The song, she explained, “is a metaphor for a relationships where tension happens when one lover expects the other to think, feel or react the same, but the truth is, they’re two different people.

ACEL sings her heart out with her latest song, “Pitik Bulag.”

Sweet, soothing and angelic, one of most iconic voices for 90s kids — these are but some of the ways to describe her singing style. The voice behind the hit songs “Torete,” “Sulat,” “One Love” and many other songs is back. Maria Cecilia Beronilla Bisa — Van Ommen, popularly known as Acel Bisa and the former lead vocalist of Moonstar88, is ready to conquer the music scene anew with her newest single “Pitik Bulag.”

Acel waxed nostalgic as she described to Daily Tribune her humble beginnings. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine she would have a career in music, she revealed. “It was by accident that I was discovered,” she recalled.

“Introvert ako, kumakanta lang ako sa bahay (I am an introvert, I only sing at home),” Acel shared.

Once, when she celebrated her birthday, her friends who had come for the occasion asked her to sing. Fortuitously, one of her guests was looking for a female vocalist. The rest, to use the common expression, is history.

Acel started her musical journey with a band named Orphan Lily. From 1995 to 1998, they belonged to the underground scene, known today as the indie scene. They released a self-titled album and received an award from a local radio station for their song “No Reason.”

The band eventually disbanded due to their own personal reasons which prompted her to find a job, backed up by her degree in commerce. She worked in a clothing line company for a while, then moved to a video rental company.

SHE touches hearts whenever she sings. David John Cubangbang

Fate, though, wanted a different path for her. Something bigger awaited her outside of the four walls of an office. Instead, she would shine in the concert hall where she would touch her audience’s hearts and emotions through her songs.

In 2001, fresh from her eight-to-find job, she connected with Paolo Bernaldo, William Pineda and Teng Marcelo, and together they founded the alternative rock band Moonstar88. “We had a simple aim,” she recalled. “All we wanted was to perform and sing our songs.”

Contented with gigs that came their way, they did not realize that “Torete,” for quite some time, had already become a huge hit as it topped the local music charts of all radio stations.

Acel cut two more albums with Moonstar88 until 2004 when she decided to settle down with her husband. Although, to ensure a smooth transition, she stayed put until the new vocalist, Maysh Baay, had taken her place.

Despite her inactive years in the music scene, she still sang whenever she received invitations. In 2007, her English version of “One Love,” the theme song of hit Korean drama show Spring Waltz, became a hit.

“Pitik Bulag” Acel’s newest song, was inspired by the traditional Filipino game pitik bulag, in which one player, his eyes covered with his palm, guesses the correct number of the fingers that the other player is flashing.

The song, she explained, “is a metaphor for a relationships where tension happens when one lover expects the other to think, feel or react the same, but the truth is, they’re two different people.”

She also sang “Your Universe,” the theme song of the romantic movie Between Maybes which starred Julia Barretto and Gerald Anderson.

When asked about the best thing about being a singer, she smiled as she answered, “Being able to impart something positive to other people’s lives through my music.”

Acel is lucky because she gets what she wants most — a happy family with God as the center of their family’s relationship. She is a loving wife to her husband Danny Van Ommen and a full-time mom to her three boys, but there remains an extra space in her heart.

Hence, she co-founded RIGHT START, a non-government organization which focuses on providing life skills to children from the marginalized sector of society. She invites everyone to visit the children who stay at their center located at #10 3rd West Crame St., San Juan City or check their website https://rightstart.ph/ for more details.

Watch and listen to Acel Bisa’s soothing voice as she performs live on TribuneNow’s Friday Mixer on Daily Tribune’s official Facebook page and YouTube account.