Acel van Ommen

The name of a person is the very first thing that is asked when being introduced. It is something that identifies a person, something that separates him from others, like a “brand” to a product. It is therefore, very important. And yet, I’m having trouble with this very basic thing.

This is my predicament.

1. I’m ACEL. Pronounced as ‘Asel’ but hosts of events/concerts I’m invited to,and organizers would often mispronounce it as ‘Aysel’, ‘Aah-sel’, ‘Aychel”… and yet people can pronounce ADELE fine :)

2. I am married to a Dutch, and now carries a surname ‘van Ommen’ …but others would say ‘Bad Omen?’ They would misspell it to O.M.E.N…and others would call me ‘Ms. Acel van’  or  ’Ms. Acel Ommen’ heheheh…sooooooo funny! Getting for a new ID becomes a problem too. They sometimes file it with the surnames that starts with letter ‘O’, but some file it with the surnames that starts with letter ‘V’.

3. Bisa is my maiden name…And I was known as Acel Bisa because of the hit theme song ‘One Love’ of the korean novela ‘Springwaltz’ that I interpreted in 2008….but somebody cybersquated ‘acelbisa.com’, and I have to bid and buy it so I can get it back.

4. Every time I’m booked for a gig, organizers and producers would always put Acel of Moonstar88 instead of just Acel. Maybe they were misinformed…or maybe they deliberately put that because the name Moonstar88 has more recall than my name due to our hit songs in 2001. I can’t blame them because that’s how they identify me with…But out of respect with my previous bandmates, I would really appreciate to just be introduced as Acel. I was so blessed and grateful to be a part of that band, but I don’t want people to be confused in any way. The funny thing was, when I started the band Moonstar88 in 1999, they would identify me as the girl from Orphan Lily. :)

5. When I was younger, some people and classmates would call me names like bionic woman (because of my body brace due to my scoliosis) boses ipis, payatot, at galisin.

So, does this mean I’m Acel Bisa van Ommen, former vocalist of Moonstar88 and of Orphan Lily and now a solo artist. The bionic woman, payatot, galisin, boses ipis girl that lives in Teresa Heights Novaliches Quezon City and now a born-again christian, married to a Dutch man with 2 boys?

What do you think?

Who do you say I am? 

An organizer booked me for a gig, and later I found out that they promoted it with my name as ‘Acel Bisa van Ommen of Moonstar88’. I emailed an emotional and negative letter about it..tweeted and posted a status in relation to it, but it might’ve been misinterpreted by others that I’m picking  a fight.. I realized that I over reacted. I am sorry.

What’s in a name really? Does a name really define who you are? I came to realize that..IT DOESN’T. People will identify me with it..but it doesn’t really come close to who I really am.

You know what’s really FUNNY? My real nickname is ‘Maricel’ (short for Ma.Cecilia). My parents call me Maricel. It’s just that when I was a kid, my playmate/neighbor can’t pronounce my name right…and he started calling me ‘Acel’. :) I think he started all of this!! PAMBIHIRA!! :)

So when somebody forgets your name (which I do most of the time) or mispronounce your name….JUST LAUGH IT OFF!!! :) It’s nothing personal :)