Upcoming singer Vincent Jao III just turned 19 years old but as far as his taste in music goes, he is what people would call an old soul.
This is evident in his new song “Sayaw ng Buhay,” a jazzy, mid-tempo number akin to the music of, say, Michael Buble and Frank Sinatra or the sound of early APO Hiking Society.
“The first time the song was presented to me, na-captivate agad ako,” he said in an interview. “Grabe ang excitement ko to record it because I really wanted to offer an upbeat song following my previous single, a ballad.”
Asked to elaborate on his musical preferences, Vincent has family to thank for it.
“My family allowed me to develop that love for music and live in a nurturing environment where I can play keyboard/piano and guitar,” said he. “My playlist contains songs of varied genres such as R&B, jazz and ballad. But I often listen to old songs because they give me some chill vibes whenever I’m busy or stressed.”
“Sayaw ng Buhay” was recorded amid pandemic in Sorsogon but with the rest of production done in Manila.
Vincent thinks the message of song is perfect for the times.
“Sa buhay di ka palaging nasa taas or nasa baba. At minsan malungkot ka, minsan masaya dahil hindi mo naman kontrolado ang lahat ng nangyayari,” he said.
“Ngayong pandemic, na-realize ko na nabigyan tayo ng malaking challenge sa buhay and we’ve no choice kundi lumaban. Ako, whenever I feel empty or lonely, I pray and communicate with friends. Kailangan maging positive and flexible---yan ang paraan ko para sumayaw sa buhay.”
Even his choice to juggle school and singing career is a way of adapting to the present scenario.
“Nung una ay iniisip ko kung ihold ko muna ang pagaaral ko to pursue my singing career, or do I finish school first bago mag music. Pero since mahirap ang buhay, I chose na pagsabayin na lang at maging balanse na lang para walang ma-sacrifice between the two.”
Vincent was a consistent honor student in high school, a student leader, and advocate for several social causes. Beyond his singing career, he envisions himself as an executive a decade from now, engaged in human resource development with a knack for utilizing music to heighten employee engagement and productivity.
The budding singer is an RJA Productions talent. He describes the label owner and his mentor, Rosabella, as one who “genuinely cares for her people.”
Apart from his originals, Vincent uploads covers of contemporary songs on his social media accounts.