Catching up with Lea, Zsa Zsa & Claire

The deadline is on Sept. 30. So that means there are only two weeks left to send in your videos, requests or old pics to LEAyoursongs.com. Our very own Broadway diva will be doing a concert at the Plenary Hall of the PICC on Dec. 11 and 12. Produced by Ambient Media, the show is simply titled LEA SALONGA... Your Songs and features Ai-Ai de las Alas, Richard Poon, the award-winning Philippine All Stars dance group and Gerard Salonga as conductor.

To make the concert very special and not just another run of the mill program with songs coming on one after the other, Ambient Media put up a website and invited everybody to participate in creating the show. The public can send in their requests, as in the songs they want to hear Lea sing; their old pictures with Lea for her scrapbook; and best of all, their own videos singing a Lea song. Treats are in store for those who make it on time and would be lucky enough to be among those chosen. You might find yourself singing with Lea on stage in the concert or you will get to hear your requested song performed or at the very least, have your mug immortalized in Lea’s very own scrapbook.

I really like the idea of asking people to send in their requests. This opened the door to songs she might have never considered singing or which just never entered her mind while planning a show. Get a load of the requests the site has been getting. Some are her own, Reflection, The Journey, Ugoy Ng Duyan, We Could Be In Love and Tagumpay Nating Lahat. Others are predictable, logical choices like Bayan Ko, I Will Always Love You, Evergreen, Power Of Love, Rainbow Connection, The Nearness Of You, I’ll Be Over You, Light Of A Million Mornings, May Bukas Pa, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Ikaw Ang Pangarap, Moon River, La Mer and La Vie En Rose.

Some of the others though, are literally out of the box and very interesting. Do you think Lea would do any of these? Love Story, Beautiful Mess, Remedy, Skater Boi, My Immortal, Sleep All Day, Man In The Mirror, Paparazzi, Halo, Anthem, I Will Always Stay This Way In Love With You, Lucky, I’m Yours, Listen, Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), Nobody, Always, Crush and Touch My Hand. Two titles I would personally enjoy listening to are Luther Vandross’ Dance With My Father and Happy Working Song from the musical Enchanted.

Unchanging Love was Zsa Zsa Padilla’s first album after four years and she really hit the jackpot. Her moving version of Hanggang by Ronnie and Gigi Cordero made for a great first single release and earned for the Divine Diva a Gold Record Award. Either Nais Ko (Goodbye Day) with Tagalog lyrics by Vehnee Saturno and Muli by Greg Caro should make excellent follow-ups.

Also included in the album are Unchanging Love (Jyongri) with lyrics by Martin Nievera; Iibigin Kang Muli and Kung by Diana Dayao; Memories by Louie Ocampo and Freddie Saturno; Nasasaktan by Alvina Sy; Changes by Butch Monserrat; Ikaw Lang by Barney Borja and Boojie Lim Borja; Kung Alam Mo Lang by Dodjie Simon; and Pagmamahal Na Walang Wakas by Christine Bendebel.

The chance to sing a Christmas duet with Michael Bolton and to meet the blue-eyed soul idol is not the only thing that is keeping Claire de la Fuente on her toes these days. The ‘70s pop diva has also released a new album of old favorites aptly titled Timeless, Songs Of My Life. And what do you know it also includes a duet with a pop icon of music and television. The guy is David Soul, who is best known for his role as Hutch in the TV series, Starsky and Hutch and the truly timeless love song Don’t Give Up On Us.

Timeless opens with Claire and David in a duet of a Taglish version of the Ogie Alcasid hit, Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang. This is followed by Claire’s recording of Don’t Give Up On Us. Also included are All Is Fair In Love, Just A Love Song, You’re My Everything, Ikaw, I Just Don’t Wanna Be Lonely, the Chinese classic, The Moon Represents My Heart with the original Mandarin lyrics, Kumusta Ka, You And I, Nothing Else Matters and Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw.