The first time we met Geneva Cruz was in the early 2000s. By then, her days as lead singer of the phenomenal band Smokey Mountain were already behind her. She was now a solo artist and was promoting an upcoming concert. She also talked about her Heaven. Heaven is her toddler son with former husband, the singer and drummer Paco Arespacochaga. Geneva Cruz was and is a star, but she was also happy and proud to be a doting young mother.
She’s in love with a wonderful guy: Another scene from her music video.
Heaven is now 24 years old, and his mother, now 48, is officially a “Tita of Manila,” as Filipino women who reach a certain age are casually known. Yet watching the music video of her latest single, When Christmas Comes, I find it hard to believe that Geneva already has an adult child. In the video, she wears a tight white sweater and very short skirt. She looks girlish and so much like a love-struck high schooler. Towards the end, we see her putting trimmings on a Christmas tree, in elegant, revealing evening wear. She is the essence of sophistication and allure.
She’s even more amazing in person. Everyone at the media launch of her Christmas single was eager to ask how and where she discovered the fountain of youth. Also surprising was the fact that she co-wrote the tune she sings in the video. She was never known as a songwriter. She became a household name when Smokey Mountain ruled the airwaves. She went on to be an award-winning recording artist who turned songs like Kailan and Anak ng Pasig into classics. She also has a string of record albums that were certified platinum.
“I’ve been writing since I was 14,” she explained. “I always kept a journal and I’d write something when an entry in the journal would affect me emotionally. At that time I wrote a song called Love Can Wait. It was my way of saying that at the age of 14, I was aware that I was too young to fall in love or have a boyfriend. I had other priorities like schoolwork.”
Through the years she wrote a few more songs and recorded some of them. She decided to write a Christmas song because she loves the Christmas traditions, movies, music, “and what it stands for—love, peace and joy for everyone!
“I’ve had wonderful memories of Christmas. My late mom made the holidays special for my sisters and me. She cooked the most delicious food and took us shopping for new dresses and shoes. And I love listening and singing Christmas carols. The songs of Tito Joe (Mari Chan) are always on my Christmas playlist, as well as Mariah Carey, the Jackson Five, and Johnny Mathis.”
She tried writing the Christmas song last year. She consulted with Dan Gil, one of National Artist Ryan Cayabyab’s top students. “Creation is all about inspiration and timing. I guess the timing wasn’t right then,” she said.
She decided to give it a try again this year. This time it was “love” that motivated her. “I discovered the perfect inspiration, and along with my passion for Christmas, everything just came together. I went to Dan’s place, sat in front of his computer, and started typing. After I wrote the song, he worked on the melody and arrangement. When Christmas Comes was born.”
Geneva and Jeffrey Hidalgo at the media launch of her single and music video. Hidalgo directed the video.
It was Geneva who bankrolled the recording as well as the production of the music video. She tapped her old pal and famous singing colleague, Jeffrey Hidalgo, to direct it. The song has a club dance party vibe because for Geneva, writing a sad Christmas song is out of the question. She also stressed that she’s no Ryan Cayabyab, the maestro and National Artist who mentored her and formed Smokey Mountain.
“There is a wealth of ideas from the maestro, but there’s only one Mr. C. While I can strive to emulate his work ethic and passion for songwriting, I must develop my own style. Each artist has a unique style,” she said.
Sgt. Geneva Cruz of the PAF command reserve took part in the coastal cleanup drive activity at Quezon Beach in Patikul, Sulu.
But how many songwriters can claim or boast to have the drop-dead gorgeous looks of Geneva Cruz? She’s healthier and stronger and her trim build is the result of her fitness training regimen. She does weights every other day and runs as often as she can. She also underwent and passed the training course of the Philippine Air Force. She’s now with its reserve command and holds the rank of sergeant.
She also recently competed in her first ever triathlon. “I learned how to swim just last year,” she said, laughing. “It wasn’t the kind of triathlon that requires you to swim in the ocean. Sa swimming pool lang muna. And it wasn’t my aim to win or be a top placer. My target was to just complete the race.”
She says she trains to maintain her strength. “It’s not about vanity. One must love one’s self. Love your body. When I was younger I smoked and spent late nights drinking and partying.” That isn’t the way to treat one’s own body, she said. She quit the vices and changed her diet.
“I used to be a vegan. But I later realized I also needed protein for strength. So part of loving yourself is not depriving yourself of the food that your body needs.”
So now that she’s fit to be a triathlon athlete and PA officer, TheDiarist.ph asked if she were to be invited again, would she be willing to do another season of Survivor Philippines? She can easily deal with the challenges heaped upon the contestants. Her answer: a big “No.” She dislikes the way the competition is done. “Backbiting plays a big part in it and I don’t like it. I was in it back in 2011 because my then boyfriend wanted us to join,” she said.
Geneva is certainly basking in this new and exciting stage of her life, and she insists that being older shouldn’t be a hindrance to trying out new things and new activities. “A lot of people have this wrong notion that once they reach a certain age, it’s all over. They can’t do this or they’re too old for that. That’s very wrong,” she said.
She says no one is too old to experience new adventures, new hobbies, new careers, and even a new romance. Geneva is now having and doing all that, including romance! Her new love is national athlete Dean Roxas. He appears in the latter part of Geneva’s music video, which can be viewed on her official YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. As it happens, he not only motivated her to get into fitness training, he was also her motivation to write the song.
