Photos and text by Gavin Navarro
“After everything I went through, I just want to show that I can still do it,” declared Asia’s Nightingale Lani Misalucha , referring to her much-anticipated comeback concert, “Still Lani” on August 21. The media launch was held at the Discovery Suites in Pasig last Friday.
And Misalucha will not be taking the stage alone. She will be backed up by an all-millennial lineup led by music director Antonio “Toma” Cayabyab, alongside some of OPM’s finest young acts: Ben&Ben, Leanne & Naara, Shaira Opsimar, and Paeng Sudayan, each one openly admitting they grew up listening to her timeless hits.
“OPM is thriving now,” Lani said, beaming at her collaborators.
“The bands now, the solo artists now — they’re more out there. That’s why OPM is great even after such a long time.”
Lani said she was pleasantly surprised the young stars even managed to clear their packed schedules to join her onstage. “I was surprised myself because I know Ben&Ben and the rest — they are all very, very busy. They’re still doing tours… so I’m really surprised that on that date, August 21, they were all free to do the show. So maraming salamat at agrik kayo for doing this,” she said.
It has been almost 11 years since her last solo concert, and the moment wasn’t lost on her. Lani admitted feeling emotional about stepping back into the spotlight— this time with a new generation of artists, some of whom she once lulled to sleep through the speakers of their childhood homes.
“Music has no age,” she reminded the crowd. “This concert is for everyone: Gen X, millennials, Gen Z. As long as you feel it, it’s yours.”
She also credited her millennial collaborators and production team, Backstage Entertainment, for making her return feel seamless. “Since it’s my first time working with Backstage and with Toma, from the very beginning, they were really hands-on and very organized. At least for me, it’s easier. And sana, after this concert, there’s another one,” she said.
For Lani, the concert is more than just another milestone in her storied career; it’s a statement to herself and her audience that she still has plenty left to give.
During the press conference, the OPM diva opened up about her battle with bacterial meningitis. This sickness affected her hearing and left her questioning whether she could ever sing again.
“I thought that was it for me,” she admitted, recounting how the illness made her unable to hear specific notes properly and painfully sensitive to others. “The infection left me partially deaf, with a vestibular disorder and constant tinnitus.”
“At that time, I was retraining myself,” she added. “I had to relearn how to sing again. It was that hard — to be honest, it was like for a dancer who gets injured and has to relearn all the steps. That’s what happened to me.”
However, despite the setbacks, Lani, along with Backstage Entertainment, is moving forward with “Still Lani.” The concert promises to showcase the best of her four-decade career while introducing her to younger audiences through collaborations with the brightest names of today.
With a full orchestra under Toma’s baton and the energy of her millennial co-performers breathing new life into her classics, “Still Lani” aims to prove what her fans have known all along — that her music truly knows no generation.
“Still Lani” is happening on August 21 at The Theatre at Solaire, with tickets now available through TicketWorld and the Solaire Box Office.
