The group stormed the 23rd Aliw Awards by taking home the trophy for the Best Group Performance in a Concert, specifically for their first major concert “Only La Diva” held late last year.
“Winning such awards motivated us more to give good music and work harder. The feeling is so overwhelming and everything was unexpected,” shared Maricris Garcia, one-third of the troika that also includes Jonalyn Viray and Aicelle Santos.
She recalled how during the Star Awards they found themselves rushing to the stage upon learning they won. “Hindi po kami aware na nanalo kami coz we were at the dressing room chatting then suddenly we heard somebody calling "La diva!"’Yun pala we were announced as the winner na. We rushed to the stage to accept the award, speechless. Not prepared at all, but very happy of course.”
More popularly known as belters, they definitely will surprise everyone with more poignant stance that still captures those emotive vocal harmonies heard all over the world when they sang the Philippine National Anthem during the Pacquiao-Cotto fight last year.
Jonalyn related, “After singing in that Pacquiao fight, we are always excited to know who's going to sing in the next fight. So the moment we heard about Zyrene singing the national anthem we felt glad for her. It is an honor to be in that state, not to mention the pressure.”
Their experience was surely unforgettable and she even has a friendly advice to the “Are You The Next Big Star” third placer. “We asked somebody to warn her that there are no monitors in the boxing ring so she better have an ear plug,” she noted. “A very memorable experience we had in that event was when Micheal Buffer introduced us and gave us only one microphone! We can’t sing with only one mic so we panicked! But thank God the two other microphones just came in time.”
Running for two years now, the GMA Artist Center talent is a gathering of solo acts off the Pinoy Pop Superstar winners’ circle. Alone each scored a hit song or two, but as collective force they became more unstoppable. Their 10-track album released by Sony last year provided listeners their brand of singing. More so that their voices became staple for GMA-7’s teleseryes as they sang the themes for “Rosalinda,” “Ang Babaeng Hinugot Sa Aking Tadyang,” “Basahang Ginto,” and “Queen Seon Deok” where they interpreted to popular acclaim the Sebsatian Guy original “Angels Brought Me Here.”
“Personally I wanted this group to last, like what I always sayto the other 2, ‘sana tumagal tayo like APO,’” Aicelle said in jest.
With the way they’ve been entertaining people and the support they get in return, along with them becoming more than professional mates but real close friends, such a wish coming true is not a longshot.
