KZ Tandingan, Yeng Constantino on breaking the rules, overcoming doubt

March 28 ------ Accepting the Rule Breaker and Hitmaker awards was an emotional moment for KZ Tandingan and Yeng Constantino, as they spoke about the hardships female artists face in the music industry.

Tandingan and Constantino were recognized by Billboard Philippines as the Rule Breaker and Hitmaker awardees, respectively, in their annual Women in Music on Tuesday, March 24. The awards ceremony spotlighted female artists and their contributions to OPM and how they paved the way for their peers to chart their own path.

“Who would’ve thought I’d be recognized as the artist I was once told to hide? I was told how to look, sound, and be soft but not too soft, be powerful but not too loud,” Tandingan said in an impassioned speech. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned after 14 years in the industry, it’s that art is never meant to exist with permission.”

As an artist, the “Scared to Death” singer said she intentionally broke the rules to survive, noting that women in several industries do the same. “For so many years, especially women, the rules were never made with us in mind.” “When we break them and take up space, when we raise our voices, when we tell the stories we’re told to silence, we’re not just making music, we’re reclaiming it,” she continued. “The world doesn’t change when following what already exists. It changes the moment a woman decides she no longer needs permission to be heard.”

Ending her speech, Tandingan urged her fellow artists to be “excited” when they need to follow the rules. “Let’s get excited every time we’re told to follow the rules because it means we’re standing at the edge, ready to break them and do something better,” she said. Constantino, on the other hand, did her best to hold back her tears after accepting her trophy. “Mula noong bata pa, pangarap ko’y [makarating] sa industriyang ito at kumanta sa entablado. Hindi ko aakalain na 20 years na ako sa industry,” she said, after performing “Ikaw” and “Lapit.”

Despite putting up a confident front onstage, the singer-songwriter opened up about facing self-doubt several times in her career, saying that she held on to those who sincerely believed in her abilities. “Utang na loob ko ang platform na ito sa mga taong nagtiwala sa’kin. Madalas, pakiramdam ko that I don’t deserve to be here,” she said. “I would like to present myself as very astig pero dadaan talaga tayo sa pagkakataon natin na tayo ay may self-doubt.”

Constantino hoped that fellow artists would “see themselves in the eyes of people who believe in them” to develop self-confidence. “May we see ourselves in the eyes of those who believe and love us — kahit hiram lang muna. Para lang lumakas ang loob natin kasi minsan, ‘yun ang ating kailangan. Tingnan niyo ang mata ng mga naniniwala sa inyo [to] start believing in yourself. Before you know it, kayo ay confident na rin,” she said.

Source: inquirer.net