By Jhasmine Villanueva, who goes by the stage name dwta, is a sprightly and promising artist. Her hit song “Padaba Taka,” which translates to “I love you” in Bicol, propelled her into the mainstream. She takes pride in using her native language in her music, and it has resonated with a wide audience, including those who don’t speak Bicol.
“I use my native Bicol language in my songs in order to promote my culture and where I came from. My music is a reflection of all the experiences I’ve had growing up in Bicol,” says the 24-year-old musician. dwta admits to being nervous when she decided to move to Manila to pursue her career in music. She started out playing acoustic cover sets at open mics and bar gigs in Bicol not expecting that all the effort that she has put in her music when she started would allow her to perform at bigger venues performing her original compositions. “It was scary because I didn’t know if my music would be successful. Writing in Bicol, I was aware that to reach a wider audience more easily, English or Tagalog lyrics would be the typical choice. But I find something special in writing songs in my native language. The feeling is different, more sincere and pure, almost as if I’m speaking directly to my listeners. Through my songs, I chose to express my true feelings and what makes me happy,” she shares.
dwta has performed at major events and music festivals and has won several awards, including Best Regional Recording from the Awit Awards and New Artist of the Year from The New Hue VMA. She has also collaborated with co-OPM artists such as Arthur Miguel, Tahab, Alamat, and Justin De Dios from SB19. Collaborating with fellow artists comes unexpectedly for her. “You’ll just feel that a song is perfect for a particular person, or that it’s perfect for you to have a part in a musician’s song. There isn’t a specific time for it to happen,” the Sony Music PH artist explains. With her latest release “Nasusunog (Pants on Fire)” though, it was a “marrying of the minds” at a writing workshop that birthed this new sound and maturity that dwta wants to share to her listeners. More about this and how it all began for her below.
WHEN YOU WERE DOING COVERS BACK THEN, WHICH ARTISTS WOULD YOU COVER?
dwta: Oh, it’s always, songs by Zia Quizon, Ben&Ben as well as Eraserhead songs. Mostly I would cover OPM. Before I started writing my own songs, I listen to what my dad would listen to like Bread, The Beatles, and The Carpenters.
WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO PLAY THE GUITAR AND WHAT ENCOURAGED YOU TO LEARN?
dwta: Youtube. Maybe it’s because, when I was in high school, having a guitar and knowing how to play made you look like a cool kid.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO TRY SOMETHING NEW WITH YOUR NEW SONG “NASUSUNOG,” WHICH SOUNDS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM YOUR USUAL FOLK-POP TUNES?
dwta: I want to give my followers something new to listen to. I’ve written songs about love, hope, and even heartbreak, but I’ve never written a song about being angry. I want to make songs that show a lot of different emotions, and I think I’m ready to write a song about this one now. Actually, “Nasasunog” was written not just by myself. I wrote it together with Tiana Kocher, Ashley Mehta, and Martin Estrada, during the Sony x Monostereo Groove Songwriting Session. I wanted to write a darker, bolder song, and the people I collaborated with agreed. We wanted a different sound for me, something that represented a transformation from a butterfly to a phoenix. Our song “Nasusunog” was inspired by the phrase “liar, liar, pants on fire,” and it became a space for us to vent about our frustrations with people who constantly lie. Although the lyrics are fierce, the song itself isn’t explosive. I chose to sing it in a way that suggests a slow, graceful burn rather than a fiery scream.
HOW WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH THE WRITERS YOU WORKED WITH FOR “NASUSUNOG?”
dwta: It was so much fun. I’m not used to collaborating and writing songs with other musicians. I still prefer to do things alone, but I learned a lot from them. That there are alternative approaches to write songs. Now I’m incorporating it into how I write my own music. It’s amazing to feel that you can learn from them and at the same time, you can also contribute to their work.
DO YOU SEE YOURSELF COLLABORATING WITH OTHER WRITERS AGAIN?
dwta: Yes, for sure, I heard how different “Nasusunog” is from the previous songs that I’ve written. I want to continue that way of writing.
HOW DID “SAMPUNG MGA DALIRI,” A SONG COLLABORATION WITH JUSTIN DE DIOS CAME ABOUT?
dwta: Actually, it happened when we were in a gig at Cozy Cove in Baguio. I told Sony Music that I wanted to do an online content with him, just a video post on Tiktok or something. When we were doing content, he’s so easy and fun to work with. We eventually collaborated on a song, which was so unexpected since he’s so busy with SB19.
HOW ARE YOU GROWING AS AN ARTIST NOW?
dwta: My writing style has changed and is now more mature. I’m no longer just writing songs that are just “cutesy.” I’ll be showing more of my mature side in terms of my song topics.
WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR YOU, AS A WOMAN, TO WRITE ABOUT SOMETHING AS SERIOUS AS BETRAYAL, LYING, AND THINGS LIKE THAT?
dwta: When women get angry or speak their minds, some people see it as disrespectful. But women are becoming more powerful, and we have found our voices. We need to be heard and understood. Our emotions and empathy aren’t signs of weakness; they’re signs of strength. We are strong and capable, and there are many things we can do just as well as, or even better than, men.
EVEN THOUGH YOUR NEW RELEASE IS GRITTIER THAN YOUR USUAL FOLK-POP SOUND, HOW WILL YOU MAINTAIN YOUR SIGNATURE STYLE IN FUTURE SONGS?
dwta: I’ll still use the Bicol language and my indigenous percussive instruments. The musical elements my listeners are used to will still be there, just in a more mature form.
Denise J. Mallabo 