I noticed that many international Blackjacks and fansites are ordering the Meg Magazine July 2014 issue with Dara on the cover. Since there are many portions of the interview written in Filipino, I decided to upload a full English translation for the sole purpose of helping the foreign readers understand the article better. I am also doing this in gratitude to the many volunteer translators who have generously contributed to making articles in Korean, Japanese and other languages accessible to English speakers. Pay it forward, pay it back. No copyright infringement intended.
(Unofficial English translation of bilingual Q and A from Meg Magazine July 2014 cover article written by editor Bianca Gonzalez. Translated for this blog by @angelpilgrim. For private reading purposes only. Please do not re-upload and kindly quote with appropriate credits.)
Switch on: Dara
“Mahal ko kayo” – I love you all!
Q: Sometimes you go to the Philippines in secret and for fun. What is it about the Philippines that makes you keep coming back?
A: I like the place! I like the beaches and the food. There are so many good memories from the Philippines that I cannot forget.
Q: When you’re here, you prefer doing interviews in Tagalog. Why?
A: Because at first, during SCQ, I wasn’t articulate in Tagalog*. People would say I shouldn’t be voted for because I didn’t speak Tagalog. When I eventually became better at it, I became more comfortable using Tagalog. For the fans as well, so that they will be glad to know I’ve not forgotten Tagalog.
(*Translator’s note: “Tagalog” is the national language of the Philippines and is officially known as Filipino in its standard form. However, there are some 175 regional and ethnic languages spoken throughout the Philippines.)
Q: Aah, okay! I am curious about that because before in SCQ, your fan base was purely Pinoys. Now your fans are from all over the world! Yet you still hold your Pinoy fans so dear to you.
A: I’m not sure, but I feel that my biggest fan base is still here in the Philippines. As expected, since we’ve been together for a long time. They’ve being supporting me for ten years. We’re more like friends by now.
“Kaya Ko ‘To” – I Can Do This
Q: I don’t know if you remember the feeling, but let’s go back to when you joined SCQ. When you auditioned, did you think you would win?
A: No, I never imagined it.
Q: What did you think? What were your expectations?
A: It was more like, okay I want to try this just for the experience. But I never imagined I would make it to the top 50, then the top 20, then top 10. I really never imagined it.
Q: Did that experience change you? Did you become more confident? Imagine, you exceeded even your own expectations.
A: At first, I was such a crybaby! When I made it top 10, top five, I would always end up crying. But for the sake of the fans, I tried to show more confidence. I would see the banners that had my name on them, I would hear them screaming… And it made me feel like, “Yeah, I can do this…”
“Gusto Ko Maging Ganito” – This is Who I Want to Be
Q: You decided to move to Korea around 2007, and then you started training for dancing and singing. And you were telling us earlier that at that point, you weren’t receiving any income yet because it’s really just for training. When you started there, did you think you would make it this big eventually?
A: Again, no. It didn’t cross my mind as well. But I always imagined that this is what I want for myself – to be onstage. That’s probably the secret of success.
Q: You used to visualize that your where singing and dancing onstage?
A: Mmm… That’s what was constantly playing in my mind.
Q: So after all the training, all the hard work, when did you acknowledge to yourself that you’ve made it?
A: When we started recording, I wasn’t really sure because I can still be pulled out (of the group) even after recording, so I was still nervous then. But I started feeling it when we shot our first commercial as a group, together with Big Bang. And then finally, when we shot our music video for “Fire”, I said to myself, “This is it! This is for real!”
Q: Do you remember the first time you heard your song on the radio or saw your video on TV? What was the feeling like?
A: I couldn’t believe it! When I first heard our song being played, we were walking and we all stopped. I said: “Wait! Let’s listen to it first!” It happened that way. Like a dream come true.
“Sobrang Hirap, Sobrang Takot” – So Much Hardship, So Much Anxiety
Q: Of course, all the public see is when you’re made up in magazines or performing on stage. In short, they just see all the glamour. How tough or how difficult does it get behind the scenes?
A: It’s very difficult. Because when you’re a trainee, you never know when you will debut. You don’t even know if you will become successful. Those are really hard times and I was very anxious. Besides, it’s cold in Korea. So you feel the exhaustion, the huger, the cold, all the difficulties are there.
Q: You mentioned to me that before you arrived here in Manila, you’ve not slept properly for three days. Why?
