Zsa Zsa proud to be Karylle’s mom

The Heir(ess) Apparent(s) are taking over, or so it seems, the prominent and high-profile ones being Zsa Zsa Padilla’s daughter Karylle (Kaye Tatlonghari) and Sharon Cuneta’s daughter Kaycee Concepcion who are unwittingly sharing the same (uneasy?) spotlight simply because in her theater debut, Trumpets’ The Little Mermaid, Kaycee happens to step into the same role (as Princess Sapphire) played by Karylle in last year’s presentation of the same musical.

The truth is that Kaycee didn’t replace Karylle who actually bowed out of the show. Kaycee beat the dozens who auditioned for the role. Since she has become, without perhaps her meaning to be, the show’s main attraction, all eyes are now focused on her, with the curious audience eager to find out if Kaycee will live up to expectations especially acting-wise.

Meanwhile, Universal Records has just released Karylle’s debut album, Time to Shine. How does Zsa Zsa feel about her own heir(ess) apparent?

Let’s hear it straight from Zsa Zsa, in her own words:

That Thursday evening at the Hard Rock Café, I was among those invited to Karylle’s album launch. I sat at the back so as not to catch attention. But being the celebrity mom of the star, taking the backseat was out of the question.

I sat through the first song – teary eyed – until the show ended, beaming with pride since my first born was exceptionally good! Her notes were crystal clear and her placements were so relaxed that I felt grateful that her music teacher, Jai Sabas-Aracama, trained her so well. Oftentimes, I found myself smiling since listening to her sing and watching her move on stage reminded me of the time I was just starting out. However, the "rawness" of my voice back then was a far cry compared to that of Karylle – hers being more polished and her natural vibrato more controlled. That night, I was no longer nervous for her since I knew that she was focused and confident. She was ready and her time to shine had come!

She sang five songs accompanied by minus-one. The ballads in the album all had very catchy melodies and lyrics that talk about the concerns of young people her age could easily relate to. Karylle’s interpretations were very warm and soothing. In her finale number, she did her carrier single, Can’t Live Without You. She danced her heart out, accompanied by numerous dancers on stage. And boy, could she dance! Which, of course, left me wondering where THAT came from! Kidding aside, due to scoliosis being in her genes, Karylle had to take ballet lessons when she turned three, to help her develop grace and proper posture. Although at puberty she still developed scoliosis, her curvature did not progress much. But the ballet lessons surely paid off in the end!

The music video of her carrier single was also featured; with quite an impressive list of people supporting her: Cholo Laurel as director, Miguel Fabie as cinematographer, Gelleen Eugenio as choreographer and Maxi Cinco as costume designer. Her new fashion sense surprised everyone, myself included, since Karylle has always been ultra-conservative. But as they say, for showbiz’s sake, she was willing enough to experiment and wear the latest fashion trend.

The audience that night consisted mostly of selected people from the press, radio stations, family and peers. I was thrilled that my daughter received all-out support from Universal Records whose president, Bella Tan, believed in Karylle so much that she had given her simply the best people to work with – Ito Rapadas and Noel Macanaya as album producers, the most talented musicians, back-up singers, technicians, arrangers and composers. What more could a girl with big dreams ask for?

Kuya Germs was present that night to give his support. He is one of Karylle’s mentors, having introduced her to Bella Tan. I also consider him to be one of my mentors because when I was just starting, he got me as one of his co-hosts in his GMA Supershow. I could only agree with Primeline’s Ronnie Henares for having commented that things have come full circle. Ronnie was my very first manager and he is currently handling the career of my daughter, together with his wife Ida Ramos-Henares.

Also in the crowd to give all-out support was Wilma Galvante, VP of GMA 7. We were seated right next to each other and I could imagine eyebrows soaring that evening! I only have this to say – I support my daughter 100 percent and seeing how dedicated and supportive they all were to Karylle, I am grateful to all of them.

Karylle explained to the crowd that the album took a whole year to finish since she kept going back to the recording studio to try out different songs until her producers found the perfect arrangement to suit her voice. Her producers had been very patient with her, having her record the songs over and over until they were perfected!

And after listening to the whole album, the minute I got home I must say that all their efforts paid off. All 10 songs had been carefully selected. It had just the right amount of English and Tagalog pop ballads and three infectious fast tunes. But with only 10 cuts in the album, it left me wanting for more. To satisfy my curiosity, I had to play the CD over and over!

Why has Karylle taken this long to try her luck at singing? Aside from wanting to finish college (she is currently on her fourth year at the Ateneo de Manila taking up Communication Technology Management), she said that singing probably was always in her sub-conscious. It was a dream she kept pushing back. She would imagine herself being in different professions but becoming a singer was always the least she would take. Or so she thought…

As her mother, I think it took time before Karylle realized that singing was also her calling because entering show business meant opening old wounds. At a very young age, she had to survive being part of a broken family that was made so public, it left little room for her to come to terms with the pain on her own. Before she could enter show business, she needed the assurance of her dad to give her the courage to embrace the same profession which, in a way, left scars in their hearts. Though her dad and I have been estranged for 13 long years, I still dream of the day when we could finally be friends again, sharing the same pride and joy we both feel for Karylle.

I can only dream of bigger things for Karylle, or K as I fondly call her, my Bajee! Karylle, may your album, Time To Shine, be the first of the many multi-platinum ones. May your angelic voice conquer the airwaves. May your future be filled with the best produced musical specials and may you soon fill up concert venues with your youthful vibrant music and presence. May people see beyond your charm, beauty and intelligence by discovering the goodness that has always been innate in you.

Rest assured, I will always be here for you. I love you and I’m truly blessed to have a daughter as wonderful and as gifted as you are. Whenever you sing, you don’t have to look far. You will always find me among the crowd cheerfully clapping and shouting… "Encore!"

And yes, pretty soon, I shall have a new title. The best yet – "Karylle’s Mom."