Gigi De Lana and The Gigi Vibes
MANILA -- Singer Gigi De Lana has opted to wear her hair short lately for a very important reason. She trimmed her long tresses to look the same as her mom, who sports a cropped mane after being diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer.
“I decided to cut my hair, sinabi ko na lang new look,” De Lana told ABS-CBN News. “The main reason was my mom. She is doing chemo. Ang gusto ko masabayan ko siya sa journey niya.
“Actually, dapat nga magpapa-boy cut ako. Lahat naman ng girls, bagay ang long hair. It’s our crowning glory talaga. I didn’t tell my mom the reason I cut my hair short. Siya kalbo na.
“She was always into self-pity. Ayokong malaman niya. She might say, ‘Sana hindi mo na lang ginawa.’ Baka kaya napangitan ang mga tao, kasalanan ng mom ko.
“I am still an artist and a singer. But even if I’m not, magpapa-kalbo pa rin ako. I just want to say that whatever your choice is, you are still beautiful inside and out.”
De Lana is thankful that her mom is “surviving,” so she constantly monitors her mother’s Big C journey.
As far as her music is concerned, De Lana has been successfully making waves not only in the local scene but also abroad.
Last year, De Lana and her band, Gigi Vibes, did their “Domination” concert tour that was staged in Manila, the Middle East and the US.
Interestingly, her Gigi Vibes were previously called Soul Bend, back in 2019. By 2020, they decided to change their name to Gigi Vibes when they did their livestream in the pandemic.
“Hindi biro ang pinagdaanan namin this pandemic,” De Lana disclosed. “Kahit sino naman. The first name na naisip ko, Kabogera Vibes. Pero hindi na-approve ng lahat.
“Because of my name, Gidget, we decided on Gigi Vibes.
“Our story is really special. Hindi lang kami puro saya. It’s normal for a relationship like ours. Babae ako. Very emotional creature ako. Very sensitive din.
“The boys are also sensitive, but not as sensitive as I am. Pero nagtagal kami kasi nakapag-adjust sila sa ugai ko.
“Very thankful ako sa boys ko kasi never nila ako iniwanan, kahit minsan tinotopak ako. Madalas, lagi. Pare-parehas kaming nag-a-adjust.
“Nag-aaway din kami, but we don’t stay long in that negative thing na ‘yun. We fix our relationship. We talk to each other kung ano nangyari. I can say that our band is really strong. We are very thankful that we are still here.”
The members met while singing in weddings, debuts, and wakes – “Sa buhay pati sa patay,” De Lana joked. “That’s true.”
She attested she was so used to singing birit songs in barangay contests and fiestas to joining “Tawag ng Tanghalan.”
“So when I met these guys, they advised me to learn how to sing standard songs,” De Lana said. “Kahit hindi ko sila kadugo, mahal ko sila.
“Kahit ano ang flaws nila, mahal na mahal ko sila. Ganu’n talaga. I won’t change anything.”
De Lana will be joined by the Gigi Vibes in the post-Valentine’s concert, “G Rules,” February 18, Saturday, at The Theater at Solaire.
Musical director is Jon Cruz who is also on keyboards. Her band is composed of Jake Manalo on bass, Romeo Marquez on drums and Julius Traqueña on guitar.
A Star Magic talent and Rise Studio artist, De Lana came out with her self-titled debut album last year that included soundtracks from ABS-CBN series.
The album earned 3.9 million streams on Spotify by the end of 2022. It features the hit “Sakalam” and the key track, “O, Bakit Ba.”
She recorded “Akin Ka na Lang” for the series, “A Family Affair.” She also sang “Sa Dulo” from “The Broken Marriage Vow” and “Nasa ‘Yo Ako” from “The Viral Scandal.”
Also included in the album is “Bakit Nga Ba Mahal Kita?,” her version of Roselle Nava’s hit that was the official theme of “Hello Heart,” the drama series where De Lana starred in with Gerald Anderson.