Tuesday Vargas defends ‘Babae Po Ako’
By JOJO P. PANALIGAN
Some members of the third sex were offended when Tuesday Vargas’ maiden single, "Babae Po Ako," hit the airwaves recently. In a random interview conducted by "The Buzz," people declared its lyrics demeaning as it supposedly upheld females by making fun of gays.
"That’s not true!" Tuesday defends during the press conference for her album. "The joke is actually on me. It’s a statement on my sexuality and how comfortable I am with it. If you listen to some parts of the songs, you might think of it in that way but as a whole, that’s taking it way out of context."
The singer-comedienne points out that given her background, she simply can not have a thing against homosexuals. "I know how it feels to be ‘bading’ because I grew up surrounded by them. I have friends and even family who are so. Minsan nga, ako din napapagkamalan na ding bakla – as in baklang lalaki, ha! — but so what? I’ve always said that I’d rather have a gay brother than one who’s into drugs. Walang kwenta ang sexual preference so long as di ka pariwara sa buhay!"
The controversial song is actually culled from her album of the same title under EMI Philippines and Polyeast Records. Written by Edwin Marollano, "Babae Po Ako" utilizes gay speak and rides the catchy trend of novelty.
But there’s more to the 10-track album that took seven months to make. A hybrid of reggae, pop and ballad, Tuesday claims that they were meticulous in picking out songs as she wanted an album that sparkles with original ideas and canvasses her singing styles.
"In terms of musicality, pinag-isipan ang mga kanta. Unlike most novelty songs that just have verses and choruses, yung iba dito may bridge pa. We were very particular with musical structure. We also tapped composers beyond Lito Camo (current King of Novelty writers). Magaling si Lito at kaibigan ko yan but I believe there are other composers that also have good songs to offer," she says.
Few know that Tuesday started as a serious singer. In the late ’90s she became the lead singer of ska band, Put3ska, who did the rounds of the discriminating alternative circuit back then. She also grew up listening to black music and old school rock courtesy of her musician dad and was a consistent power act in UP Diliman’s annual "LIVE A.I.D.S." events.
"Pero di ako nagu-um-O.A., ha! I don’t have pretensions of being regarded as a diva. I became known for comedy and I don’t intend to stray from the image. Ang akin lang, di naman porke’t nagpapatawa ka, kailangan sub par din ang materials na ibibigay mo sa publiko," the 23-year-old Chinese-Japanese-Filipino remarks.
Another song poised to raise some eyebrows in "Babae Po Ako" is "Wag Po, Kuya." No, it’s not a take on rape but the story of a young girl asking an older man to wait for the right time before he courts her. "Wag Po, Kuya," says Tuesday, is likely to be the next single.
We asked Tuesday the concept behind the album cover of her CD and got an interesting answer. "I tried to do the poses of Madonna in ‘Material Girl’ and Olivia Newton John in ‘Grease.’ I love the ’50s and the ’70s and you can say I am a retro girl. I like the girls then because even though they were already independent minded, they still exhibited their femininity in the clothes they wore. In short, pa-girl pa rin!"
If Tuesday seems like a ‘gay’ locked in a woman’s body, why does she think her single caused uproar among homosexuals?
"I really don’t know. Siguro yung ibang mga napahiya, hindi kumportable sa pagkatao nila. Ang sabi ko nga, kapag ang lalaki biniro mo na bakla at nagalit, kaduda-duda siya. Kasi kung di uukol, di bubukol, di ba? Still, I respect people’s opinion. At least, aware sila sa kanta ko," Tuesday ends.
"Babae Po Ako" is supported by BNY Jeans, Bang Coffee, RedBox Karaoke and Manila Bulletin.
