By NOEL D. FERRER
Jackie Lou Blanco (or Jackie or JLB as people refer to her) turned 60 last weekend. It was a simple, happy dinner she had with her family; a bit melancholic, sentimental yet very optimistic and hopeful about what is in store for her.
“I am excited to have my 20% discount. Hahaha! Life begins at 60 daw, and so I am looking forward to new beginnings,” said Señora Jackie.
When prompted to list her top 10 core accomplishments that fill her with gratitude and thankfulness, JLB came up with this list:
- By God’s grace, healthy
- My children who always take care of me and love me unconditionally
- My grandchildren that give me so much joy
- Spending time with my mom, my brother, and my pamangkins
- For my BFF Mariz who is such a blessing
- For Sharon for the reconnected friendship
- That I am still active in the industry
- Blessed to be offered good roles and for GMA7 for their trust and support
- My struggles and challenges that give me precious lessons
- And most importantly, My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is my anchor, my strength, my Father who will never leave or forsake me.
JLB also lists down the 10 things she still wants to tick off her bucket list: pottery; more meaningful and beautiful films and TV shows, hopefully a Cinemalaya film and series that will feature women my age; a musical or play again (She won an award for “Buwan at Baril”); write a column again; travel more with family; renovate my house; act with my children Ara and Rikki Mae; continue working out and work on my YouTube channel and have my own talk show; have a clothing line; and make beautiful music once again, sing again, record again.
Sing again means doing songs that tell her story. Last year, Jackie released “Friends” – her song with Megastar Sharon Cuneta. On her 60th birthday, she does her version of a song which was written for her in 1986. Just a little trivia: Did you know that Jackie was the inspiration behind Concert King Martin Nievera’s very first Filipino hit, “Ikaw ang Lahat sa Akin”?
Martin Nievera relates the story very well: “I wrote it in English for a very special girl, (whispers) Jackie Lou Blanco, and it was Cecile Azarcon who I made a phone call in the house of Louie Heredia. [It was an] Overseas call using his landline – and it was Cecile who listened to my story.
“Whenever we’re together o apart, I wish I can be with her , but we can’t, (because they’re second cousins), maybe one day I can be with her. Then was born ‘Ikaw ang Lahat sa Akin.’
“[Cecil] took my words. I wrote everything in English for Jackie , and [Cecil] made it to a beautiful Tagalog hit! My very first Tagalog song. It took me 5 1/2 hours to record with a guitar solo by Morris Albert.
“If Jackie records it – the song I composed during those days when we were both young and free – it would be a full circle moment,” he further said. “Maybe the song really wasn’t meant for me, or maybe I was supposed to be her lifetime demo. Think about it. If I was indeed a peg in her life, that song would be a perfect way to say that we’ve come full circle, our relationship has blossomed into what it is today, and here’s the song that put it all together. She can say – the song that you started, and you wrote for me, I now sing. The fact she sings the song I wrote, that’s magic enough.”
True enough, this meaningful composition by Cecile Azarcon – now Inocentes – with Martin is now on Spotify and other audio streaming platforms and JLB breathes new life to this classic.
“Ikaw ang lahat sa akin/Kahit ika’y wala sa aking piling/Isang magandang alaala/Isang kahapong lagi kong kasama.”
Jackie opens up: “I never imagined I would get to record this song. It felt surreal when I did. Sanay ako na kinakanta ni Martin. To me, it was always the song he wrote for me. Tapos ngayon, I get to sing my song. Listening to it after reminded me of our story : how it was, what we went through. We may not have ended together, but my respect and love for him will always remain. He will always hold a special place in my heart.”
“At kung hindi ngayon ang panahon/Upang ikaw ay mahalin/Bukas na walang hanggan/Hanggang matapos ang kailan pa man/Bukas na walang hanggan/Doo’y maghihintay pa rin”
Happy sixty, Jackie! And welcome to new, exciting and happy beginnings.