A: Ah, because we shot a music video for our Japanese album, so we all went without sleep for three days. Then after that, we still had a photo shoot for the Japanese album. From the studio, I went straight to the airport.
Q: Wow, I can imagine how exhausted you must have been yet with your work, when you’re on cam, you’re expected to look and be 100%. How do you deal with that?
A: Perhaps… I was born to do this. (Laughs.) Because I’m happy when I’m in front of the camera. So when I’m in a shoot, it’s like… magic.
Q: What do you love most about your job?
A: I like photo shoots. I also like tapings. But what I like the most are live shows with an audience. The energy is really different.
Q: Do you still get nervous? Like during the final countdown when you’re about to go onstage?
A: No! For me, that’s my favorite part of the entire show. When you don’t see anything and you can only hear the audience screaming. That is the most exciting time!
Q: So you don’t get nervous anymore? That’s interesting!
A: Not anymore. But I was nervous a while ago when I entered as a guest at the PBB (Pinoy Big Brother) house.
Q: Really? Why?
A: Because I have no idea what will happen next! Onstage, I know exactly what I have to do. When there’s music, I don’t get worried. But when there’s none, I get a bit shy.
“Hindi Ko Binabasa” – I Don't Read Them
Q: Now you have so many fans, but when you were starting, of course there were some haters. When you started in SCQ, there were a lot of people who didn’t believe you can do it, they feel you’re not gonna make it. What is your advice to girls like you who have a dream but are surrounded by people who tell them “You’ll never make it, why even bother trying?”
A: I do recall that I used to have a lot of haters. But I guess I survived because I also had a lot of fans that supported me. So I would always remind myself that I can do it. Because if there’s just one single person who believes in you, that would be enough. Just try your best to improve.
Q: What’s your attitude towards bashers?
A: I don’t read them. If I already know that it's upsetting, then I don’t bother to read it so as not to dampen my mood.
“Baka Gusto Ko Na” – Perhaps I might want to…
Q: What else do you want to achieve in your career?
A: I want to tour different countries. I want to go to Europe, also to Brazil. To faraway places. And I have one more dream: I really want to come back here and do a movie. That’s one of my dreams.
Q: That would be great! You think it’s possible given your very busy schedule?
A: Yeah, when I’m not too busy anymore. Because there are periods of time where we really get busy, but there are also times when we’re not. So that’s what I’ve been imagining these days.
Q: What kind of project would you want to do if ever? Because before, your movies were mostly comedies that are love stories.
A: It’s still the same! Romantic comedies are my favorite. They bring a certain kind of thrill.
Q: But then who will you be paired with? There are so many new actors these days!
A: I know. They should find a new partner for me. Or just give me John Lloyd!* (Laughs)
(*Translator’s Note: John Lloyd Cruz is a top Filipino actor whose box-office hits are mainly dramas and romantic comedies. He and Dara knew each other from her ABS-CBN days.)
Q: How about your personal life? What else do you want to achieve?
A: Personal, of course I want to have a love life in the future. But at the moment, I’m not too interested to have a boyfriend because I am enjoying what I do. When I’m no longer too busy, perhaps I might consider it.
Q: Are you allowed to date?
A: Mmm, yeah, because our boss said after three years, it would already be okay. But now it’s already our fifth anniversary… so is it really okay? (Laughs)
“Believe in Yourself.”
Q: If you were to give life advice to a young girl reading this, what would you want to tell her?
A: As I always say, when you want something, try until you succeed. Never give up. Like in my case, I used to be stereotyped as sweet, right? But my dream was to also acquire some swag, to have charisma on stage, so I really tried hard to become a member of 2NE1. At one point, our boss even pulled me out because he felt I didn’t fit in, that being cute was all I could project. So you should really try your best.
Q: Really? What convinced him to put you back in 2NE1?
A: That time when I performed “Get it Right” by JLo. It was a hip-hop song and I practiced it everyday for two months. I almost didn’t sleep just trying to perfect it. So when I went to show the boss again, he went (nods her head in approval). Then he said, “Okay you can practice together with them again.”
Q: Looking back at everything you went through, if you were to give advice to the 20-year-old Sandara, what would that be?
A: Be happy. Don’t go krung-krung (crazy) anymore. Behave. That’s all. I want to tell her to be confident because that’s what was lacking before. Believe in yourself.
(END)
