Zia Quizon: An OPM Artist to Watch Out for in 2012

Edit, March 21: Win a signed Zia Quizon CD! Click here to find out how.

I now officially have a new favorite female music artist! I've seen Zia Quizon a couple of times in two different events (and heard her sing in one) but it was during her Bloggers' Night recently when I became a true blue fan.

Zia's voice is AMAZING! It was so nice to hear this young lady belt out beautiful renditions of old and new songs. She has indeed managed to carve a name for herself in the local music scene. That night, she proved that she has already gone beyond being the daughter of Comedy King Dolphy and OPM's Divine Diva ZsaZsa Padilla or the younger sister of singer, actress, and TV host Karylle.

The 20-year-old singer with the sultry voice currently has three hit singles: Simple Girl, Ako Na Lang, and Dear Lonely which are tracks in her self-titled first album released by PolyEast Records. The album debuted last October 2011 with Simple Girl as the positioning single, a song Zia wrote herself and which mirrors the simple girl she really is. 

According to her, she draws inspiration from everyday experiences or a particularly strong feeling that she has at the moment. "I believe that songs become more meaningful when you're feeling emotional and, in a way, come from a very real place. And when you finally finish a song, the most fulfilling feeling about the whole process is when you take a step back and think, 'That pretty much sums up how I felt at the time.'"

Following the success of Zia's first single, Ako Na Lang, which was composed and produced by Jungee Marcelo, stayed for eight weeks on top ten radio charts and MYX charts last year. As more and more people came to know her particular brand of music, Dear Lonely is currently gaining momentum with its music video, directed by Nani Naguit, also being played on the MYX Channel. This perky song was penned by Kiko Salazar, another award-winning composer who also wrote songs for Kyla.

Zia expressed how proud and grateful she is that all the songs in the album were arranged to her style of singing. "My producers made sure I was comfortable with [each song]."

The exceptional six-track includes three original compositions and three revivals. Included there is Mambobola, a song that led Zia's mom, ZsaZsa, to the height of her career in the '80s. "I think I actually suggested the song myself," revealed Zia. "I felt that it would be very nice to have one of my mom's songs on the album as a kind of tribute to her for all the things she has done for me."

The song, Smile, a Charlie Chaplin original, was also included to give credit to Zia's very supportive dad, Dolphy. "Aside from my mom, I'd say that my dad's taste in music really shaped mine. He influenced me to appreciate the classics -- from standards to classical to world music and even oldies." The third remake in the album is the track So Much in Love, first sung by Sheena Easton, brings out Zia's melodic sensibilities mixed with much jazz and her carefree spirit. 

I enjoy listening to Zia's album. It's like a breath of fresh air in the OPM scene and I really hope she would come out with more songs that will showcase her boundless talents. As she tapped into the elements of soul, jazz, and pop, Zia has beautifully shaped the songs to become her own. "I think each song has its own character, kind of like the different sides of me. So, each song gives you a different feel without losing the general flow of the album," she explained. "I tried to put as much of my personality in the song choice and the music as I could. So it isn't just an album to me, it's a piece of me that I am offering to anyone who will listen. The album may not be different, but hopefully, I am."

During the event, Zia sang a few songs from her album, a medley of old songs (beautifully done! if I may say so), and a piece called My Heart Belongs to Daddy which made her mom, who was quietly watching from the sidelines, teary-eyed. When ZsaZsa was invited in front to speak to the audience, she expressed pride in her daughter and joy at finally being given a chance to be a stage mom which she was not able to do with Karylle.   Looking at them, I found the mother and daughter making a really pretty picture -- two beautiful ladies each with her own singing style that charm their respective fans. 

Grab Zia's self-titled debut album in music stores or download them on www.MyMusicStore.com.ph. For more information, please visit the PolyEast Records website, like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter. To get to know more about Zia, log on to her website or follow her on Facebook.

Special thanks to Terranova, Mossimo, and Club Phi Bar for the special night.