DWTA IS FINDING HER WINGS
Dati, ang gusto ko lang talaga ay mapakinggan at ma-appreciate ng mga tao ‘yung songs ko,” dwta says, looking ethereal with her flower hair clips and glasses shaped like butterfly wings. As someone born and raised in Bicol making songs in her native tongue, “it means everything” to be recognized for her craft, which is largely shaped by where she came from.
Her uber-romantic song Padaba Taka, which listeners can find on the Spotify RADAR Philippines playlist, has been passed on from lover to lover, totaling over 14 million in current streams. It opens with a thoughtful “Kumusta ang biyahe?” and that she cooked “igwang laing na may siling labyu, ay labuyo” – with a first verse as charming as that, who can resist?
In the soothing Tahan Na, her latest project in collaboration with Arthur Miguel, she sings, “Matatagpuan mo rin ang para sa iyo,” something she keeps in mind in terms of her dreams, too. “Malayo na ‘yung napuntahan ko, pero alam ko na may dadating pa sa tamang panahon. Mas may malayo pa ‘kong mapupuntahan.” For now, she’s choosing to relish the present and remain thankful for the surprises that come her way.
Dwta admits that she used to be a “nobody,” that not everyone believed she would make it. Mainstream success does not come easy for artists in the regions after all, since major cultural conversations remain epicentered on the capital. Still, she believes her songs and the emotions she pours into them are universal, and her steadfast growth is proof. “Nakakaiyak na, ngayon, nakikita na nila ako,” she says. “Isa na kong diwata ngayon. Kumakantang fairy.”