Sofi Fermazi
Like many aspiring singers today, newbie recording artist Sofi Fermazi got her start on the scene by filming performance videos and posting them on YouTube. Now, she’s ready to take the next steps to fully realize her dream. From doing covers and giving her own takes on hits by Ed Sheeran, Kitchie Nadal, Black Pink, Ariana Grande and Ben&Ben, Sofi is now set to release her first debut EP, “Rain Inside Us,” under Star Music. “After doing covers, which was enjoyable for me, it feels great to finally release my own music. It has been a dream of mine to do so for a while. I’d like to continue exploring new things,” Sofi, who’s now managed by director-producer Perry Escaño’s MJP Entertainment, told the Inquirer in a recent interview.
Though she didn’t personally write her upcoming singles—a mix of love and inspirational tunes—the 17-year-old hopeful said that’s something she plans to do eventually. “I do write my own songs. It’s still something in the talks with the management, but I’d be super grateful [if given the chance],” she said.
Ballads, R&B
For Sofi, who’s currently a Grade 11 student, music started out as a hobby, which soon became a passion. She began taking up voice lessons when she was 6, participated in different music camps, including Center for Pop Music and a training center run by composer Vehnee Saturno. Sofi has dabbled in musicals with the theater company Trumpets, and worked on her stage presence and skills through recitals and mall shows. She’s partial to ballads and R&B, but her future goal is to be more “versatile” and “knowledgeable.” “When I was very young, my biggest influences were Taylor Swift and Avril Lavigne. But at the moment, I would say that my music is inspired by Sarah Geronimo, Moira dela Torre and Regine Velasquez,” said Sofi, who also plays the piano and the guitar.
Dream collaborations
Aside from those singers, Sofi also dreams of collaborating with Zack Tabudlo and Ben&Ben. “They’re all amazing artists in their respective genres, and they’re such amazing performers onstage,” said Sofi who plans to continue growing her presence in various platforms on social media.
“Facebook I think will be helpful because it’s well-known here in the Philippines—everyone uses it. So it would be easier to build a platform there,” she pointed out.
Acting is also something she wants to try. And given the chance, she said she would like to be paired with one of her local show biz crushes, Donny Pangilinan, whom she admires for his work onscreen and off.
“I do want to try acting. I’d like to work with Donny, whose acting skills are super natural, and he’s basically an all-rounder,” she related. “Based on the articles I have read about him, he also has a good personality and uses his position as an artist for good causes, which I admire. I wish to be like that someday as an artist.”