Claire: A refreshing ‘blast from the past’

Mention the name Claire dela Fuente and your initial reaction is, I’m sure, to break into the first lines of Sayang, the most popular of the dozens and dozens of songs Claire recorded during her prime. Even the new generation of music lovers (perhaps only toddlers in knee pants when Claire was active on the music scene) can sing Sayang by heart. Of course, Baby Boomers (like this one) find Sayang very nostalgic because the voice behind it brings to mind Karen Carpenter (of The Carpenters, very popular in the early ’70s) who succumbed to anorexia nervosa even before she could make full use of her enormous talent. Sayang, ’no?

The good news is that Claire, semi-retired for almost a decade now, is poised for a comeback on the recording scene, inspired by her son Gigo (Gregorio Angelo Rafael de Guzman, only 15) who recently won in the George Canseco Songwriting Contest with his entry entitled Amidst All. Claire and husband Boy de Guzman’s other son is also showing his singing prowess, more on the rap side while Gigo is into pop-rock.

Yes, Claire is a welcome, refreshing blast from the past.

Excuse me if that phrase (blast from the past) makes Claire look "dated" but the truth is that, Claire has never really been away from showbiz although, as I was saying, she hasn’t been as visible and as audible as she was during her heyday (and that of, among others, Imelda Papin, Eva Eugenio and Didith Reyes who are some of Claire’s contemporaries).

What her fans and most everybody didn’t know was that when Claire started as a singer back in 1978, she was already married to Boy de Guzman. They sort of "hid" their true relationship by pretending to be "just steadies," with Boy posing as Claire’s manager. When Gigo was born (belatedly because Claire was on pills) in the mid- ’80s, she was already semi-retired.

"Boy and I have been partners in many ways," said Claire "We are partners at home and in business. When I met Boy, he was into the electronics business. When we got married, we branched out to other businesses, including surplus. We also had a video store in Virra Mall where I opened my own boutique. Marami pa akong itinayo na negosyo, including a beauty parlor (Fanny Serrano started with her), a music school which I closed after five years due to lack of time at kung anu-ano pa."

But while minding all these businesses, Claire was also accepting singing engagements (not on the same scale that she used to), including corporate shows, not only here but in other countries (in fact, she’s doing a concert tour in Australia this May). You see, once a singer...

"Talagang hindi ko maiwan-iwanan ang pagkanta," added Claire who exudes the exuberant aura of a successful businesswoman. "Not that I wanted to forget singing dahil singing is my first love." Married for 23 years, Claire beautifullly blended her three roles as career woman (in business), singer (now "part-time") and mother. "I’m a liberal and liberated kind of mother," admitted Claire. "Whatever my two sons want to pursue as a career, okey lang sa akin; I will support them all the way."

It’s Gigo’s compositions (more than 50 so far) which have inspired Claire to plan a recording comeback, with the album now in preparation, to include one or two songs by Gigo, another one maybe by Ogie Alcasid and the rest Claire’s own choices.

Meanwhile, Claire is preoccupied with her duties as president and spokesperson of the Integrated Metro Bus Operators Association (the biggest in Metro Manila, with more than 43 members) and managing two bus companies, King of Kings (of which she’s still the president, supervising more than 700 bus units; Claire’s family is now only part-owner) and the Philippine Corinthian Line owned by both Claire’s and Boy’s families.

Now, isn’t it nice for Claire to be active on the recording scene again? Otherwise, sayang naman, di ba?

Larusso as in ‘red hair’

Now, mention the song On Ne S’aimera Plus Jamais (ask your neighbor or friend who knows a little French how to pronounce that title correctly) and chances are that you, especially if you’re a videoke/karaoke freak, will break into that song – in French at that.

Now, ask the same videoke/karaoke freaks who the singer of that song is and they’ll look at the ceiling and wonder, "Sino na nga ba?" She’s none other than Larusso.

Not being a videoke/karaoke freak, I confess (with a big blush) that I wasn’t aware that there’s such a song until Larusso breezed into town last week to promote her second (self-titled) album released by EMI-OctoArts, which includes the singles Entre Nous and Tous Unis (Give Me Love).

Larusso, which means "red hair" in French, is 22, with mixed French, Tunisian and Moroccan blood. She’s a pop star in France. In person, she’s a joy to watch and talk to, very lively and engaging – and witty, too! – looking like a cross between Barbra Streisand (one of her favorite singers) and Zsa Zsa Padilla. During a one-on-one, I asked Larusso what that song is all about and she said it’s about two lovers going their separate ways, bidding each other sad goodbyes with finality, no more turning back.

My friend Dolly Anne Carvajal (who speaks some French) has translated On Ne S’aimera Plus Jamais (We Will Never Love Each Other Again). Funfare is reprinting the (rough) translation with Dolly Anne’s permission:

We don’t love each other anymore/

No ifs and buts/

It’s the end of our keeping score/

Now have the guts/

To say you are not worth fighting for/

Just let me walk out through the door/

I don’t love you the same way anymore/

I’m so sorry/

But I’m no longer happy/

Set me free/

No use to keep on blaming me/

Set me free/

No use to keep on blaming me/

Just kiss me and let me be/

Refrain:

I don’t love you the same way anymore/

I’m not yours/

There are no more words left to say/

We lost our way/

No reason for us to stay/

This is it/

The love we had has reached its final day/

We used to say come what may/

We have stopped believing in us/

Love’s gone to trash/

We can not run for cover/

It’s over! It’s over!/

Time for a new him and a new her/

Love can only get better and sweeter/

I will cherish your smile/

Not just for awhile/

I will cherish your smile/

And I will go and sigh/

We don’t love each other anymore/

We don’t love each other anymore/

It’s over, it’s over/

It’s over, over, over/

Move over.