It’s the first time for Kuh and Zsa Zsa to perform with Basil, probably the country’s most enduring balladeer whose songs, like his "pranic touch," have a soothing – I should say, "curative" – effect on people. The two divas have performed before, first in the Diva 2 Diva US concert tour, later restaged at the PICC in Manila in November 2002. But just the same, I’m sure some people will start sowing "intrigue" between Kuh and Zsa Zsa as far as billing is concerned. I want to nip in the bud any such "attempt" by assuring everybody that the well-entrenched divas are way above such pettiness.
"We don’t have a problem in that area," said Zsa Zsa during a previous interview.
"None whatsoever," said Kuh.
Thus, the billing in Devoted, directed by Floy Quintos with Louie Ocampo as musical director, will read: Basil Valdez, Kuh Ledesma, Zsa Zsa Padilla. There. No "and," simply commas.
Neither would there be any scene-stealing attempt from either side.
"Para que pang mag-concert kaming dalawa kung mag-nanakawan kami ng eksena?" laughed Kuh.
"We complement each other," countered Zsa Zsa. "Walang upstaging."
Besides Kuh and Zsa Zsa, Devoted is one concert to look forward to because it’s one of Basil’s rare appearances these days. For a while, Basil seemed to have opted to shy away from the spotlight. Aren’t we music-lovers glad and grateful that he’s back, hopefully for good?
"Zsa Zsa and I are quite excited about this concert," added Kuh. "I myself have been looking forward to doing a show with Basil again."
When Zsa Zsa said that she and Kuh complement each other, she meant that they are both professional, hardworking and blessed with good songs.
"That’s where the strength of a singer lies," agreed Kuh. "You see, a singer is institutionalized by the hit songs that she makes."
And how do they differ from each other?
Laughing again, Kuh said, "Mas makulit ako!"
Said Zsa Zsa, "Perfectionist ’yan, e!"
What can Kuh do that Zsa Zsa cannot?
"I’m choosy with songs," explained Kuh. "Especially now, I really choose the songs that I sing, particularly the lyrics. Dapat bagay sa edad ko. If you noticed, I’m not fond of doing fast songs; bihirang fast songs ang may appeal sa akin. With Zsa Zsa, she’s also good with fast songs."
"What can Kuh do that I cannot?," asked Zsa Zsa. "‘Yung pa-ethnic-ethnic niya, hindi ko kaya ’yon. Mahirap gawin ’yon, di ba? Kuh is also very good with old songs, especially Tagalog songs. She’s incomparable on that score."
Before you suspect that the two divas belong to a mutual admiration club, let’s change gears.
I asked Kuh and Zsa Zsa what song touches them the most.
Kuh: "The Christian song Jesus Lover of My Soul. Listen to it. What a beautiful song!"
Zsa Zsa said that many songs touch her but she singled out Barry Manilow’s Sandra as "it".
"I can’t help but cry when I reach the line, God, I love my husband and I love my kids; and I wanted to be like my mother. You know, kinakanta-kanta ko ang song na ‘yan sa Mommy ko. Soon, I realized that Sandra is the song of my life."
Like her mother (now based in Las Vegas with Zsa Zsa’s father, former actor and referee Carlos Padilla, Jr.), Zsa Zsa married young, her mother at 18 and Zsa Zsa at 16 (to dentist Modesto Tatlonghari, father of Zsa Zsa’s daughter Karylle; their marriage has just been annulled).
"Besides Sandra, I also love the song If (by Bread). Theme song namin ni Dolphy ‘yon. (They’re set to get married as soon as a few kinks are ironed out. - RFL) My favorite line from the song? If the world should stop revolving spinning slowly down to die; I’d spend the end with you.... Why that line? Di ba obvious? Dolphy is the only man I want to be with for the rest of my life."
And how do they protect and preserve their voice?
Kuh: "I don’t smoke. If I can help it, I don’t stay up late. Before a concert, I refrain from talking too much."
Zsa Zsa: "Kuh is right. Number one enemy ng boses ay puyat."
Incidentally, Viva Records has just released Kuh and Zsa Zsa’s Diva 2 Diva album, inspired by their two-night concert at PICC.
With the concert lasting over two hours, it was impossible to include every song in the album. So Kuh and Zsa-Zsa, with the help of their creative team, had to be extremely choosy about which songs would make it to the final line-up.
They settled on the most-applauded numbers during the concerts staged both at the PICC and during Diva 2 Diva’s US tour. And to ensure a studio quality recording, the two divas redid the chosen songs especially for the album.
These include Kuh and Zsa-Zsa’s duets of Vogue, Only Hope, One Less Bell, I Know Him So Well and Tell Him, their Michel Legrand Medley (Windmills of Your Mind, The Summer Knows, A Piece of Sky and Where Do I Begin), Divas Medley (Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan, Ikaw Lamang, Kahit Na, Dito Ba) and the Broadway Medley (Somewhere from West Side Story, Memory from Cats, Don’t Cry For Me Argentina from Evita, As If We Never Said Goodbye from Sunset Boulevard and The Prayer from the soundtrack of Quest For Camelot).
(Note: Devoted is produced by Artist House, Headline Concepts and Artistation Inc. For inquiries, call 817-4660, 815-1953, 750-0350 or 551-7255).
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)