Before the mega divas, the super divas, the pop divas, the sentimental divas and the diva-divahans, there were Pilita Corrales, the eternal Asia’s Queen of Song, and the sultry Carmen Soriano, and the sexy-comic Carmen Pateña (Shirley Bassey of the Philippines), the so-called torch singers who lit up the soda fountains and the classy nightclubs (Bayside, among them) in the late ’50s, and the TV screen in the ’60s, Plattersville in the ’70s, and so on and so forth. They are the true and the real and the authentic divas, tested by time and trends.
They are the Golden Girls, survivors of the avalanche of singers (not many of whom can hold even a little candle to them), and colorful and dramatic, if tragic, marriages and love affairs.
Actually, they don’t need any introduction. It’s better to know them by playing and replaying their albums. Or, if you are 20 and below and you go for the “noisy” kind of Generation X, Y and Z music, you can ask your moms and your grandmoms, and they will gladly open their “lumang album” for you and reveal much more than what you perhaps care to hear.
Or you can tag along with the seniors in the family to the Golden Divas concert featuring the three icons together for the first time, on March 7 and 8 at the Music Museum, and listen to (their) music when music was music.
Meanwhile, lend an ear to the Golden Girls (sorry, their ages will remain “confidential”) as they talk about yesteryear and what they did for love.
Was the rivalry for real? How do you feel when you look back at it?
Carmen S.: Let me set a few things straight. It was part of showbiz. I must admit that there was some little truth to it but not to the extent that people made it out to be. You can’t avoid having a rivalry when you are in the same profession. You don’t take it personally, though; it’s just friendly competition.
Pilita: At that time, kasi siempre there was my TV show, An Evening with Pilita, and her (Carmen Soriano’s) show, Carmen on Camera. I guess, there was really no rivalry at all because I was so different from her. She became very popular also. She starred in movies, pero ako naman, pa-guesting-guesting lang. I’ve done shows with Carmen (Soriano) but not that many with Carmen (Pateña) because she was in the States. Afterward, Carmen (Soriano) also left for the States, so I was the only one left here doing shows. There was nothing personal at all between Carmen (Soriano) and me.
Carmen S.: Yes, Pilita is right. I won’t say that there was any real rivalry. Pilita has always been at the top. Alam mo naman noong araw, she was beautiful, as she still is, and she sang so beautifully, as she still does. At kapag mestiza ka, you were a hit.
But you are just as beautiful and as talented.
Carmen S. (Laughing): Well, I don’t know if I am beautiful or not because it’s only the public who can tell. But I feel that I am a little bit. Hehehehehe! There was never any animosity between Pilita and me. She’s very friendly while I’m a bit shy. In this business, your PR should be very good and maybe that was my disadvantage.
But there was no such “rivalry” between you and Carmen Pateña, was there?
Carmen S.: None. It was more between her and Merci Molina. ‘Yung sa amin ni Pilita, it was more like the rivalry between Gloria Romero and Nida Blanca, and between Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos.
Pilita: There was none. Mas nauna kami ni Carmen (Soriano) sa kanya.
Carmen P.: There was no rivalry between Carmen and me, or between Pilita and me. You know why? They were ahead of me. I came into the scene in the ’60s, with Merci Molina and Norma Ledesma...mga ka-edad ko.
Legendary singers like the three of you have very colorful but very sad love lives, ‘no? You all come from broken marriages.
Carmen S.: I’m a widow. I’m Carmen Soriano-Dabao. My late husband, Robert Dabao, was a doctor based in the States. We were distant cousins; we grew up in the same hometown. But we learned that we were relatives only much later. You know, some people are lucky to find their right mates but others, like me, are not as lucky. I thought I found Mr. Right but our relationship didn’t last long. He was Lloyd Samartino Sr., the father of my son Lloyd. I was married to him. I met Robert Dabao after Lloyd Sr. died.
Pilita: My first marriage was to the father of Jackie, Gonzalo Blanco. The second is with Carlos (Lopez, a Spanish who owns and manages a fine-dining restaurant in Sydney), my current husband. I lived with Amado (del Paraguay) for several years but we were not married.
