News personality Angelique Lazo is widely known to the public as the pioneer face of TV Patrol’s Star News in 1987.
She has presented various newscasts and TV programs throughout her long career, including Sentro Balita, which currently airs on PTV 4 every lunchtime. Yet many people do not know that the veteran TV presenter was a college chorister, once affiliated with the Ateneo Glee Club.
She recounted her years with the ACGC, the only student organization she joined during her time at the university.
“Since I joined Ateneo as a Communication Arts student, I initially thought of joining the Glee Club. It was actually the only extracurricular activity I was really interested in because I had already been in a choir since high school during my stay in Japan,” she says.
Led then by composer-conductor Joel Navarro, Angelique bore witness to the group’s musicality under his tenure as he skillfully shaped its sound.
“Joel Navarro made such an impact on me and all of us because he was such a genius and ahead of his time. He was able to hone our voices to create that remarkable sound that captivated our audience when we competed abroad,” she says.
Though their musical discipline was important, it was equally crucial to nurture the singers’ spirituality through Navarro’s Christ-centered guidance.
“Why are we doing this? It was not really for ourselves, but for God’s greater glory. We were truly seeking to give back; whatever talent He had given us, we were simply offering it back to Him,” she reflects.
The college group later won prizes in Arezzo, Italy, in 1981 and again in the Spanish cities of Barcelona and Cantonigros two years later.
Their musical skill, combined with their strong faith, gave them an edge over their more established competitors during their tour of the continent.
“We wanted people to recognize the Philippines. We wanted our audience to experience the deep spirituality that the Lord had given us, that we are His instruments. There was this depth that was conveyed to the audience through our music,” she later recalls.
Angelique, who once sang as a guest on an episode of a musical show, recounted the lessons she learned in taking care of her voice from her years in the choir.
“You learn how to be disciplined—to take care of your voice. You don’t smoke. You try to get enough sleep, which I don’t get to follow now. You also learn how to be better at reading notes,” she adds.
But in trying to balance the worlds of music and her career on camera, she believes there is no conflict in pursuing both.
“Music is more universal. I don’t see any kind of conflicting image. I can sing, and I can still do the news because it’s not contradictory,” she explains.
With a smile on her face, Angelique Lazo says there is more to her than being a news presenter on TV.
Her stint with the Glee Club, and later with the Ateneo Chamber Singers, is just part of her long musical journey.
