MANILA, Philippines - While on a long road trip a few months ago, Jaya made her mother Elizabeth Ramsey listen to an anonymous CD. The music royalty then found her mother crying profusely upon realizing that it was Jaya’s newest recording All Souled Out under Universal Records.
“She was very proud of me and of the album,” shares Jaya. “My mother said that she has dreamt of me doing an album like this, so she was very happy. May tears pa nga.”
Jaya adds that her mother has these occasional visions of her. Pressed to elaborate, the Queen of Soul relates that her mom had foreseen her daughter’s luck in Philippine showbiz.
She continues, “We were still in the US then. She fell asleep while playing solitaire and then shouted my name. She said that I will have a career daw not in the US, but somewhere else.” A year after, Jaya had her first major concert at the Folk Arts Theater.
Jaya was introduced in the business with so much frenzy, having multi-platinum record awards, jam-packed concerts and celebrated collaborations with top recording artists.
Over the years, Jaya, however, admits having lost some of her listeners.
“I think it has something to do with the fact that I have already grown up, and my music or the people behind my music has not adapted,” humbly says Jaya. “I am just lucky that I am now with Universal Records and I believe that they know where to bring me and my music.”
All Souled Out is Jaya’s first album under Universal Records. She joins the elite roster of the label including Gary Valenciano, Jose Mari Chan, Christian Bautista, Jed Madela, Nina, Billy Crawford, JayR, Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid.
Jaya considers herself fortunate having been given this chance to work with such professionals as platinum record producer Ito Rapadas.
Jaya considers All Souled Out as a signal of rebirth because here, she goes back to the basics. All Souled Out gathers some of the most romantic ditties interpreted in a very honest, heartfelt and soulful manner.
“You’ll hear a different Jaya here in All Souled Out,” declares Jaya. “You will hear songs interpreted with full of soul and devoid of screams.”
The album celebrates the beautiful marriage of soul and romance. It features 12 smooth soul classics including Patti Austin’s Any Other Fool, Dianne Reeves’ Land of the Loving, Roberta Flack’s Making Love, Gladys Knight’s Neither One of Us, Aretha Franklin’s You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman, among others.
All Souled Out is now available at all record bars nationwide.