Carmen P.: I have two broken marriages. The first was to a Thai businessman engaged in shipping and rice production; the Philippines even imported rice from him. I didn’t have a child by him; I don’t have a child. We were divorced; he’s a widower now. We still get in touch. He wants me back daw, but I told him, “Too late.” I’m still married to Dr. Adolfo “Dolf” Ayuyao who is based in New York where we lived for 25 years. The condo we were living in was located near the Twin Towers and when the Towers were bombed in 9/11, nayanig ang buong building namin.
But there were some other men in-between, right? (The late actors Amado Cortez and Eddie Rodriguez in the case of Carmen Soriano; and, in Pilita’s, the late Efren Reyes and Eddie Gutierrez, father of her son Ramon Christopher.)
Carmen S.: You know, I’m not the type who goes for “affairs.” If a man is only after a fling, sorry but I’m not for it. I want serious relationships, kaya mahirap akong ligawan; masyado akong maarte. Ligaw-Filipino ang type ko — you know, give me time to know you better. Even now, I don’t go out with anyone; it’s been a while since I had a man.
Pilita: I have only two children and seven grandchildren. Am I the heart-over-head type of a woman? Yes, I am. When I’m in love, talagang todo-todo, walang preno. That’s why when I fall, I fall flat on my face.
Oh? How many times have you fallen flat on your face?
Pilita: I would say...twice? But I am the type who springs back fast and easily. I try to get up the next day no matter how much it hurts. I think that’s what singing does to me. It helps me bring out all my emotions — the hurt and the anger. Singing eases the pain considerably, because you bring it out in the lyrics, in the words, in the melody.
Speaking of “falling flat on (my) face,” have you recovered from that fall in Sacramento during a concert two years ago?
Pilita: Oh, that one. I fell not only on my face but also on my back, on my shoulder, on all parts of my body! There was no harang on the stage and I walked right off it while I was singing. I fell from a height of about 10 feet, and I was in high-heels! I was X-rayed and examined and fortunately, I didn’t suffer any broken bones. But I had to undergo therapy here.
Your classic signature “bending backward,” is it a gimmick?
Pilita: No, it’s not. Many people don’t know that I cannot reach a high note if I don’t do that. That’s the only way. The bending backward opens up my lungs. If it were a gimmick, mahirap na gimik ‘yon; masakit sa katawan.
Back to the question of “other loves,” what about you, Carmen (Pateña)?
Carmen P.: Mas marami silang lalake kaysa sa akin. Hehehehehe! Ako, konti lang. Ay naku, laking-Bible ako because of my father would always remind me, “Anak, ang mabuting pangalan ay malaking kayamanan.” When I told him, “Pa, somebody is courting me,” he would say, “But don’t give him your body, ha, anak.” I used my head, not my heart. ‘Yan nga si Vic del Rosario (Viva Group of Companies big boss), naging nobyo ko ‘yan, ano ka? He was one of the owners noon of Vicor with which I was under contract. Binata pa siya noon, ako naman dalaga pa.
What happened to you and Dolf?
Carmen P.: Nahuli ko siyang nangangaliwa; I caught him...well, not naman in the act. I told him, “Ako hindi nangangaliwa, ikaw pa!” We were having such a good life until that happened. I was vacationing here and that was when he had an affair with somebody; nasingitan ako ng nurse na ‘yon. When I confronted him, he said, “Eh, siya ang lumalapit, di tukain!” I cursed him, “Gago ka pala eh, bakit mo tinuka?” I also confronted the nurse, on the phone. I told her, “I know who you are. If you call again, I will kill you.” She didn’t call again.
So you are loveless now...
Carmen S.:...yes, but not lonely. You know, love comes in the most strange situations. I don’t look for it; it just comes. Sabi nga ng isang song, love comes from the most unexpected places.
Pilita: I am happy with my love life. During our pictorial, we were kidding one another. Carmen (Soriano) said, “At least, si Pilita happy na ngayon. Ako, wala pa.”
Carmen P.: Kami pa rin ni Dolf. Hindi ko pa siya dini-divorce. Pero wala talagang lalake sa buhay ko ngayon. But with my family and relatives around me, I am full of love. So, I’m not loveless; man-less lang. I’m happy with my life now.
What do you consider your most memorable romance, your greatest love?
Carmen S.: Hmmmm.... I would say that my happiest moment was when I gave birth to Lloyd. My marriage to his dad was short-lived; we were both very young. I was only 19.
