LiSA: Another Great Day for an Interview (EXCLUSIVE)
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The day was warm, but her smile was even warmer.
Philippine Primer was able to catch up with the pretty, bubbly and kawaii-all-over JPop idol LiSA at the F1 Hotel, Taguig last Friday, June 26, 2015. With her coming in all the way from Japan on that day itself, she must have been tired. However, one cannot see a trace of this exhaustion as she waves enthusiastically to everyone, greets everyone with her own version of the traditional bow – and even gives out unexpected hugs. LiSA truly made sure that everyone felt how happy she was to be here.
“[The Philippines] is really tropical. [I imagine it having] many banana trees and mango trees,” she laughed. “It’s like Madagascar!”
Last Saturday, June 27, LiSA performed for the first time ever at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura, providing an up-close and personal meeting with some of the most important people during her concert: her fans. She did an acoustic set, following her tradition of performing without a full band when doing so for the first time in a country.
“Whenever I visit [a country for the] first time, I want to make the meeting with my fans special,” she smiled. “[So] I want to know Tagalog…[but I] only know Mabuhay!”
Despite not knowing how to speak the local tongue, LiSA’s thoughts on her music, among other things, was heard loud and clear:
On music. “I don’t think that my music is always [of] the same taste; I sing in many music genres […] I always think of what I want my fans to do. When I made songs that you can dance to, I was thinking of how my fans would look cute during my concert. They look really cute when I see them from the stage. I don’t think anyone can see them but me. (laughs)”
On her latest album. “This album contains many singles, and I want this album to be about things which make you excited or make you say, “Be strong!,” “We sing even if we commit mistakes over and over”, and even “Let’s goooo!!”.”
On being a singer. “[My strength as a singer is in] concerts, rather than being heard on CDs. During concerts, I decide to say, “Let’s play like this during this song” and make my concert fun for all fans who are there.”
On going acoustic. “When I play acoustic, I focus on the space. I can hear your voice; [I] think my voice can reach you better. My acoustic concerts are like one-on-one conversations.”
On full-band concerts. “If an acoustic concert was table tennis, a full band concert would be soccer. I love “band music” and want to have concerts with band members. So, when I make music, I try to mix “band music.” When I say this phrase, I can’t help but imagine my band members. I want them to think, “I want to try LiSA’s difficult music;” “I want to play it”.”
Our entire conversation with LiSA was fun and lively – something that fans were able to feel during her concert as well. With her winning grin, awesome hair and perky personality (not to mention her really cool jacket), LiSA has won our hearts over. If she does decide to come back to the Philippines, we’d definitely go to her soccer game.
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Article and photos by Madeline Castillo
