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Our team caught up with Regine and Ogie for a rain check on their latest duet, their new recording company, and their controversial off-screen lives.
It’s a rare event to catch this musical duo together outside of SOP due to their impossibly hectic schedules. From regular TV shows to occasional gigs, with bits of projects in between, Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid are definitely two of the busiest artists in the industry. And for quite some time already, among the most-talked about twosomes. Our team caught up with them after SOP for a rain check on their latest duet, their recently launched recording company, and their controversial off-screen lives. Text by Jillian Q. Gatcheco. Photos by Michelle S. Mauricio. Regine and Ogie are the voices behind the title track of this year’s date movie, The Promise, which stars the six-time love team of Angel Locsin and Richard Gutierrez. They bring a personal touch to the song originally performed by Melissa Manchester in 1979 for the soundtrack of a similarly titled movie. “I’ve always loved the song. I saw the movie The Promise (1979), and even though it’s not a sad song, parang it has this melancholic quality, parang nakakadala, nakaka-touch,” says Regine. “Ako naman, kasi bago ako naging (professional) singer, lagi na akong kumakanta sa mga simbahan, sa mga weddings, (at) ito lagi ‘yung pinapakanta sa akin. Kung baga “The Promise” is parang staple na ng weddings,” shares Ogie. Regine describes the song as “simple,” but she says that the arrangement can get quite complicated, so they needed to be at par with it. For instance, one of the challenges is to make the song their own, since it’s been sung by so many people already. “The challenge is for it to sound new, but not to over kill the song, ‘cause it’s the type of song that you don’t over-exaggerate,” says Ogie. The song may be a bit challenging for the two, but they’re pretty sure about its impact on anyone who hears it: “I’m sure they’ll fall in love – song pa lang! When you watch the movie and you hear the song, I’m sure you’ll fall in love!” says Regine. “I’m sure I will! I mean, they will!” Ogie agrees without skipping a beat. Unspoken promises Their easy rapport and affectionate banter reminded us of how they have been on the hot seat for the longest time on rumors of a romantic relationship off camera. While both have been consistent in keeping mum on this issue, we nevertheless asked them a question, which, when answered well, could provide outbursts of kilig vibes! “What’s your promise to each other?” we asked. After an exchange of incomprehensible whispers, Regine finally says with a laugh, “Hindi ko kaya!” “Saka na lang,” begs off Ogie, who opted to say, “I’m just so happy that we have a new duet together, and it’s part of a very big film, of course, starring Richard and Angel.” With such answers, it seems they have truly mastered the art of evading questions on their relationship. Still, anyone could read between the lines, and fans could only wait for the day when the truth about this musical duo is revealed. Doing business together But whatever the real deal is, Ogie and Regine admit that they like working together. Proof of this is their recent business venture – a recording company called IndiMusic. Regine notes that IndiMusic’s thrust is to help out young artists, particularly newcomers, enter the music industry. The firm’s first released album was the original soundtrack of Till I Met You (2006), which paired Regine and Robin Padilla on the big screen. The two are excited for their second project, which is due to be launched this month -- Dennis Trillo’s debut album! “We just finished Dennis’ album,” says Regine proudly. Another IndiMusic-produced album soon to be released is that of Mum’s Cake (an alternative rock band that Ogie discovered). Ogie and Regine obviously have a rapport like no other, as they often finish each other’s sentences and are privy to inside jokes. So what exactly is their secret to such an obviously strong friendship? “He’s a good friend. He listens, and as a performer, hindi siya mahilig sumapaw; he makes you shine, so ‘yun. Tapos (as a) co-worker, dun sa company namin, siya naman ‘yung boss eh! But like I said, hindi siya ‘yung type ng tao na hindi nakikinig. Parati niyang hinihingi ‘yung opinyon ko sa lahat ng bagay. So what’s what I like about him,” Regine says thoughtfully. For Ogie, Regine is “a delight to work with.” He continues, “It’s funny if you say she’s very talented, because everybody knows that, but I feel that now that we’re working in a recording company, there are other things that…she’s really putting into good use. Now, she’s producing albums. People don’t really know what producing entails, and it’s a lot of hard work, a lot of artistic ‘churva.’ And Regine is really good at what she does.” Regine explains further, “Ako, artistic lang talaga. I like producing albums, I like developing new talents. Siya (Ogie), sa business side naman. Magaling siya doon. Siya, bata pa lang, entrepreneur na!” Despite being veterans in the music industry, Ogie and Regine remain humble in their growing business venture. “Well, we’re a novice in the recording business, so what we have with us right now is just all heart.” Adds Regine, “We’re starting. It’s our baby now...” “...Wherever it takes us, it’s gonna be an exciting journey,” finishes off Ogie. As these two talented individuals embark on that journey, count on friends and fans to cheer them on.