Jeri Violago at Vehnee Saturno
BILIB na bilib ang veteran award-winning songwriter na si Vehnee Saturno sa baguhang Kapamilya young singer na si Jeri Violago.
Nag-collab ang dalawa para sa ilang kanta ni Jeri sa kanyang debut EP (extended play) mula sa Tarsier Records ng ABS-CBN Music. Dito, pinapirma siya ng kontrata bilang singer, songwriter at record producer.
“I’m so grateful to Tito Vehnee and I’m really blessed to collaborate with him. He’s so established as a songwriter. I worked with him on two songs. I’m really blessed to collaborate with him.
“He initially gave me demos, with lyrics and music. We worked together to try to make the songs more modern and upbeat to appeal to today’s audiences,” simulang pagbabahagi ni Jeri na napakalaki ng pagkakahawig kay Matteo Guidicelli.
“In order to make the songs more youthful, I also worked with my friend, Jacob Yulo, whose compositions are on Spotify, too,” aniya pa.
Kuwento niya tungkol sa kanta niyang, “Hindi Ka Mag-iisa”, nagsimula raw ito as a very slow song, “It was like serenading a girl. When we were working on it, we decided to add a little bass, more upbeat layers and we arranged it together.”
Ang isa pang track sa debut EP ng binata ay ang “Gusto Kita,” “We opted to go a little slow, with R&B tempo. We added a little sway to make my music different.
“How would my body respond to the song. What is important in a song is recall, very easy to remember. The treatment was different,” esplika ni Jeri.
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Sey pa ng singer, “Eventually, I will launch other songs that I also wrote. I will release the originals under ABS-CBN Music. We will release it song by song, so the promotion can be longer. Our target to release my first original song is hopefully, within September.”
Marami at napakalawak na ng experience ni Jeri pagdating sa pagkanta sa iba’t ibang genre. Una siyang namulat sa classical music noong nasa grade school pa lang siya. Nag-aral din siya sa UP Conservatory of Music, under Professor Luz Martinez, na miyembro ng Philippine Madrigal Singers.
Nag-join din siya sa mga competition noong maging miyembro siya ng high school pop a cappella group na Il Voce (Ateneo de Manila University) na nag-champion sa Musikapella competition noong 2014. Naging vice president din siya ng Ateneo Senior High School Glee Club.
“I tried violin, piano, football, basketball, swimming, badminton, all those activities, except singing. It was just one summer when I started singing Justin Bieber songs and my dad heard me when he entered my room.
“He was surprised. He said, ‘May boses ka pala, anak.’ That was when everything started. That was when my passion into singing came out,” kuwento pa ni Jeri sa ilang members ng entertainment media kamakailan.
Bukod pa diyan, nag-training din siya sa music school ng National Artist na si Ryan Cayabyab, “I went into Broadway and theater music.
“I auditioned in ‘The King and I’ when the musical went to the Philippines, but I was told my voice was too high. I also auditioned for ‘Asia’s Got Talent’ in 2018.
“I would sing songs from ‘West Side Story,’ ‘Grease,’ ‘Hairspray’ and, of course, Ryan Cayabyab’s music. Every summer in that school, we had recitals of different types of genres. So, in my first year, I rendered Ryan Cayabyab songs. Second year, musical theater tunes,” pagbabahagi pa ni Jeri.
Nang mag-college, natuto rin siyang kumanta ng pop, R&B at iba pang OPM tunes, “That was where I also started learning how to play the guitar a bit more.”
Sabi pa ni Jeri, sana raw ay mabigyan din siya ng chance na makagawa ng sariling pangalan sa music industry, “I have realistic but big dreams. I want to be known in the local music scene. I want to perform onstage, on TV or be exposed on social media and extend my presence.
“I want to have my own concert in the future. Though I don’t mind being featured as guest performer. I want to build up my image as a performer, my resume and hopefully, I get to be recognized by doing concerts and joining music festivals,” pahayag pa ni Jeri na nagtapos ng cum laude sa Ateneo de Manila University sa kursong Business Management.
Samantala, sinagot din ni Jeri ang tanong kung ano ang masasabi niya sa naging payo ng music icon na si Jose Mari Chan sa mga singers na gawing hobby na lang ang pagkanta dahil mahirap nang kumita rito.
“Especially now with the technology changed, it’s very hard to live on music. That’s why my advice to the young composers and singers is that, use that as a hobby or on the side, but get another career, either in law or accounting or medicine.
“And then just do music on the side. Don’t lose it completely because that’s God’s given gift to you,” sabi ni Jose Mari Chan.
Ayon kay Jeri, “Of course, si Sir Jose Mari Chan is already established. He has a lot of exposures, a lot of endorsements, a lot of brand deals. It’s not just music, he has also different businesses.
“I think, if you’re really passionate about something, and if you see yourself really becoming something in the future, if you really believe in yourself.
“And if you have a healthy environment around you, a support group, a support system, my family, my manager, and of course the writers as well, I think it is something that you can pursue,” ang punto ni Jeri Violago.
Jeri can be reached through his management, Emy Domingo (0917-858-6817). Like or follow him sa Facebook at TikTok (@jerichoviolago), Jericho Violago sa You Tube, at @jerichoviolago sa Instagram.
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