Pilita: Let me see...I lived with Jackie’s father less than a year. The years I spent with Amado were very painful and very tragic. I am happiest now. Yes, Carlos is my greatest love. You know why? Because he has everything that I’ve been looking for in a man. He wants to be with me 24 hours a day, and vice-versa. He’s one man who doesn’t stop me from doing anything. If I want to go to a concert, I go. He gives me all the love and attention and all the care that I’ve been longing for all this time.
Of course, both of you came from a colorful past.
Pilita: Yes. He has been divorced twice.
(To Carmen Soriano) You were romantically linked to former Pres. Ferdinand Marcos. Is it okay for you to talk about it?
Carmen S.: Oh, sure! No, it was not true, and neither was the rumor that (former First Lady) Imelda Marcos was sore at me. No, there was never any animosity between us. No, it’s not true that she threw acid at my face. The rumor got so bad that when I was in the States, I was interviewed by UPI (United Press International) about it. In fairness to Imelda, it never happened.”
How do you think did that rumor start?
Carmen S.: You know, I was always asked to sing in various affairs and it so happened that oftentimes Marcos was there. When I sang at an Iglesia ni Kristo event or a Jaycees event, the First Couple would be there. Sometimes, the guests would ask Marcos to sing with me and people must have, you know, made conclusions from there.
What was Marcos’ favorite song, the one he always requested you to sing?
Carmen S.: The Ilocano song Ti Ayat Ti May Sa a Lakay.
There was also a rumor that you had a child by Marcos.
Carmen S.: Of course, wala! If there was really something between us, it was nothing to be ashamed of. I have had a life that, well, I am not really very proud of but...you know, he was the President, so why would I not say it was true if it was true? No, it wasn’t true. If he was ever interested in me, I didn’t feel it, I didn’t know about it.
What’s the biggest thing that you did for love?
Carmen S.: You know, I’m the typical Filipina; I’m a follower. I put my man where he should be.
Pilita: Suffer extreme pain for the love of a man.
Carmen P.: I gave up singing for three years. That was when I got married to the Thai.
(To Carmen Soriano) You said you are “a follower.” Are you submissive?
Carmen S.: Not really, although some people think I am. They misread my “submissiveness” for weakness. I like to be catered to; I love the trappings of courtship, with the man taking care of the woman. That comes with sacrifices. You can’t tell a man, “If you do this to me, I’ll also do it to you.” No, you can’t do that; you shouldn’t do that. Wala namang masamang lalake, eh. When you have a relationship, you have to work hard at it and it takes a lot of sacrifices. Now, if he, despite all my efforts, doesn’t take care of our relationship, then I make a decision.
No regrets?
Carmen S.: No regrets.
Pilita: Regrets? Why should I have?
Carmen P.: No regrets. I never let my heart rule my head; I don’t put emotion above reason. The first time I fell in love was with a doctor...Dr. Lou Glekas. I was 21 then. I met him in Okinawa; I was with my mom. She gave me her blessing. She said, “Go ahead.” Lou and I dated but we never, never went beyond, you know. Would you believe that? Then, we broke up.
And how did you meet the Thai?
Carmen P.: I was nursing a broken heart. I was having a singing stint in Thailand when I met the man who would be my first husband. He was introduced to me by a friend who had her own Thai boyfriend. He was seated in a dark corner, listening to me sing. My amiga pointed him out to me. I could hardly make him out dahil madilim nga. Nang makita ko sa liwanag, aba, guwapo! After we were introduced, he asked my mom, “Can I take your daughter out?” My mom said, “Yes, but be home before 12 midnight.” To make a long story short, we got married.
And what happened to your marriage?
Carmen P.: I guess it was my fault. He was a good man but he was jealous and possessive. I was fed up with his jealousy and his tantrums. He didn’t want me to sing. He put up a shop/store for me in Bangkok para lang ako malibang. It didn’t work, so I went back to singing. He would tag along and got insecure when he saw me in a sexy dress. Bakit ko daw dini-display ang katawan ko. I told him, “Excuse me, I’m a singer and I should look like a million dollars!” Hindi siya kumikibo, then we would fight again. The worst happened when we were in Malaysia. He got jealous again so in a huff I took off my wedding ring and threw it at him. Then, you know what I did? Sa galit ko, ginunting ko ang gown ko na napaka-mahal pa naman... gawa ni Ben Farrales...at itinapon ko sa kanya, kasama ‘yung ring. It was a black gown at gustung-gusto rin ‘yon ni Madame Imelda Marcos. Lace ang gown na ‘yon.”
