EXCLUSIVE: Jayda Avanzado reacts to being called ‘Ariana Grande of the Philippines’

As the only child of singer-actors Dingdong Avanzado and Jessa Zaragoza, Jayda Avanzado said she has always admired her parents as singers as well as other artists. "To start off with local, all bias aside, I admire my parents; Jessa Zaragoza and Dingdong Avanzado. Along with them, I love Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid. I think that I appreciate them because of the fact that I can see how hard they have worked to get to where they are now and their originality is what strikes me the most. I believe that as an artist, it's important to be unique because it is what makes you an artist,” she shares exclusively with Push.com.ph

Having started singing at the age of three, Jayda said singing has always come naturally to her. “When the movie Dream Girls came out, I memorized the entire soundtrack at the time! To be honest, no one really ‘taught’ me to sing, I'd say my parents gave me some tips which later evolved as I got older to what we call constructive criticism today. I remember my mom teaching me this Christina Aguilera riff from her version of ‘Car Wash’ and of course, I tried to do it but failed miserably, but I wouldn't stop trying though,” she shared.

Out of the many different kinds of music, the 12-year-old performer already has her chosen genre. "Pop has always been my favorite. I grew up listening to pop. At a young age, that genre was what my parents would expose me to, and over time, I grew attached to it. This is probably the kind of music I'd like to make in the future,” she added.

With her growing number of online fans who have seen videos of her doing cover songs, Jayda admitted she appreciates all the attention. With her impressive rendition of one of her idols, fans have started calling her the local version of Ariana Grande. "First off all, it's a really great compliment to hear that. But in all honesty and with due respect, I don't wish to be exactly like her. Sure, I'd like to think of her as an inspiration and motivation for me as I am building up my career. But I don't want to just model myself after her, because I want to be Jayda Avanzado, not really the Ariana Grande of the Philippines, like I said, it's a huge compliment but I am not in anyway trying to copy her,” she explained.


Apart from guesting in her mom Jessa’s concert I Am Me earlier this month, Jayda will be capping off January as the front act for international band The Vamps on January 30 at the Mall of Asia Arena. She shared her feelings when she first found out she got the major gig, “To be honest, I didn't see it coming at all, so when I sent the compilation of my performances to them for approval, I tried not get my hopes up for a response that I'd only dreamt of at the time. For it to actually become reality is so surreal, exciting, and nerve-wracking. On a side note, I did get a bit emotional when I got a phone call from my mom giving me the news,” she recalled.

Jayda admitted she feels really honored to be opening the show for The Vamps. "Yeah! I'm definitely a fan, they are so dedicated to their craft, and are extremely grounded. To answer your second question, I honestly don't know I hope that I am able to meet them, that would be amazing if I do,” she said.

When it comes to her choice of songs, the talented teen said it will be worth the wait. "I think that I'd like to keep that a surprise at the moment, with the concert only a day away you'll find out soon enough but I did pick my own set list, so the songs I chose are definitely close to my heart and are all-time favorites of mine,” she added.