Lessons from Cebuana diva Maria Donna

CEBU, Philippines — Cebuana singer Maria Donna Taneo Arquillano knows this by heart: you’ve got to work for what you want.

Growing up in a simple household, the singer who brought pride to Cebu and the Philippines after winning in the 9th Shanghai Asia Music Festival in 2006 had always loved music. After a day’s hard work, her father, a shell craft worker, would hit the karaoke to unwind. This was one of her early exposures to music.

Although she started singing at six, Maria Donna didn’t really see herself on stage. Even though her grandmothers from both sides sang for church, it wasn’t until she saw one of her aunts provide for the family through singing did she learn how useful her talent could be.

“I watched my aunt help us because of her singing. Siya jud ang grabe. Mao to ganahan kaayo ko,” Maria Donna said.

At 14, Maria Donna joined a band. She would perform up until two in the morning and then study for class that began at seven a few hours later. She soon became an Amparito Lhuillier Educational Foundation scholar and was able to attend the University of San Jose-Recoletos from high school to college, finishing a degree in Mass Communications all the while performing for the university’s Dramatics and Cultural Ensemble.

“Lisod gyud. But ni pay-off ra sad akong efforts,” she said, crediting her band experience for developing her singing.

Currently a featured singer at the Royal Caribbean (cruise ship) Productions, Maria Donna was in Hong Kong for five years as a performer for Hong Kong Disneyland where she starred as Nala in “The Festival of The Lion King.”

“Lahi gyud ang standards. For Disney, you have to audition every year. In theater, dili ka pwede mag tanga-tanga. You’re not just singing. You’re also dancing and acting. You have to be focused,” Maria Donna quipped.

In live theater, one has to be disciplined and be present. You have to make sure you’re in the right spot, doing the right moves and saying the right things. She had to stay in shape not only to be fit for her role, but also because altering elaborate costumes would take too much time.

She also admitted to feeling insecure when she competed at the Shanghai Asia Music Festival. Seeing delegates from others countries with their stage moms and beautiful clothes, Maria Donna, from her humble beginnings, felt out of place. It didn’t help that people back home questioned why she was chosen to represent the country.

“Unsa raman tawn ko… Daghan ang ni question nganong ako’y gipadala. Alangan, sauna Rachel Ann Go, Carol Banawa… Grabe ka ubos akong self-esteem. Pobre ra gud ta. Makig gather ka ug mga tao nga kalaysho. Mailhan jud nga ikaw ang pobre kay ikaw ang bulingit,” she recalled.

But that didn’t stop her from winning gold, besting more than 20 other singers in the prestigious competition.

“Labad. Dili kaya. Kay grabe ang pressure. People would wonder who I was. Why did they choose me? All I wanted was to have something to show for… that when I come out of the plane, I can say that this trophy, this is what I have for you. Gold man ang gihatag. Para gyud to sa akoa.”

Despite being the celebrated singer that she is today, the Garbo sa Sugbo awardee began performing abroad with a bit of sadness. At 19, Maria Donna was with child. Because she wanted to ensure her offspring’s future, she decided to leave her three month-old baby and fly to Macau with the same aunt who inspired her to perform for a living.

“It was hard,” she said. “Every time I would go to bed, I could hear my baby cry. It was painful.”

One of the challenges of working abroad was having her skills questioned, especially that she had no formal theater training. While her colleagues were exposed to theater as toddlers and went to this art school and that, Maria Donna didn’t even know how to read musical notes. Which was why she worked hard, making sure she didn’t need a copy of the song the next day.

She understood why people often wondered if she was worthy, so instead of crying over it, she showed them that she was.

“You can’t please everybody. There will be people who can’t understand and will question why you’re in that field. They studied this. They paid for tuition fees. For us, it was extra curricular work, but they paid hundreds of dollars per semester,” she explained.

“They can’t discriminate if you prove to them that you’re worthy. It’s a good challenge because it will develop you more. I made sure that while they could read the notes on the paper tonight, tomorrow, I won’t be needing it at all.”

Maria Donna’s favorite song would be “My Way” because it speaks of  her experiences and how she took the blows each time. But her life’s theme song would be “I Love You Lord,” because according to her, she won’t amount to anything without God.

Maria Dona also couldn’t stress work ethic enough. “I’m not saying that I’m a high enough standard but, for aspiring performers, believe that you can do it. Even if a lot of people have something to say…It takes one step at a time. If every day, you try and make that step, no matter how small, as long as you have a goal and you slowly make your way towards it, don’t be discouraged.”

She also reminds to never let one’s achievements go to your head, but to treat it as a gift instead.

“When you get there, when you get your praises, remember that it’s not yours. Those are chances and opportunities given to you from above,” she said.

“No matter how good you are, if you don’t have work ethic then you won’t get anywhere. This is a borrowed opportunity, someone is guiding you. Don’t put yourself up there. It’s a blessing, and it could have been given to anyone, so you are blessed that it’s you.”