Wow, sayang naman! Bayad ba ang gown na ‘yon?
Carmen P.: Oo naman. Ask Ben Farrales. Anyway, my husband told me, “If I don’t see that ring around your finger tomorrow morning, goodbye.” It wasn’t goodbye. We went back home to Bangkok pa. He invited me to dinner but I told him bluntly, “Honey, I’m leaving you; I’m going back to the Philippines tomorrow.” I packed all my things in two maletas. Our maids wished me well, “Ma’am, take care of yourself.” He even followed me to Manila, begging, “Come home, please!” I said no. I was tired of that kind of life. I was miserable. Kahit pala nakahiga ka sa salapi, it won’t make you happy. I realized that money is not everything; it can’t buy you happiness.
Then, off you went to New York where you met Dolf?
Carmen P.: That was in 1978. But before that, I had another boyfriend but he’s too insignificant to be mentioned, thank you.
What do you consider your greatest performance as a singer?
Carmen S.: I think this show with Carmen and Pilita. They are two great performers.
Pilita: I try to make every performance the greatest.
Carmen P.: Performing before dignitaries, including King Hussein (bin Talal of Jordan), who came for a visit. I also performed for former US Pres. Gerald Ford.
What’s the best lesson that you learned in life?
Carmen S.: Never look back. If you do, you will always be comparing the past and the present. I’ve fallen down so many times, but I managed to get back on my feet. My motto in life is the Golden Rule — Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you.
Pilita: I learn from everything that happens every day. We never stop learning. I thank The Lord for every new day...that He allows me to be still here, singing, and to be happy at this time of my life.
Carmen P.: Huwag kang maiinggit; don’t envy others. I got that lesson from my father. He told me, “You have what you have and be happy with it.”
If you were to live life all over again, would you change anything?
Carmen S.: Maybe a few but not everything. But nothing in my love life. But whatever happened in my life, my greatest joy is that I have come to terms with The Lord.
Pilita: Would I change anything? Yes, my age! Hahahahaha! I want to be 18 again. Ang saya! You know, falling in love all the time, and all those suitors offering me everything, including a Mercedes Benz na hindi ko tinanggap.
Carmen P.: Yeah. ‘Yung mga away-away sa boyfriend o asawa. One time, I fought with my boyfriend and I shot him. He is the insignificant person whose name doesn’t deserve to be mentioned. He turned his back and I shouted at him, “Huwag kang tumalikod; hindi ka si Dr. Jose Rizal.” It’s a good thing I was not a sharpshooter. Hindi siya tinamaan. He owned the gun. Pinaputok niya at ‘yon din ang pinaputok ko sa kanya.
How do you want to be remembered?
Carmen S.: That I am a good person...that I have not harmed or put anyone down.
Pilita: A singer who couldn’t sing without bending backward. Hahahaha! Seriously now, I want people to remember me as a person who’s always happy
Carmen P.: For being what I am — a charitable person. You know, I am the type who has a soft spot for other people. Isusubo ko na lang, ibibigay ko pa sa mas nangangailangan.
If you were a song, what would you be?
Carmen S.: It’s a song that a woman should not sing and I even recorded it. It’s called I Am I Said (by Trini Lopez). It’s a man’s song but it’s a fitting song for me.
Pilita: A Million Thanks To You (composed by George Sison). I want to thank everybody who has been a part of my life and career. I want to say a million thanks to them for everything. I want to say, “A million thanks to you, my Lord, for letting me still do what I love doing.”
Carmen P.: Yes, If I Never Sing Another Song (by Don Cornell). Beautiful song, very meaningful. (Proceeds to sing)... If I never sing another song or take another bow, I would get by but I don’t know how... But, of course, I will get by, and I know how.
(Note: Golden Divas is produced by Viva Concerts & Events. For ticket inquiries, call VCE at 687-6181, loc. 620 or 745; or Ticketworld at 891-9999.)
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)