Regine Velasquez

How does it feel to still be relevant after 30 years in the biz?

Are you sure I’m still relevant? Honestly, I’m just happy to still be here and working.

What are the challenges in rerecording your previous hits?

Choosing the songs was difficult because some of them were already done well and would be better left untouched. I don’t want to rerecord a song if I can’t make it better or give it a fresh take. What’s the point? So, we had to pick the songs carefully and made sure I found a new approach to singing them.

My older songs will be easier to rerecord, because I have already forgotten how I did them! The newer ones will be tougher because they’re still fresh in people’s memories.

Career-wise, what are you most proud of?

More than the accolades or records I have achieved—for which I’m grateful, of course—I take pride in the fact that, in my own way, I was able to influence a younger generation of singers. And it’s not entirely because of my voice. I think my life story and background were something they found relatable, too.

Interview via Allan Policapio from inquirer.net