Rachel & Geneva: Two of a different kind

There are performers who stand out because of looks; others, because of sheer talent. And there are the rare few who can light up and fill a venue the size of the Araneta Coliseum with their mere presence.

Among the younger talents, Rachel Alejandro and Geneva Cruz stand out because of their unbelievable energy levels. They are the only singers I know who can sing and dance for two hours straight without tiring! This is why I am looking forward to their joint concert, Showdown, on October 25 at the Music Museum. It will be interesting to see how these two young, sexy and energetic performers will match up.

"We’ve done some production numbers together on TV, but never a full-length concert," says Rachel who, at 28, is the older of the two. She also claims to be very different from Geneva.

"She’s a night person, and I’m a morning person. I wake up at about 7 or 8 in the morning. I like to travel; Gen hardly takes any breaks.! She also has more things. Mas marami siyang damit at sapatos, at mamahalin pa! Ako, kahit sa tiangge, bumibili. Her phone is a 7650. (Rachel has an 8250.) And I don’t really spend a lot on clothes and shoes. I spend more on the gym. I even do one-on-one Pilates. Doon napupunta lahat ng kinikita ko!"

But they also have a lot in common. For one thing, both came from so-called "musical" families. Rachel’s dad is the original ’70s Kilabot ng Kolehiyala Hajji Alejandro, while Geneva hails from the famous Cruz clan to which cousins Sheryl, Donna and Sunshine also belong. Both also started in showbiz at roughly the same time: Geneva with Smokey Mountain and Rachel on That’s Entertainment.

That was how I first became acquainted with them. I used to be the publicist of Smokey Mountain during the group’s heyday, when they were winning awards at international song festivals. And even then, I had already begun to notice Rachel as someone who had clearly inherited her father’s talent and who would go far in showbiz. This belief was reinforced when I worked on several projects that Rachel was in. As I got to know her, I became even more impressed.

As they grew up, their lives ran parallel tracks. But it wasn’t until Rachel had serious personal problems that the two became close. They were rehearsing for a show when Geneva noticed that Rachel looked stressed. This was during the time that Rachel broke up with boyfriend Lee Robin Salazar. "I’d lost so much weight and I was so down. My self-esteem was so low. When we saw each other, she was shocked by the way I looked. I started calling her up all the time, and we’d talk on the phone for hours. At that time in my life, she was one of the few people from showbiz who really listened. And even now, although we don’t see each other that often because of work, we still stay in touch."

Rachel has a very interesting term for their friendship: "crisis friends". Meaning, of course, that although they don’t see each other all the time, they know the other’s shoulder is there to cry on in a crisis. "You know, it’s really funny, because Gen and I weren’t even friends at all in the beginning," says Rachel. "It wasn’t until this thing happened to me, when I was down on the floor, that we became close. Now, we don’t see each other much because of work, but we know that we’ll be there for each other when things go wrong. Personally, I’d rather be crisis friends than friends who are only there for each other when things are going well. You know someone is a true friend if she can be there for you at your worst."

They trust each other so much that neither Rachel nor Geneva has had reason to fear that their secrets would find their way to the media. They know that what they tell each other will remain a secret. "Actually, I have no secrets. My relationships have always been an open book," says Rachel. "Gen is a more private person, and there are some things that I’ve kept (secret) for her."

They’re also such good friends that sharing the same manager, Girlie Rodis, is not a problem. Neither was the billing for this concert. There was no argument as to who should come first, or who deserved top billing. As far as the two are concerned, they are on equal footing in this show. They even decided on the repertoire together. One thing to watch out for is their "rivals" medley where Rachel and Geneva will be doing songs of rival singers, like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, Madonna and Janet Jackson, even those of local jukebox queens Eva Eugenio and Didith Reyes.

Aside from their talent, another thing that Rachel and Geneva have in common is that they are both underrated as performers. Although they can sing and have never wanted for work, people have a tendency to under-estimate them.

Geneva agrees. "I don’t think people really know how good I am (as a singer)," says Geneva. "I know I can kick ass. I can last for two hours, singing and dancing at the same time because I enjoy my work. I love what I do. Being underrated is frustrating sometimes, but it’s okay. If I can’t earn respect here, I can always pursue my dream of going into international recording."

Geneva could have had a shot at an international career years ago, when Smokey Mountain was offered recording contracts in the US and Europe. But they backed out because two of the group’s members, Tony Lambino (who was then attending the Ateneo) and Jeffrey Hidalgo (a student at the Philippine Science High School) wanted to stay in the Philippines and finish school. Still, Geneva says that if she gets another chance at an international recording career, she would probably take it without a second thought. "It’s not bad naman to dream big, di ba?" she asks.

For ticket information to Rachel and Geneva’s "Showdown", call Talentworks Asia at 687-0658, or the Music Museum at 721-0635.