Asia’s Nightingale Lani Misalucha is ready to return to the stage for her first major solo concert since suffering from bacterial meningitis in 2020 — a life-threatening illness that left her partially deaf, with balance problems and ringing in her ears.
Her concert, titled ‘Still Lani,’ produced by Backstage Entertainment, will take place on August 21, 2025 — Ninoy Aquino Day — at The Theatre at Solaire in Parañaque City. The show will feature special performances by Ben&Ben, Leanne & Naara, and theater artists Shaira Opsimar and Paeng Sudayan.
Now 55, Misalucha appeared at a recent press conference at Discovery Suites Manila, looking healthy and upbeat. Wearing a white shirt with “Still Lani” printed on it and her hair in a high ponytail, she showed no sign of backing down from her health challenges.
Misalucha and her husband contracted bacterial meningitis in 2020. Doctors later identified the cause as Streptococcus bacteria, believed to have come from contaminated meat. The illness affected the protective lining of the brain and spinal cord, and life has not been the same for her since.
She was hospitalized, underwent intensive treatment, and had to go through rehabilitation and therapy to retrain her hearing and her voice.
“I’m really trying to learn how to sing again,” she told the press. “That’s how hard it is. It’s like when you break a bone or your knee — you need to take care of it first and heal it. That’s what happened to me.”
Remaining hopeful, she added, “I had to tell myself, this is your situation now. You have to deal with it, and you just have to work around it. In life, if this is all you have, you need to learn how to live with it.”
She explained that she lost about 90 percent of the hearing in her right ear, which now only picks up distorted sound. She relies on her left ear, which still works, though not as strongly.
In Still Lani, Misalucha will perform with a 40-piece orchestra in a one-night-only event. One of the most anticipated parts of the concert is her first-time collaboration with Ben&Ben.
Over her 40-year career, Misalucha has performed many genres. At the press conference, she said this show will continue that variety.
“I always experiment,” she said. “In this concert, there will be classical music, some rap, a little bit of jazz, and rock. If you know rock — we’ll see.”
Toma Cayabyab, who is handling the concert’s musical direction, said preparations are underway.
“Our orchestra rehearsal is still in August, just a few weeks before the concert,” Cayabyab said. “For now, we’ve only done piano rehearsals and checking the keys. Earlier, I opened my laptop and checked everything — and there’s one key. It’s all in the works, but what I can promise is, it’s really exciting.”
Misalucha then gave the press a live performance of her hit song “Bukas na Lang Kita Mamahalin,” accompanied by Cayabyab on piano.
Her voice was clear and powerful — proof that she is still Lani.