Jaya goes back to basics
Two years after she last released an album, Jaya returns to the music scene via “All Souled Out,” a 12-track record that also serves as her debut with her new record label, Universal Records.
Jaya explained that she and Universal went back to basics for her latest album as a way to come out with something the Soul Diva has never done before.
“(Universal) really wanted to put out an album na iba. More so they wanted to bring me out as a totally different artist,” the singer told the entertainment media on Friday, October 7.
Jaya added, “I was kind of scared at first kasi talagang ang daming naka-entail dun e. Yung weight, looking like this, looking like that, but I think I have to stay true to myself and at the same time bring something na medyo a little different and that will come in time. Hinay-hinay kumbaga.”
“All Souled Out,” she said, is a difficult album to do. The 12-track record includes covers of songs originally done by Patti Austin, Roberta Flack, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and The Pips, and Aretha Franklin, among others.
“In terms of material, pressure ito. Kasi these are not small songs. Ang daming dapat i-tama. And the utos was not to birit. So paano ka kakanta ng walang birit? When you get to a certain note, hindi mo maibuka yung bibig mo kasi gusto nila ganun,” Jaya said. “Ang dami kong ginawa dito na hindi ko pa nagagawa sa iba. I've never done anything like this and I hope, I'm crossing my friends, I get to do another one."
Rebirth
What made Asia's Queen of Soul make her rebirth as an artist under Universal? After all, she was under GMA Records prior to her latest label. Jaya is also a Kapuso artist; she's a "Party Pilipinas" mainstay and a mentor in the network's reality talent show "Protege."
“Sobrang organized kasi dito. Pa-kape lang, ang ganda pa ng presentation. Kada meeting may Pancake House, may lafang,” she quipped.
Does this mean GMA Records was not organized?
“There's nothing wrong with GMA Records,” Jaya said. She explained that her move came from her desire to do something different. And she needed help to do that.
“If I don't go to the right people, how am I going to grow? Honesty, that's just it. I've grown up. Mature na ako. And if I have a really strong force behind me, how can I go wrong?"
You can have the best album in the whole wide world pero kung walang tao behind that. Laos ka,” Jaya goes on.
Expectations
Having been in the music scene for over 10 years and with over 10 albums under her name, Jaya is perhaps one of the most successful singers in the country. Is she expecting her latest album to be a commercial success?
“I'm not hoping for a multi-platinum. Kahit isa lang, masaya na ako,” she replied. Jaya did say, however, that the initial response to the album has been good so far.
She admitted that given the current state of the music industry, it's really hard to sell an album.
“Alam mo lahat kami nahihirapan in terms of sales. But the other ones are lucky to even get platinum, double platinum. And that's great, because we know that there's still that market that still buy and collect,” Jaya said.
“The past albums I've done, and I'm sure sa iba rin masasabi nila if they had albums na di masyadong bumenta, it's really the promotion,” she explained. “Ang hirap mag-promote. And if you're not giving it enough time and effort, and I suppose money, walang makakarinig.”
The record label, she said, has to create synergy between the market and the artist. “And if that's not done, walang mangyayari,” she said.
“All Souled Out” is available in record stores.
