MANILA, Philippines — K Brosas is set to mark a major milestone in her life and career with an upcoming concert that celebrates both her 25th year in showbiz and her 50th birthday — what she jokingly calls her “silver and gold” year.
According to the performer, host and comedienne, her show titled “25K,” which is happening this Sunday (July 27) and being co-produced by MQ Live, MQuest Ventures and Cornerstone Concerts, was four years in the making. “Sobra akong blessed. Actually gawa na ito — the concept — mga four years ago na,” K shared in an interview with The Philippine STAR. “I already knew what to do. I had an idea for the opening, for the production numbers, halos buo na siya. And when I presented this to direk Pratty (John Prats, concert director)… he gave me artistic freedom… my vision for the concert, nakikita niya.
“And when I pitched this to MQuest, Cornerstone, wala naman silang binato, parang, ‘Okay! Great idea!’ Especially, direk Pratty, love na love ko yun,” she said of the director of her previous concerts, including her “18K” concert in 2018 and her collab shows with Rey Valera and Angeline Quinto.
“So, imagine 25 years in the business, todo na. And (it’s) my 50th birthday, so alam mo na, it’s a double celebration, doble ang sumbat sa mga hindi manonood, hahaha!”
Looking back on 25 years in the business, K could say, it’s been a rollercoaster ride.
K Brosas celebrates her 25th year in showbiz and 50th birthday in one big, laughter-filled concert titled ‘25K,’ which is happening this Sunday at the New Frontier Theater. In this milestone show, she looks back on her journey from sing-along bars to bigger stages, opens up about surviving career slumps and financial struggles, and shares why faith, real friends and staying grounded matter more than fame.
“There are times when you don’t have projects and when there are projects, they come nonstop, at all once, like now. When you are blessed by the Lord, todo talaga. ‘Pag pinapahinga ka Niya, don’t worry, just take a break and regroup. Then He’ll give you a ton of blessings again. That’s what’s really happening.”
She looked back some more on her journey in the industry.: “I feel like, hindi pa ako ganun katagal pero matagal, ang gulo, no? Hahaha! But yes, with what I’ve been through, obviously, it’s been a long time.
“Lahat ng channel — kulang nalang sa Animal Planet — naikot ko and I’m grateful to all the stations and networks that I’ve worked with.”
Asked how she also feels about turning 50, K quipped, “Signs of aging na rin tayo, we can’t deny it. Siempre hindi halata sa mukha, hahaha, kasi nagagawan ng paraan ng siyensya but ‘wag lang todo hahaha! Do it only in moderation. But energy-wise, I have to admit I’m feeling it.
“May maintenance na. But for me, as long as you’re happy, your outlook is positive and you remain excited — like how I am now with this concert — nawawala yung anxiety, the stress and even the menopause, hahaha!”
GRATEFUL FOR THE HIGHS AND LOWS
K traced her entertainment roots to her days performing in sing-along bars, which required some banter and more importantly, a wide range of knowledge on songs.
“No. 1 criteria there is marunong ka kumanta (you must know how to sing) and among my contemporaries at that time was Allan K…”
She started when she was 17 and when she was 18, she became an overseas worker in Thailand.
Everytime K came home, she made the rounds of sing-along as well as jazz bars. By year 2000, coming from South Korea at that time, she was invited to join Gladys and the Boxers, which then had the addendum in its band name, “with K.”
“It became a hit. Because at the time, we were the only, all-out comedy band.”
That led to TV stints, sitcoms and the rest is history.
Of course, as they say, life wasn’t always in sync, there were offbeat moments and flat notes along the way.
When asked about her most difficult times in showbiz, K told The STAR, “Ay ang dami te! I went bankrupt. Then we got affected by Ondoy. For three days, I stayed on our roof. Magkasunod yun in a span of one year.
“I had no money. (To the extent that) nahilaan ako ng sasakyan. Hindi dahil sa wala akong trabaho but ang dahilan ay dahil sobra akong gastador. Then barkada, you name it. Pahingi ng pera, pautang. Sobra akong nagpabaya.
“Tapos na Ondoy pa ako, which is limas ang aking bahay kasi bungalow yung bahay ko. So basically, I had to start from zero. So from there, that’s when I started to (shape up with the realization that) ganito pala yun… and that’s what I’m always instilling in my child right now. Na nabibingi na sa akin sa kakaulit ko ng, ‘Anak, mag-ipon ka. So I guess that was the darkest time. Very challenging.
“But looking back, I can’t help but think, how did I survive that? That’s my epiphany. Ang lalim! Hahaha spell epiphany? But yes, I had those realizations. Paano ko nalagpasan yun? Sa totoo lang. Mabait talaga si Lord. So every time I have that kind of experience, yung nalulugmok ako, ang ibinabalik Niya sa akin sobrang doble.
“Siguro wag lang talaga mawalan ng pag-asa because naniniwala talaga ako na ‘This too shall pass.’ Whether good or bad, this too shall pass. At least, nasa consciousness mo na yun.”
Another big realization was that she had a “lot of seasonal friends.” “Seasonal, occasional friends. Now, no more. Friends who helped me during Ondoy, these were non-showbiz friends. And they are still my friends until now, since college, when I wasn’t still an artista. They are my real friends… They are my core group.
“Nagdagdagan sila pero maliit pa rin. In other words, choose wisely. Kasi nga sa dami na nangloko sa akin and everything, tama na. And because of signs of aging and menopause, I have no patience (for these things), and learn to say no without giving any explanation.”
As for her advice to younger artists: “For beginners, you really have to put in the hard work. The problem now is that many become instantly famous. They just go viral and whatever. Pero hindi ko sila ina-ano. I’m talking to those who have become swell-headed, whoever they are. I’m speaking in general… Learn to appreciate the hard work… like how we really had to hustle our way up.
“Until now, I still don’t think sikat ako (I’m famous) or have reached that level… I’m aiming for longevity. Yung paano ako di mawawala. That’s more important to me than being super famous.
“So to the aspiring artists, dahan-dahan, ‘wag madali, may lakad ba kayo? And whoever has achieved it (instant fame), learn to take care of it because that’s rare. It’s rare to be given such an opportunity to become an overnight success.”
Meanwhile, one young performer K admires nowadays is Klarisse de Guzman, who’s been trending due to her “Pinoy Big Brother” stint.
“You know why? Because I see in her the possibility of becoming a comedienne. She can be a comedy concert queen one day. Kasi kaya niya.
“I think she’s still holding back, feeling ko lang. So why not? That’s why I tried getting her as a guest but she’s busy. Feeling ko kasi may lalabas pa siya eh.
“Her singing is a given. Ayoko sana i-compare yung ginagawa ko pero parang somehow kaya niyang gawin na incorporate yung singing into a comedy material.
“Actually, we’re not close, we’ve seen each other once or twice but I like her. I’ve not really watched ‘PBB’ but I’ve seen the clips and of course, she came out publicly, and I respect that because malapit yung puso ko sa LGBTQUIA+ as my child is part of the community. I commend her for that.”
(Check out ticket availability on www.ticketnet.com.ph.)
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