Charice: She who waits, succeeds

MANILA, Philippines - It was an upbeat Charice I was talking to on the phone the day after the Grammy’s. “I just saw one of my favorite idols, Beyonce, at the Grammys!” she said. And she went on to discuss how star-struck she was, replete with crusty laughter and superlatives about how “energizing” and “inspiring” it was for her to be attending such an event. 

Despite her fame and, yes, fortune, Charice remains humble, choosing to view life with awe and wonder all the time. At 18, she still acts with the innocence of a child.

“I’ve been spending a lot of time, like 12 hours straight, in the studio recording a new album and searching for hit singles. I really get very creative in the studio because I work closely with writers and producers,” Charice said of her day-to-day schedule now in Los Angeles, California where she owns an apartment in a tony enclave called Palazzo. Her apartment is sandwiched by the units of Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus. It was in the same apartment where Charice recently received her script for her next taping for Glee. Yes, her character Sunshine Corazon in Glee is still alive, she said with a chuckle. She didn’t say how many more episodes she would do for Glee but sources close to her said Charice would be appearing in more than three episodes. 

“I treat each day with happiness,” she once told me. She learned about life the hard way. She came from a broken family yet she was thankful to her mother Raquel, who filled in for what was missing in their humble home. It was Raquel who told her to never lose hope and wait for her turn to shine when Charice lost in a singing competition on TV in 2005. Charice badly wanted to win that contest because the P1-million cash prize would be enough for them to pay for their debts, transfer to a better home and start life anew. “Maghintay ka lamang. Darating din yan. Just focus,” Charice remembered her mother telling her.

Charice, indeed, focused on her craft and two years later, in December 2007, she guested on Ellen. Host Ellen de Generes had her flown to the US after “discovering” Charice singing And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going on YouTube. Her guesting on Ellen was a good opening until Oprah Winfrey offered to become her mentor after Charice told the Queen of Talk her whole story. Like a fairy godmother, Oprah waved her magic wand and wasted no time in harnessing further the great musical talent of Charice. Charice is the only Filipino performer who has appeared on Oprah’s show four times.

Growing up, she was misjudged that she wouldn’t hit it big because “she was not good enough,” and “she was not beautiful enough.” Charice heard her critics and continued to focus on her craft. She waited for her turn to shine. And the moment came.

Charice is one proof that good things happen to good people. Not only that: the phenomenal singer proves that good things happen to those who also know how to wait.