Jehramae Trangia
In her hopes of becoming a professional singer, Jehramae Trangia joined as many competitions as she could—both in her home province of Cebu and in nationwide television searches. And with every unsuccessful outing were doubts from naysayers.
“I would hear things, even from people I know, saying bakit daw ako laging sumasali, eh hindi naman ako nananalo,” Jehramae said in a virtual conference introducing her as one of the newest talents of Viva Records.
The 18-year-old singer had entered such talent tilts as “Idol Philippines” and “Tawag ng Tanghalan.” But it wasn’t until in May last year that she finally had her day in the sun after winning “Born to Be a Star” on TV5.
“I didn’t take the comments as something negative; I took it positively as a source of motivation to improve myself. I wanted to show them that their words don’t affect me,” she said. “This is my dream. Why would I stop chasing after it?”
Winning the contest had an immediate impact on her life. With the prize money she took home, she was able to help her family and fulfill her parents’ dream of opening a mini-grocery. “I’m so happy and thankful. It’s overwhelming,” she said.
Learning new things
But beyond the monetary perks, it’s the lessons she learned along the way that she will bring with her in her musical journey. “I did learn a lot of things. When I was younger, I would just sing the song; I didn’t necessarily feel it. I think that’s what I was lacking before. Now I have learned how to put myself in the story of a song,” she told the Inquirer.
She has also become more comfortable onstage. “Back then, I was so shy onstage. My movements were calculated and rehearsed—I would do this move when I sing this line and so on. But now I’m more natural in using my body to express myself,” Jehramae said. “It’s not something I have to think about anymore.”
While her singing style favors pop, R&B and adult contemporary, her goal is to become known as a versatile performer.
“Those genres are what the people usually see me performing but I want to show them something different. It’s hard to stand out these days, so I want to show that I can do many styles, including rap,” she said.
Jehramae has released two singles so far: the Vehnee Saturno love ballad “Magparaya” and a cover of the pop-rock band The Juans “Lumalapit.”
“I’m a fan of The Juans, so when I found out I was going to cover their song, I got scared, because comparisons are inevitable,” she said. “But thankfully, I was able to come up with a different version, my own version. I think I was able to deliver a different side to the song and I was excited about it,” she said.
The dream
“‘Magparaya,’ on the other hand, was written and produced by Sir Vehnee. It was a big honor to work with him. He’s so good. He gave me a lot of advice and I really learned a lot, like making sure I convey the message of the song to the listeners,” she said. “I think teenagers like me will find the song relatable … maraming nagpaparaya!”
Given the chance, she would also love to branch out to acting and perhaps start with something light, like a romantic comedy. The dream, she added, is to work with Sarah Geronimo, whose career path she hopes to emulate.
“She’s such an icon. I want to try the other things Sarah did like hosting and acting. I also want to be better at dancing. She’s my role model when it comes to performing. It will be a great honor to share the stage—or even just a recording studio—with her,” Jehramae said. INQ