MANILA, Philippines—Geneva Cruz-Miller feels she’s pursuing the greatest mission of her life. It’s something she never thought she’d ever undertake. For the past several months, the 32-year-old singer has been in the thick of preparations for an album that pays tribute to her great-grandfather, Tirso Cruz Sr.

The patriarch of what is probably the country’s biggest and most illustrious musical clan, Cruz Sr. was the bandleader of a jazz orchestra that was considered one of the best from the pre-war era until the 1950s.

As the house band of the Manila Hotel, the Tirso Cruz Sr. Orchestra also served as training ground for the patriarch’s sons who, in turn, influenced their own children to get into music.

Perhaps Geneva—whose father, Boyet, is among the third-generation of Cruz musicians, and who was once a member of the 747 Band as well as Joe Cruz and the Cruzettes—just never bothered to understand what it all meant. Until recently.

She says it started with a conversation with her husband, former MTV VJ KC (Montero) Miller (they wed in 2004, after Geneva’s first marriage with drummer Paco Arespacochaga was annulled).

“KC’s grandfather was a World War II veteran and survivor of the Bataan Death March,” Geneva relates. “When he learned my surname was Cruz, he said, ‘She must be related to Tirso Cruz Sr. whom I used to watch at the Manila Hotel.’ When I heard that, I said, oh gosh, I need to do something about this. I must make an album that would trace my roots.”

Lost momentum

Though Geneva started singing at age 13 and became a pop star as a member of the group Smokey Mountain, she admits that she lost the momentum when she started acting in movies. “Parang naligaw-ligaw kasi ako e. Di ko alam kung ano’ng gagawin ko sa buhay ko no’n.”

The idea to record songs that either Cruz Sr. wrote or were popular in his heyday comes at a time when Geneva has, in her own words, found “peace of mind”—having settled down with KC in Seattle and being accepted unconditionally by her in-laws. “They love Heaven (her 12-year-old son by Paco) and treat him as their own grandson,” Geneva says.

She figures the album should be finished by August. Part of the material consists of Cruz Sr. originals (“Barranco Mambo,” said to be a favorite of the late Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran), and covers (“An Affair To Remember” from the Cary Grant film; and “Hahabol-Habol,” an early rock ’n’ roll hit identified with Bobby Gonzalez, among others.) Both covers were arranged by one of Geneva’s uncles, Bel “Bugudoy” Cruz.

Personal stake

This is an album whose significance she personally has a stake in. “Kasi I really don’t know what will happen after this. It might be my last album. I can sing in concerts anytime, pero ’yung album, I don’t know if I’ll be able to do another one. I want to pay tribute to the Cruz clan with this record,” Geneva says.

In the meantime, she wants to flex her vocals in small gigs. Manager Arnold Vegafria, who’s bankrolling the album, has booked her in a show called “Back in Time” on May 2 at the Captain’s Bar of Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Teaser show

Geneva says she’ll be doing some ’40s and ’50s jazz numbers—a sort of teaser for the forthcoming album—plus a bit of Motown and other soul classics.

The soul repertoire is a direct influence of R&B singer Jay-R who’s also handled by Vegafria and is helping out Geneva in her new album. (Jay-R performs in his own gig at the Captain’s Bar on May 3, produced by another Vegafria talent, James Blanco.)

“I have so much faith in Jay-R, he’s been a very big help in the sessions,” Geneva says.

Her motivation

She adds that, just like recording the new album, even a small gig like the 300-seater Captain’s Bar can be unnerving, especially since she’s singing jazz tunes that were popular before she was born.

She’s relying on her musical genes to pull her through. “Four years old pa lang ako pinapakanta na ako ng tatay ko ng jazz, so ’yun ang motivation ko.”