The newest artist to rise from Boy Abunda’s Backroom Inc. is young singer Jayke Reyes.
Jayke is the daughter of Filipino US immigrants who came to the Philippines to pursue her dream in singing. Don’t take her as some disillusioned pretty girl who simply wants to bask in the glory of showbiz. She has an impressive musical background. She was a student at the Los Angeles High School for the Arts and she trained with Seth Riggs (who also taught the late Michael Jackson). She also did commercials and auditioned for Nickelodeon and Disney shows. Was that impressive enough? I’d say so. From what I am aware of, you cannot simply enter an art school in the US without having to prove that you have talent. And to audition for American shows means she has the guts to prove her skills, which I am assuming her vocal chords were scrutinized by Jacko’s vocal teacher. Well, don’t take my word for it. Watch and listen to her music video after the jump.
I had the chance to meet Jayke Reyes personally on October 23rd during the bloggers conference at Sir Boy’s Food Republique restaurant in Quezon City. She opened the event with Perry’s Will, then “Kay Palad Mo” which is the carrier single of her self-titled debut album. She sang live and it was then that I learned what she can bring to the table as far as her singing prowess is concerned.
Indeed, this girl loves to sing to the point that she cannot envision herself doing anything other than singing. She shared about missing her chance of joining American Idol when she decided to pursue her dreams by coming to Manila. She has no regrets though as things are going just the way she wants it to be, thanks to talent manager Boy Abunda, to whom she was introduced and eventually decided to take her under his roster of talents. Jayke represented the Philippines in the Asean Music Festival for the 80th birthday of Thailand’s Queen Sirikit, an event sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of Thailand. Asked about her experience from that stint, she said that she was very nervous because she’s been hearing positive things about Filipino singers which for her is a tall order for a newcomer like her. In the end, she stood her ground in her own way.
As bloggers got to talk to her in a more intimate way, I can’t help but observe how she is — bubbly, courteous, down-to-earth — all good characteristics of a person that will help her go a long way. I also admire her effort to speak Tagalog despite growing up in the US and never speaking the vernacular. Although there’s still the twang, pretty soon she’ll just be like the rest of us. She is aware that she has to really improve on that area since she is looking at acting if the opportunity knocks on her door. For now, she’s busy promoting her debut album. Showcasing her versatility as a singer, the album has five songs, four of which are in Tagalog. I heard the radio playing her carrier single, but I particularly like Sana’y Pakaingatan Mo.
Both songs are ballad, with Kay Palad Mo more extravagant with the piano, then suddenly explodes at the peak which is actually perfect. The second song is more subdued, yet powerful, and I would say more Jayke. Here’s the track list of the album:
- Kay Palad Mo
- Sana’y Pakaingatan Mo
- Perry’s Will
- Paano Na Kaya
- We’re All In This Together
Tracks 6-10 are minus-one accompaniment, so you can sing along like Jayke. She’ll be having a tour. Here’s the remaining schedule:
- November 9, 2012 – SM Novaliches
- November 11, 2012 – Robinson’s Pulilan w/ JM de Guzman)
- November 17, 2012 – SM Rosario
- November 18, 2012 – SM Calamba
- November 24, 2012 – SM Masinag
- November 25, 2012 – SM Dasmarinas
- December 9, 2012 – SM Clark
- January 6, 2013 – SM Bacoor
Be updated by liking Jayke Reyes‘ Facebook Page or follow her on Twitter.
Comments
Powered by Facebook Comments
