Time for Regine to trace her roots - DIRECT LINE by Boy Abunda

Regine Velasquez is sporting a new look. She cut her hair into a stylish boy’s cut. However, she didn’t do so because she was losing hair due to tension and stress. That could have happened last year but thank God, it didn’t! She simply cut it because it’s hot.

And right after her first public appearance, thousands of Regine’s fans, mostly girls and gays went to their hairdressers to get a similar style. Regine can’t help but be amused and flattered.

"Grabe, ganun ba kalakas ang influence ko? It sometimes bother me kasi I always have to be pretty," jests Regine who is currently shooting a movie with Aga Muhlach called Pangako Ikaw Lang and is recording the original soundtrack as well. She says that whatever hairstyle she has is not at all a conscious effort to start a fad.

Her fans idolize Regine not only because of her singing ability but also for her style. Whether she wears an elegant evening gown or tattered jeans and a plain shirt tucked in, fans can’t help but marvel at her fashion statements and almost always they imitate them.

Regine attributes her sense of style to Ida Henares (wife of her former manager Ronnie Henares) and Louie Mamengo.

Now that Regine is turning 31 on April 22, it seems that she is starting to retrace her roots. The boyish haircut was first seen in her Narito Ako days. And although Regine has been a consistent box-office draw and a TV top-rater, she openly admits that her first love is still singing. She says that the high she feels on stage is incomparable to anything. Bono (of U2), Fatboy Slim and Madonna are going back to the basics. So why can’t Regine?

Part of her journey back to her roots is that she’ll be staging a birthday concert on April 21 at the Fiesta Pavillon, Grand Ballroom of the Manila Hotel. Billed as R-15, the concert is the initial offering of EE Productions. Tickets to R-15 are priced at P1500 and P1000 and are available at all SM Ticketnet Outlets and at the Manila Hotel.

Regine conceptualized the concert and it consists of sets of 15 songs that have a special meaning in her life. "I’m going to sing 15 of my hits, 15 movie themes that I’ve sung, 15 of my revivals and more!"enthuses Regine.

R-15 is also a reunion for Regine and Freddie Santos and Gerard Salonga. Freddie directed Regine in Narito Ako, her first major concert at the Folk Arts Theater while Gerard did the musical direction of one of Regine’s most talked-about shows, Songbird Sings the Classics.

Looking back at 15 years of her career, Regine reveals: "Imagine, I am so blessed that I have been doing the one thing I love for 15 years already! Isn’t that something to be thankful for?"

At the peak of one’s career, it is noble to say thank you – for it is not always easy to be grateful – because the view from the top is oftentimes hazy.

Bravo, Regine.

The first gay-themed book series

A local publishing house recently came up with what it describes as the country’s "first and only gay-themed" book series replete with sexy and nude shots of male models by four of Manila’s finest photographers and literary pieces by some noted writers.

Entitled rice!, the book contains photo galleries of popular lensmen Raymund Isaac, Jay Javier, Raymond Lontok and Raul Teehankee (among those who modeled for them are sexy stars John Apacible and Juan Carlos Castro) and features, essays and fiction by such celebrated writers and journalists as Danton Remoto, Andrew Paredes, Michael L. Tan, Joseph Cortes and Leah Puyat.

Butch Franco, rice! editor says that the book is neither a cause nor asking society to embrace the third sex. He explains that the book will instead help gay men realize that it’s okay for them to accept who they are and still become productive members of society.

For more information on rice!, call Metropolis Publishing at 5253654 or email ricema-nila@hotmail.com.