A ‘title’ for Lani? Why not The Higa<

"Diva" is perhaps the most abused, the most misused and the most over-used word in the dictionary as far as singers (or their PROs/promoters) are concerned. They have this bad habit of attaching that word to just any singer, "qualified" or not. Thus, we now have a Divine Diva, a Phenomenal Diva, a Concert Diva and so on and so forth. Di ba!?!

As they say, if you can’t lick them, by all means join ’em!

So for the record, Funfare is giving Lani Misalucha her own "title" – The Higa Diva.

No doubt the most versatile singer in the country today (any objection?), Lani can do with admirable and remarkable ease even the most difficult and "hard to sing" Mariah Carey song. All Lani does is sing, just sing, minus the other "gimmicks" and vocal "calisthenics" many of our singers resort to – until lately.

Remember in the not-too-distant past when Lani co-starred in a show with Zsa Zsa Padilla at the Araneta Coliseum and she stole the thunder from Zsa Zsa (said not to have fully recovered since then) by lying down (while singing, without missing a beat), eliciting a roaring approval from the SRO audience? Lani, of course, didn’t have to do that but she did that, anyway, so it has become her own trademark – The Reclining Diva (Ang Divang Humihiga or, in short, The Higa Diva). Lani did it during the Cebu leg of The Crossover Live Tour and the crowd again exploded into an approving applause. (O, siya, Lani, higa na!).

Nice "title," isn’t it?

Anyway, on Sept. 8 (Feast day of Our Lady of Nativity, Patron Saint of such towns in Samar as Las Navas, Borongan and Calbayog City), we’ll have another chance to watch – and enjoy! – Lani’s higa act when she performs in her first solo concert (yes, The Crossover Live Tour) at the Araneta Coliseum, starting at 8 p.m. (with Martin Nievera, Side A’s Joey Generoso and upcoming singer Malik as guest performers).

It’s scary for any artist to take on The Big Dome so when Lani was asked at yesterday’s presscon if she was ready for the gauntlet, she smiled and said, "I should be. And I am!"

To paraphrase the oft-quoted line, If you can make at The Big Dome, you’ll make it in any venue.

Toward the end of the presscon (at Don Henrico’s Tomas Morato, one of the concert sponsors), the movie writers requested Lani to sing the Italian version (titled Il Mio Core) of the Titanic theme song My Heart Will Go On (by Celine Dion) and we could feel the whole Don Henrico’s listen with bated breath, the service screeching to a halt, with everybody erupting into an orgasm of applause after Lani finished singing. There was a clamor for more and Lani obliged with Bukas Na Kita Mamahalin. Same hypnotized reaction.

More? No more. It was getting late and Lani had to rush home to resume her domestic chore as mother and wife, her main occupation.

It was the first time I heard Lani sing "live" (and a cappela at that!) and I’m marking Sept. 8 as my day off so I can watch Lani at The Big Dome and find out if it’s true that, among other things, she performs better on her back (lying down) – I mean, of course, singing.

If that Don Henrico’s "preview" yesterday was a gauge, I’m sure Lani’s Crossover concert will be a good one. Be there and see for yourself how The Higa Diva differs from the other so-called "divas."

Jinggoy in limbo

I was among a group of movie writers who paid former San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada a surprise visit at the Makati Med last Sunday evening. Held under "hospital arrest" for weeks now, Jinggoy was visibly happy to see old friends who were amused at how chubby he has become during his "forced" vacation. Jinggoy was bursting all over, rounder than he used to be when he was a free man.

He said (confirming newspaper reports) that he had a silent heart attack, that his blood pressure had been erratic and he was frightened by the possibility of undergoing an angiogram or, heaven forbid, a heart bypass.

"Natro-trauma ako just thinking of it," Jinggoy managed to smile.

It’s the mental stress of figuring out the sad fate that has befallen him and his dad, President Erap Estrada, that is taking a toll on his health and the fact that, even if it’s the Makati Med, it feels like a "prison" to him, never mind if his wife Precy Vitug keeps him constant company, with their three children (Janelle, 11; Jolo, 8; and Julian, 5) alternately visiting him. Buddy Rudy Fernandez also visits him regularly.

Told about a rumor that former Cavite Gov. Bong Revilla might check into Makati Med just to be near him and thus pave the way for their "reconciliation," Jinggoy jokingly answered, "In that case, baka lumipat na lang ako sa Veterans."

Veterans Memorial Hospital (Quezon City), that is, where Erap is confined and from where Jinggoy moved (to Makati Med) upon the request of his doctor who wanted to conduct further tests on him.

At the Veterans, according to Jinggoy, he could still do workouts consisting of shadow-boxing, calisthenics and sparring with Ronnie Ricketts and Val Iglesia who dropped by regularly; while at Makati Med, as per doctor’s advice, he’s virtually bed-riddedn. No wonder he has been gaining weight.

At Makati Med, his typical day starts at around 9 a.m. After breakfast, he can’t help thinking and thinking about what happened and what’s happening to him and Erap. After lunch, he takes a short nap and starts thinking and thinking again. After dinner, he watches TV, mostly basketball games (to find out how his team, San Juan Knights/Andoks, is doing) and, if visitors have left, turns in before midnight.

"I’ve watched all the episodes of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire," laughed Jinggoy.

He happily reported that his starrer with Judy Ann Santos, Maverick Films’ Walang Iwanan: Peks Man (directed by Toto Natividad), is in the can and might be shown at the Metro Filmfest in December.

His mom, Sen. Loi Ejercito, has been given him religious images and novenas, one of them to St. Filomena (one of Loi’s favorite saints).

"Almost every night," revealed Jinggoy, "I dream that my Dad and I are free. It has been a recurring dream, na nasa labas na kami. I wake up and it’s back to reality. I’ll just keep on dreaming for the time being."