We all know Arnel Pineda’s story, and his remarkable journey toward stardom, but what many people don’t know was that besides his struggle to get the respect of the international audiences, Arnel was also fighting a more personal battle.
When the famed rock band Journey needed a new vocalist to replace the legendary Steve Perry, they turned to You Tube, where they found various clips of an unknown 40-year-old band singer from the Philippines.
Then, Arnel Pineda was simply just a small-town boy, living in a lonely world, covering different rock songs that included those of Journey. But fate was kind and he had the phenomenal voice, stage presence and the bearing of a natural-born rock star. Now he is living a dream that goes on, and on, and on, and on.
Arnel Pineda didn’t stop believing and his amazing journey keeps reaching unbelievable new heights. His mythical rise from the slums of Manila, to being a pizza joint singer and conquering the international music scene is nothing short of breathtaking.
Who would have known, that with every heart-pounding performance he gives, Arnel was also suffering from a literally breath-taking condition called asthma.
Asthma didn’t come ‘til later in Arnel’s life. He recalls one morning in the year 2000, while cleaning their room in their old house in Kamuning, he felt an onset of colds which he thought was just a normal thing until it got worse in just about 30 minutes. ‘Bigla nalang maga na yung ilong ko at merong shortness of breath,’ he shared. ‘Nagpahinga ako sandali pero after awhile, ayan na naman.’
Arnel found his first time condition odd and having no budget for consultation, sought the advice of a doctor-friend who discovered that his larynx was inflamed due to dust. Apparently it was a case of asthma triggered by allergies. ‘Nung una nga, eh, mahirap paniwalaan kasi malakas naman ako at hindi naman ako naninigarilyo.’ The doctor questioned Arnel about his exposure to smoke and apparently another major trigger was inhaling 2nd hand smoke from the bars and venues where he’d performed in Manila.
Eventually the triggers also came from vehicle smoke when he’d commute and ride the jeep, tricycle or taxi. ‘Parang nagsisikip na ung dibdib ko, faint and shallow na yung breath ko na parang kulang yung oxygen intake.’ This went on for years and even worsened around the time he was discovered to be Journey’s lead singer in 2008. It was also around this time when doctors diagnosed his sickness as allergy-induced asthma.
But of course, Arnel, being the believer that he is, couldn’t just let his sickness topple the wonderful opportunity of raising the Filipino flag in the world of music and took everything as a challenge. ‘After every performance, sobrang bigat ng pakiramdam ko, hindi ako makahinga and may wheezing sound dahil nga wala ng oxygen na pumapasok. Hindi naging madali nung una pero kailangan labanan,’ he explained.
At that time, the band was scheduled to have a tour to introduce him as the new vocalist. His doctor advised that he really needed to take care of his lungs and larynx with water therapy and steady medications that would be his companion in all succeeding performances from that time on. ‘Ang kasama ko sa backstage, maraming gamot.’
It’s a good thing that his band members were fully supportive of his condition that when he would have an attack in the middle of a show, he will have to exit and their equally talented guitarist would be prompted to take on the stage. ‘No choice, mag-aadlib siya ng gitara para makabili ako ng oras sa treatment backstage kaya’t talagang sama-sama kami rito at all-out support din sila. At buti nalang may paraan at mga gamot na talagang nakakatulong.’ he happily said.
Arnel’s profession and commitment as a performer is huge since he has to face about 15,000 people when touring. His voice and energy needs to be in tip-top shape while giving his all for about 2 hours. Cancelling a show or even shortening the time is never an option for the band. ‘Talagang kahit ano pa man ang mangyari, tuloy ang show, all-out ang perfomance at hindi ko pwedeng payagan na ang asthma ko ang iiral.’
What posed a bigger problem was while on tour, he became exposed to more triggers – erratic temperature, extreme weather conditions, molds, pollen, animal fur or even just the scent of a cat or dog – all of which he discovered while already fronting for Journey.
As a father, Arnel is even more understanding and caring to his children, especially to their 8-year old boy who is also suffering from asthma. To help, he encourages them to get into sports such as biking, running or swimming and as much as possible, do it together as a family. Arnel and his wife also do their best to provide their kids with healthy and nutritious food such as fruits, vegetables, fish, etc. ‘Bilang ama, responsibility ko yan para sa kapakanan nila. Parati rin ready ang medications nung panganay namin kahit nasa school kasi hindi mo masabi.’
As Arnel’s journey continues, he sees himself still perfoming and making his own music as he grows older. ‘While people believe in me and my talent, I’ll keep on going and offering this gift of music. Hinding-hindi na mawawala yon. Yung mga challenges, tulad ng sakit ko, I can’t let it rule dahil mahal ko ang ginagawa ko at lalong-lalo na yung mga taong napapaligaya ko.’
Arnel has been managing his asthma for a long time. He has battled the disease, dismissed fear in dealing with his condition, and has stopped considering it a big hindrance to his career. Arnel strongly believes that as long as he works very closely with his doctor, he will win over asthma.
And with his commitment, both to bring happiness through his music or winning against asthma, indeed, he never stops believing.
