October. It will be produced by Joey Benin (of Side A)."

To preserve her voice, Roselle avoids staying up late, making sure that she gets six to 10 hours of sleep every night. She shuns cold drinks only when she has a recording or a concert. (According to Dr. Eutrapio Guevara, Jr. director of the St. Luke’s Medical Center’s Voice-Swallowing & Sinus Disorders Department, cold drinks are not really bad for the vocal chords, contrary to the belief/fear among singers.)

Like Carol Banawa who, after the just-concluded ABS-CBN Bituin, is begging off from doing another soap because she said too much crying and prolonged tapings were adversely affecting her voice, Roselle also avoids soap-acting. (Zsa Zsa Padilla once suffered from nodules in her vocal chords due to "soap-acting.") In fact, Roselle has so far done only one, Tabing-Ilog, but only for six months.

She has been frequenting the gym lately. When Wyngard agreed to manage Roselle, the only thing he told her was, "Magpapayat ka." So Roselle has resorted to the Atkins Diet and working out, deadset on slimming down from her present 110 pounds to at least 100 (ideal weight for her 5’2" frame).

By July 11 and 12, Roselle should have shed excess poundage in time for the concert Lagi Kitang Mamahalin at the CCP, a tribute to National Artists Levi Celerio, Atang dela Rama, Ernani Cuenco, Lucio San Pedro and Jovita Fuentes. Balikbayan Broadway star Jose Llana is among the performers. Roselle will sing some songs by Atang dela Rama.

Roselle mentioned that her three favorite songs are Celine Dion’s I Love You Goodbye, Mariah Carey’s Can’t Take That Away and Maureen MacGovern’s Looking Through the Eyes of Love.

Now, is it all work and no play for Roselle who has reinvented herself into a more sexy/seductive singer (compared to the "old" Roselle who was all covered up, as if headed for the nunnery)? Is she is, uh,"innocent" as she seems or "pretends" to be, carefully "preserved" for her wedding night? (Do I see eyebrows soaring?)

Yes, Roselle has a boyfriend, Filipino-Chinese Allen Tan with whom she has been going steady for more than two years. It has been smooth sailing for them so far (but they haven’t discussed marriage yet... not that they’re planning to take the plunge).

"Allen knows the kalakaran in showbiz; he understands. If he gets jealous or insecure, he doesn’t show it. He’s supportive. Our relationship is very fruitful. We bring out the best in each other."

Carlo and ‘sweet’ Meg

When Carlo Muñoz attended the recent Gabi ng Parangal of the Manila Film Festival, he had in his arms a sweet young thing who made onlookers sit up and wonder. You know, who could she be?

She’s none other than Carlo’s girlfriend Meg Reyes (full name: Enid Bianca Pearl Reyes), a Star Circle Batch 9 member (along with, among others, Heart Evangelista and Rafael Rossell IV) who should look familiar to televiewers because Meg has done a few commercials (Close-Up with Bernard Palanca, etc.) and guested on such ABS-CBN shows as Star Studio, Home Along da Riles, Wansapanataym (where she and Carlo met), Maalaala Mo Kaya and the defunct soap Recuerdo.

"She seemed aloof," recalled Carlo, "kaya na-challenge ako. At first, hindi niya ako pinapansin. I told myself, ‘Sa akin ka rin babagsak’."

They’ve been going steady for six months now. When Carlo’s father, Louie Muñoz, suffered a fatal stroke last March, Meg stood by him, from the SM Megamall where the three of them watched a movie and had dinner that night up to the Medical City’s ICU where Louie died a few hours later. At that time, Carlo’s brother Leandro was visiting their mother, Patricia, in Los Angeles where she’s teaching at a Montessori school.

Meg will have her movie debut in Star Cinema’s Kung Ako Na Lang Sana (Bituin’s winning piece in Himig Handog contest of ABS-CBN), the first team-up of Sharon Cuneta and Aga Muhlach.

By the time you’re reading this, Carlo and Leandro and company should be in the US, visiting their mom and younger brother Angelo and to attend the 85th birthday of their maternal grandmother, Priscilla Garcia, in San Francisco.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected])