[ARTICLE] Yeng Constantino: Home is where her music is

Yeng Constantino: Home is where her music is

By JASER A. MARASIGAN

February 2, 2011, 12:13pm

MANILA, Philippines — Whether composing that future chart topping hit, or just playing with her new Xbox Kinect with bandmates and friends, singer/songwriter Yeng Constantino spends most of her time in the living room of her condo unit in Mandaluyong City.

“When my brother was still here and was still studying, my favorite hangout place was the bedroom,” says Yeng, who had put his older brother through nursing school.

Her brother has since moved back to their parents’ home in Montalban, Rizal. Yeng’s living room has now been transformed into her very own playground. “Dito na ako nagsusulat ng kanta, dito kami nagpa-practice ng banda ko. Dito kami naglalaro ng Xbox,” she says. It is also in the living room where Yeng watches her favorite anime series - Naruto.

Yeng admits to being a big fan of video gaming. “Mahilig talaga ako! What I play now is Dance Central and Adventures sa Xbox Kinect. I have Resident Evil and boxing sa Wii. Sa PSP ko I have a Naruto game. I spend four to five hours playing, titigil lang ako kapag pagod na ako,” she gushes.

And yet, Yeng says it is not really about missing out on her childhood as she started working and joining singing contests at age 14. It is simply about the need to feed that little kid inside her every once in a while.

“Hindi ko naman na-miss out ‘yung childhood ko kasi nakapaglaro naman ako ng patintero, umaakyat ako sa puno. Naniniwala kasi ako na lahat ng tao has a kid inside them. And if they let that go, parang sa tingin ko, boring ang buhay. Hindi ko hahayaan na nakawin ng mundo ‘yun sa akin, ‘yung mga bagay na nagpapasaya sa akin kahit sobrang liit lang,” she explains.

Since Yeng never wants to miss out on those precious moments, she always has her Lumix camera in tow during travels and concert tours. “Kumukuha ako ng mga bagay na makakapagpasaya sa akin. I have a Macbook Pro and a Lumix. Mahilig akong mag-travel at gusto ko ma-capture sa pictures ‘yung mga nakikita ko,” she relates.

Chucks and slippers
Yeng is also known for her more-than-a-hundred Chucks collection. Last year, she took on a new fancy – collecting bedroom slippers. “I’m just starting. ‘Yung iba binigay sa akin. Lahat favorite ko. ‘Yung mga kabanda ko, kapag nandito sila for rehearsals, sinusuot din nila.”

Likewise, she considers her collection of awards as the most important to her. “Big deal sa akin pareho ang manalo ng award at mabenta ang album. Malaya sila mag download pero bumibili pa rin sila ng original CD. It only shows na mahal talaga nila ang mga kanta mo,” she says.

Since winning as the first Grand Star Dreamer of the talent reality show Pinoy Dream Academy, Yeng has had three hit albums. Her debut album “Salamat” reached triple platinum record level; her second album “Journey” reached gold. Her third studio album ‘’Lapit’’ carries the catchy single “Jeepney Love Story.” Yeng is also a regular performer of ASAP and hosts the nightly show “Music Uplate”.

Yeng feels the reason why she’s blessed with this talent is to inspire people, especially the youth.

“I love performing in schools. Ang sarap ng feeling kapag nagpe-perform ka sa mga bata. I think the reason kaya ka binigyan ng talent is para ma-inspire mo sila, hindi lang para sa’yo ‘yan. Hindi ka pwedeng maging selfish kapag musician ka. As a musician, and through our songs, we can remind them that there’s always hope. ‘Yun ang essence ng pagiging musician,” she says.

SOURCE/S:
Article c/o MANILA BULLETIN
Photo c/o Yengster Atehcarl Mariano Cagado