The empress of comedy’s new groove

Imagine some of the world’s legendary torch singers prancing about onstage, flinging off-color barbs and self-effacing remarks, every once in a while breaking out in a series of sexually-explicit gyrations. Pitiful sight, isn’t it?

It’s a good thing Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, and even modern-day jazz demi-goddess Patti Austin didn’t have to resort to such crass behavior to sell themselves. In the first place, their voices were enough to carry them through. Secondly, they lived in an era that nurtured creativity and acknowledged nonconformity.

These days, it’s an entirely different thing. Genuine talent, whenever found, often takes a back seat to fancy packaging. Worse, whatever semblance of talent that got them noticed in the first place will soon be the object of a major deconstruction process, all in the name of publicity and mass appeal. The less fortunate ones, however deserving, have no choice but to stick to their guns and face obscurity – or sell out.

And so it was during the ’80s when aspiring singer Marissa Sanchez trekked to the Viva office to personally hand in her resume. Unfortunately, in that era when the likes of Joanne Lorenzana and Timmy Cruz reigned supreme, there was simply no market for them, uh, portly types. And so Marissa was left out in the cold.

That was then.

Now, Marissa Sanchez has finally vindicated herself. After a thorough "repackaging," the pudgy songstress has found her winning formula: flab plus gab equals fab.

Who doesn’t know her? She’s on the boob tube virtually everyday. On weekdays, she anchors the Sing-A-Gong segment in the ABS-CBN noontime show MTB. Primetime Wednesday finds her trading witty one-liners with Robin Padilla and Redford White in the sitcom Pwedeng-Pwede. Her Sunday mornings are spent priming up for the lunchtime musical, ASAP.

That grueling schedule wasn’t handed to her on a silver platter. Many know her from her humble beginnings when she mesmerized lounge patrons with her innate talent and irreverent humor. "If I didn’t make it as a singer, I’d probably be a DJ or a newscaster, because I really love talking and modulating my voice," she claims. Unwittingly, her TV stint became her next step up her career ladder.

This year, Marissa climbs up a step higher with the launching of her debut album, titled Magbatee Na Tayo under Viva Records. Yes, you read it right. Expect a chock-full of sexual overtones from this one. Want more? How about Fax Me, Ibaon Mo, and her carrier hit, Dakota Nota, (plebian jargon for mammoth peckers), which she claims as "nothing but a harmless song."

So, what made her sell out and jump in on the comedy trend?

"I’ve always wanted to be a serious singer, but since I’m fat, I knew that I had to do something to be recognized. It doesn’t look too good if I’m too serious for comfort, don’t you think?," she retorts.

After hearing her opening song at her album launch at the Hard Rock Café in Makati last Thursday, the irony of it all sank in. Here was one of Manila’s finest crooners belting out a mean rendition of It Might Be You, a la Patti Austin, effortlessly soaring through her high notes with utmost control and confidence. And what was she peddling? An album of naughty songs?

Maybe it was the Andrew E. touch. The master rapper composed most of the album’s tracks. "You know, Andrew is a brilliant man coz he can think of lyrics just like that (snaps fingers). He composed Dakota Nota right there and then."

It was after hearing her opening number when we conjured images of Rosemary Clooney, Sarah Vaughn and other "heavyweights" in their league, and which made us lament Marissa’s predicament. After all, why should she sell herself short simply because of her girth? The jazz and blues divas never even bothered to look in the mirror. They lived the blues, and were proud of it, looks notwithstanding.

But then again, this is showbiz, Manila-style, where a pilgrimage to the Belo clinic has been touted as a guarantee of longevity – career-wise, at least.

Here’s another irony. Given the choice between a jampacked solo concert at the Folk Arts Theater or a box-office hit as her ultimate dream, Marissa chose the latter. "I really love acting kasi eh. I want to be like Jaclyn Jose, Nida Blanca. I want those supporting roles that are meaty and demanding."

"I also like Rufa Mae because she was able to reinvent herself well. Imagine, she used to be a bold star but now she’s proven herself well as a comedienne."

"Roderick (Paulate) once told me, "Marissa, I was once a comedian. Once you get over that and do something else, people will always remember you no matter what you do. Why? Simply because you’ve established yourself na," she narrates.

With an ample boost in self-esteem and a more appropriate showcase for her vocal prowess, it’s only a matter of time when the big-hearted Marissa Sanchez steers clear of the flock and sets the trend, regardless of her size.