Twenty years in the music industry, you'd think Yeng Constantino would have performing down to a science. Well... not exactly. Even after two decades of showing up on big stages, Yeng still prepares for every single performance like it's her first, and she still gets butterflies all the time.
Fresh from her fun guest appearance on "Everybody, Sing!," the community singing game show hosted by Vice Ganda, Yeng chatted with ABS-CBN Studios and opened up about her pre-show rituals, saying she never walks onto a stage unprepared. All her effort is dedicated to her audience, who she believes deserves her best energy.
"Lahat ng performance dapat pinaghahandaan kasi ‘yung mga taong nanonood, they deserve one hundred percent ng performance. So, dapat laging present ‘yung mind, kailangan well vocalized, and kailangan ‘yung vibe mo, willing ka, alam mo hindi willing eh, parang you just know that you're grateful that you're still here," shared the first "Pinoy Dream Academy" Grand Star Dreamer. "Siguro gano'n kasi disposition ko. Twenty years na kasi ako sa industry. So, it's always a joy to perform for people."
And not only does she prepare her voice, she makes sure to look her best as well. Apparently, her biggest pre-show ritual is getting her makeup done. Fun fact: She had her whole glam team work their magic on her "Everybody, Sing!" beauty look and styling, as she wanted to keep up with Meme Vice's over-the-top glam on the show.
Yeng went on to share that she skips heavy meals before a performance because she's just not comfortable singing with a full stomach.
While performing naturally comes to Yeng (she was just a teen when she joined showbiz), she's proof that even the most confident singers aren't immune to pre-show jitters. One of the many times she felt stage fright really creeping in was when she was assigned to a Broadway-inspired production alongside Bituin Escalante on “ASAP.”
"Parang puputok ‘yung sentido ko," she recalled. "Medyo na-challenge ako do'n, hindi lang dahil sa song, pero sa kaba and 'yung mind battle na, 'Deserve ba ako na mapunta rito? Mapahanay kay Miss Bituin Escalante? Mag-Broadway Broadway ako, hindi ko naman ito genre?'"
The truth is, "ASAP" still pushes her out of her comfort zone every week, but it's a challenge she happily takes on because it also means getting to share the stage with artists she used to just 'fangirl' over from afar.
"I will always be grateful na parte ako ng 'ASAP,'" said the singer-songwriter. "Doon ko naka-collaborate sina Miss Sarah Geronimo, sina Miss Regine Velasquez, sila Tito Gary [Valenciano], Tito Martin [Nievera], Tito Ogie [Alcasid], close friends now na dating pinapanood ko lang sa telebisyon, sina Ate Kyla, sina Erik [Santos], alam mo 'yun, si Rachel Ann [Go] noong kasama pa namin. Napaka-surreal being in this industry."
"Parang feeling ko binigay na sa'kin ni God lahat ng dream collab ko," added Yeng. But if she could manifest just one more dream, it'd be writing a song for Asia's Songbird, Regine.
It also feels surreal for Yeng whenever she performs her original compositions, which reminds her that she's living her dream. "Para ibigay ng Panginoon ang privilege na 'yun na maawit ko ang aking mga kanta sa harapan ng mga tao at they sing along with me, laging wow ‘yung feeling," mused Yeng, who wrote her monster hit "Hawak Kamay" at just 14 years old before performing it on national TV as a contestant on "Pinoy Dream Academy."
Like many seasoned performers, Yeng has had her fair share of onstage bloopers, too—like that one time her audio cut out mid-performance. She thought the audience was waving their hands because they wanted "more!" only to realize they were actually trying to tell her she had no sound. Thankfully, it's one of those tricky situations performers learn how to handle on the spot. "Gagawan mo na lang ng paraan when you're there, na parang, lalagyan mo na lang ng twist na ma-entertain mo pa rin sila kahit may sumablay sa audio," she laughed.
Yeng went on to talk more about her "Everybody, Sing!" appearance and why it's such a big deal for her to guest on Vice Ganda's show. When asked about her most unforgettable encounter with the award-winning host, she got so giddy recalling that 'core memory' of Vice praising one of her "ASAP" performances on social media.
"Sabi ni Meme [Vice], parang something to the tone of 'Nakakaiyak din siyang kumanta,' parang gano'n sa Twitter," she looked back. "Na-touch ako do'n, naramdaman niya ako and alam ko na mataas ‘yung standard ni Meme. For Meme to say that, it means a lot to me."
The fangirl in Yeng also jumped out when she talked about her favorite Vice performance, which was the Unkabogable Superstar's Lady Gaga medley at a concert, "I think the whole execution, ‘yung prod, tsaka ‘yung ganda nung outfits, and ‘yung conviction niya while performing it, feel na feel niya, I really loved it. I really loved it."
After Yeng, which celebrity do you think will be next to join the fun with the songbayanan? Catch "Everybody, Sing!" every Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 PM on ABS-CBN sa ALLTV2, Kapamilya Channel, TV5, A2Z, and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), or stream episodes anytime on iWant.
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