Rock on, grandma: 'Lola Biritera' is happy just singing 

While most grandmothers are content to sit quietly at home and crochet doilies, or watch telenovelas, Lola Felicitas Garcia prefers to rock out.   Known as Lola Fe to her grandchildren and “Lola Biritera” to her fans, the sprightly 52-year old stay-at-home grandma from Pasig is the inadvertent star of a viral video that has catapulted her to internet fame.   By now, local netizens will be familiar with the video of a grandmother in a simple pink shirt, unassuming only in the first few seconds of footage before she promptly explodes into a rendition of Aegis's classic "Halik," hitting all the high notes with nary a hiccup, even if the vocal runs of the song are famously hard to execute.

Viral superstar It's no surprise that the video has gone viral. If there's one thing the internet likes, it's the unexpected. There is space enough online for hairy men in leotards dancing "Single Ladies" as there is for little girls in tutus rapping effortlessly to Nicki Minaj. Lola Fe's unexpected glass-shattering vocals fit the bill quite perfectly. GMA News Online caught up with the unlikely star, fresh from shooting her guest stint on GMA News TV's "Tonight With Arnold Clavio," during which she filled the studio with energy, acquiesing to song requests from fans who came to see her in person.   During taping, Lola Fe belted out the Aegis songs "Halik", and "Basang Basa sa Ulan", as well as similar birit songs "Total Eclipse of the Heart", and a slow version of the Beatles' "Help". All the while, she displayed a casual comfort, with no hint at all of stage fright. She moved and held the microphone as if she'd been performing all her life, and it turns out that she had been. She later revealed to GMA News Online that she started joining amateur singing contests since she was five years old. Though she later ended up working a string of odd jobs to pay the bills, she didn't stop singing, accepting every invitation to sing at birthdays and debuts, and singing praise songs at their church. Back then, she stuck to slower songs such as those by Dulce, Nora Aunor, and Perla Adea. It was only in the late 90s that she channeled her inner rock star and started singing Aegis and Bonnie Tyler. "Halik" ftw The gig that won her the biggest prize was the one that catapulted her to internet fame, taken in July 2011 at a singing competition at a mall.   "Yung video kasi biglaan yun, on the spot. Sa SM Megamall, may singing booth tapos may nagkakantahan," Lola Fe said.   "Nagregister ako, sumali. Hindi ko naman ineexpect na manalo," she shared. As she mentioned in a report on GMA News' "24 Oras," when she chose to sing "Halik," the contest operators were in disbelief, even more so when she conquered the song. But it quickly turned to amazement, and she ended up winning first place.   Lola Fe eventually had to sell the prize she won for that competition (a laptop) when she got in a money bind. But little did she know that a bigger triumph would be at hand, and another prize would still be claimed.   Over a year after winning the singing competition, Lola Fe's relatively quiet life was shaken when someone from Doha, Qatar told her that her video had gone viral. She said that she came late to realizing her Lola Biritera fame because she didn't own a computer. She barely even knew how to use one.   "Di ko inexpect yun!" she recalled with excitement.   The video ranked high with netizens who were amused and impressed by Lola Fe's vocal stylings. "Mother of Aegis," some people called her, while others asserted that she was even better than the famous OPM band with two women vocalists.   Sharing the stage with Aegis Since then, her video's since gone trending on Twitter, had several TV guestings, earned hordes of fans and, perhaps most especially, performed with the band whose song started it all for her, Aegis.   "Ay nako, ibang klase yung saya nung kumanta ako kasama Aegis. Basta, natupad na!" she gushed, still just a humble fan even as she's getting her fair share of the spotlight.   Excitedly, she whispered that one day, she would also like to sing with Sarah Geronimo and Roselle Nava.   "Gustong gusto ko talaga sila," she said.   Apart from being recognized on the street now, and appearing on TV and having the opportunity to sing with big-time singers, Lola Fe shared that her life is not much different after her video went viral.   "Namimili pa rin ako sa palengke, nagbubuhat pa rin ako ng mabibigat. Natutuwa lang ako pagka may bumabati, ay, Lola Biritera! Minsan, papicture. Parang nananaginip ba," she said.   The fame is just a bonus, she shrugs, and she's happy just to sing.   "Masaya, kasi at my age, biruin mo ganun `di ba? Isipin mo, going 53-years-old, biglang nagkaroon ng career na ganito. Di ko inexpect yun!" she said.   Her eyes smiling, she added, "Hindi ko rin naman inano sa isip ko na sisikat. Basta gusto ko lang kumanta." – KDM, GMA News