Napagtanto na raw ni Leila Alcasid, 22, kung ano ang tatahakin niyang landas.
Ito ay ang sumulat at gumawa ng kanta gaya ng kanyang amang si Ogie Alcasid, 52.
Ito ay matapos siyang mapili ng 88rising, isang American mass media company, para sa isa nitong proyekto.
Kamakailan ay inilunsad ng 88rising sa Pilipinas ang music label nitong Paradise Rising, na naglabas ng debut musictape.
Tampok dito ang kanta ng limang Filipino young artists—sina Leila, Jason Dhakal, Massiah, Fern, at ang anak ni Gary Valenciano na si Kiana Valenciano.
Ayon kay Leila, dumating ang oportunidad mula sa 88rising noong mga panahong nakakaramdam siya ng kalituhan at insecurity sa gusto niyang gawin sa buhay.
Itinuturing daw niyang sign ang pagdating ng oportunidad na ito sa kanya.
Dahil prominente ang amang singer-songwriter, pinagdudahan daw ni Leila ang sarili sa maraming pagkakataon.
“Before this, I was at a point when my skill level was just, like, feeling insecure,” saad niya sa Facebook Live ng Monster Radio RX.93.1 FM.
“I’m a very indecisive person. So, over the course of when I started doing music to now, I guess I just have a lot of insecurities about whether I’m worthy of continuing to do it.”
Pag-amin pa niya, “A lot of insecurities in my mind because a lot of it is attached to my last name.”
Pero nagkaroon daw siya ng kumpiyansa sa sarili nang bumilib ang 88rising sa sample ng kantang isinulat niya.
“This was the first time that I was given an opportunity that I can say that wasn’t because of whatever my last name,” ani Leila.
Alam daw ni Leila sa kanyang sarili na pinakamasaya siya kapag kumakanta sa studio at nagko-compose ng kanta.
Pero wala raw siyang kumpiyansa dahil kinakain siya ng insecurity.
Si Leila ang panganay sa dalawang anak ni Ogie sa dati nitong asawang si Michelle van Eimeren, kinatawan ng Australia sa Miss Universe 1994 pageant.
Naging host at aktres sa Pilipinas si Michelle mula 1995 hanggang 1999.
ADVICE FROM HER FATHER
Pag-amin ni Leila, “I’m just really an ultra-insecure person, and it’s frustrating.”
Mabuti na lang daw at nakaalalay sa kanya ang amang si Ogie.
“I’m just glad that my dad, being a musician, [was understanding]. He started almost the same age that I am now.
“He knows how it feels when you’re young and questioning what you want to do with your life, and don’t know which direction to go.
“He was just encouraging me to just go for it and focus on the aspects that I love.”
Dahil alam daw niyang mahilig sa ballad ang mga Pilipino, nangamba raw si Leila na hindi magugustuhan ang kanyang genre of choice na pop.
“There’s always this pressure to kind of conform to what people enjoy listening to. There’s a bit of insecurity with me, with my specific style of writing and even how I sing.”
Pero pinayuhan daw siya ni Ogie na gawin kung ano ang nagpapasaya sa kanya at hindi ang sasabihin ng iba.
“He’s just, like, ‘There are gonna be people who will appreciate you. Just keep doing what you enjoy.’”
Malaking tulong daw kay Leila na natuwa si Ogie nang i-record ng dalaga ang kanyang kantang napabilang sa musictape.
“I was scared that he was gonna tell me that I was doing something wrong or that my technique was off.
“But he was really good, like, he was impressed by what I was doing and I was happy to just let me go on express myself.
“That was the biggest thing and what I hold on to ‘til now.
“That was confirmation for me that I will keep writing what I like to write and sing what I want to sing.”
FROM ONE YEAR TO THREE YEARS
Dumating si Leila sa Pilipinas noong January 2017 para makasama ang kanyang ama at makilala ang kapatid nitong si Nate, ang 8-anyos na anak ni Ogie sa second wife nitong si Regine Velasquez.
Noon ay binigyan lamang ni Leila ang sarili ng isang taon sa bansa, pero makalipas ang tatlong taon ay nasa Pilipinas pa rin siya.
Dahil anak ng respetadong singer-songwriter, natural lang na may expectations kay Leila.
Nagkaroon lamang siya ng panaka-nakang TV appearances at song performances. Paminsan-minsan din siyang may magazine covers at pictorials. Pinasok din niya ang pagiging influencer.
Pero sa loob daw ng panahong iyon, walang linaw kung ano ang tatahakin niya. Hanggang sa dumating nga nitong 2020 ang pagkakataon mula sa 88rising.
Pagdating naman sa telebisyon, noong 2017 pa lamang daw ay napagtanto na ni Leila na hindi para sa kanya ang TV.
“[That] wasn’t a really big option. I kind of delved into it a little bit, maybe in my first year here in 2017.
“But it didn’t take me long to figure out that my thing is a lot more into music, and I wasn’t really wanting into the TV direction.”
Isa ka bang showbiz fan na laging updated at naghahanap ng latest chika? Share what you know. Join here! https://bit.ly/PEPChika