A singing Gypsy

MANILA, Philippines - Marié Digby is passionate about her music. It’s acoustic and accessible to every Pinoy out there. Marié doesn’t mind traveling from L.A. to Manila and back and flying 30,000 feet high. Perhaps, she is not even bothered by the change in time zone and weather for as long as fans feel the love she has put in every song.

“I’m based in Los Angeles and Tokyo,” offers Marié. “I feel little bit of a gypsy. I’m always living in a suitcase. Even here in the Philippines, literally, I just have a suitcase. I’m like wearing the same thing over and over. But I really like it at the same time. I’m half-Japanese, half-Irish. But my heart is definitely here.”

The YouTube sensation is in town to promote her latest album titled Your Love released by Star Records and MCA Music. It’s Marié’s early Christmas gift to Filipino fans who have contributed to nearly 20 million views of her Umbrella cover version uploaded on the Net four years ago.

“Everything is a lot brighter,” Marié compares Your Love to her previous records. “Unfold. It’s got its brighter moments and darker moments. Unfold, the title track, is about my struggles to really let people say who I really am. But this album, for me, I wanted it to make me feel better, too. I wanted to forget about some of the tough things I faced in 2010. I just wanted it to be purely bright, uplifting, sunshine pop album.”

Feel that crazy little thing called love by listening to Marié’s soothing, heartfelt renditions of Your Love, I Do, Swoon, Loving You Is Easy, Say it Again, Umbrella and I Think I’m In Love. She collaborated with Sam Milby and Jericho Rosales in Your Love and I Do, respectively.

Marié will also bring her music closer to fans by having shows tomorrow, Nov. 4, at Robinsons Lipa; on Nov. 5, Robinsons Metroeast; Nov. 12, Robinsons Sta. Rosa; Nov. 13, Robinsons Galleria; Nov. 19, Robinsons Starmills Pampanga; and Nov. 20, Robinsons Place Imus. After her mall tour, Marié will record albums to be released in Japan and the States.

“It baffles me and I’m grateful for it, too,” says Marié of the support she has been getting from the Philippines. “’Cause I’m like, in the beginning when I found out that most of my viewers are Filipinos, I was thinking: Is it because they did like me or they think I’m a Filipino? I wonder what it is. I don’t know what the answer is. I don’t care. I’m just grateful.”

What are the things she has discovered about her Pinoy listeners?

“You know what’s baffling to me is Filipinos love music and they love to sing. But sometimes, throughout the show, they really get shy,” replies Marié, who considers herself a melody person than the lyrics type. “They do sing along the whole show but when you put the mic in front of them, they’re mute. But what I appreciate is that they don’t love you just on the surface. They dig deeper. They wanna know who you are, what your inspirations are. I don’t think they are hard to please. But there’s so much talent here. If you’re not on a certain level, I don’t know if you’ll be appreciated.”

Although she is enjoying a musical success in Manila, Marié is careful in what she’ll do next to entertain fans. Right now, she won’t dare herself record Tagalog songs.

“Actually, I don’t know any Tagalog songs,” she shares. “I only know Tagalog songs that are in English. I haven’t learned any (songs) that are in Tagalog. I have to learn Filipino songs that are in Tagalog. I want to but I just want to do it when I know for sure that I’m not really messing up the accent. Because I know when people sing songs in Japanese with a terrible accent, it’s some kinda funny. So I don’t want to do the same thing with Tagalog.”

How has YouTube changed Marié’s personal and professional life?

“I wouldn’t be here without it,” she quips. “It has changed my life a lot.”