Verni Varga is known in the Philippine Music Industry as “The Vamp” — an immensely powerful seductress whose impeccable showmanship and amazing voice tempted and captured the hearts of her countless fans not only here in the Philippines but around the world as well. She has also been called as the country’s ultimate jazz diva as her awesome vocal improvisations on her iconic cover of Dave Brubeck’s Take Five remain the stuff of Pinoy diva legends. Verni has performed for the royal families of Thailand and Brunei. To this day, she is still one of the favorite and most beloved Filipino singers of former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos.
Today, Verni refuses to be referred to as a jazz diva, let alone The Vamp. To those wondering what she’s been up to these days, Verni is still very active doing corporate shows, as she is still the “Queen of Corporate Shows” — another title she is very uncomfortable with. Professionally, she just wants to be known as a singer: plain and simple. But what she really is most proud of is the fact that she is, first and foremost, a Christian, secondly a wife to her husband, and a mother to her three children.
Verni consciously decided to put her career on the backburner and traded the thundering applause and accolades that went with her life as a “diva” for the quiet bliss of married life — the one thing that she has always prayed for. “It was one of the best decisions I ever made. Don’t get me wrong. I love my career as it has given me so much. I still regularly do corporate shows and special concerts every now and then, as singing and performing will forever be part of my life. But my priorities have changed over the years: God, family, and career — in that order.”
Verni has aged so gracefully and has successfully maintained her drop-dead gorgeous physique. She is still the same world-class performer onstage: her voice remains immaculate and her showmanship, like fine wine, gets better and better every year. But a lot has changed in the life and career of the great Verni Varga. “I now use the talent that God blessed me with to glorify Him and to inspire others,” says Verni. “It’s actually still me that you see onstage. I’m still bubbly and fun and energetic minus the cleavage and the provocative slits in my gowns. I sing and perform for the Lord now.”
Verni admits that her hectic wife/mommy duties plus her regular corporate shows leave her little time to read books to her heart’s content. “But I do read when I have the time. I love cookbooks, coffee table books on home décor, and self-help books.”
Here are some of her most favorite reads:
1. The Holy Bible. “I read this book every day, as The Holy Bible will forever be part of my life. This book contains the word of God — the only words that matter to me. My life changed when I found The Lord and accepted Him as my savior. After I found God, I found love and everything fell in place. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and equally wonderful children. I can’t ask for anything more. I will spend the rest of life praising the goodness of the Lord.”
2. The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten. “Cooking is one of my passions. I super love this cookbook. Gourmet cooking is made easy through the fantastic and hassle-free recipes of Ina Garten. I love cooking for my family and I learned a trick or two from this book on how to prepare some of the most delicious and memorable meals that I share with my husband and kids.”
3. The 7 Most Powerful Prayers That Will Change Your Life Forever by Adam Houge. “This book is very powerful, as the title suggests. Anything and everything can be achieved and accomplished through prayer and hard work. God hears the prayers of our hearts. Anything that we ask for in prayer will be granted to us if it is according to the will of The Lord: ask, and you shall receive. These are the most comforting words that gave my life peace beyond reason and logic.”
4. Parenting Teenagers 101 - Parenting Tips to Discipline Your Teens by Jennifer Simmons. “It’s not easy to be a parent. Parenting has so many phases. It was both a joy and a challenge when my children were infants and toddlers. It’s a different challenge and adventure for my husband and I now that our children are in their teens. Times were different when we were teenagers and I don’t claim to know everything so I wouldn’t mind getting some helpful tips here and there. This book is a gem because it taught me that disciplining my teenage kids could actually be very fun not only for my husband and me but for our kids as well.”
5. Kitchen Idea Book by Joanne Kellar Bouknight. “A major project that I want to accomplish this year is to renovate my kitchen. This book gave me so many helpful ideas. I want my kitchen to be functional and homey at the same time. I want it to be more organized and more comfortable as me and my husband spend most of our time with our kids in the kitchen where we catch up with each other’s day and just bond over a home-cooked meal, courtesy of me, of course.”
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“The Reading Club” recommends Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne by James Gavin. This should be available at the National Bookstore and Powerbooks.
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Your comments and suggestions are welcome at gr.rodis@gmail.com.