JESSA ZARAGOZA was surprised when ABS-CBN’s Star Records called her up to be an interpreter of a song in the Himig Handog Songwriting Contest. “Nagulat talaga ako kasi nasa GMA-7 ako ngayon as a mainstay in ‘Pepito Manaloto’ and my last album was with GMA Records,” she says. “But siempre, flattered din ako that they considered me to be part of their Himig Handog this year. I told them to send me a copy of the song and the moment na narinig ko yung kanta, nagustuhan ko talaga agad ang melody at ang lyrics.”
Jessa is interpreting the song “Bumabalik ang Nagdaan”, composed by Sarah Jane Gandia. “She’s based in California and she just sent her song here. Sinuwerte namang makuhang finalist.”
It’s a beautiful love song about a lost love and it has good chances of winning. Properly promoted, it could be as popular as Jessa’s past hits, like “Bakit Pa” and “Di Ba’t Ikaw”. The song has a beautiful music video that is very simple in concept but superbly excited. It shows no one else but Jessa with the camera capturing her dazzling beauty from various poses and angles.
Jessa’s husband, Dindong Avanzado, is now the vice governor of Siquijor Island. Does she go there often? “Siya ang madalas doon kasi dati na silang may bahay roon dahil ang lolo niya ang very first judge in Siquijor.”
Has she seen any of the mambabarangs or aswangs the island is infamous for? “Hindi naman totoo yun. Ilang beses na akong nakapunta roon, wala namang ganun doon.”
So how’s married life with Dingdong? “We’re okay. We’ve been married for 13 years now and our daughter Jayda is also into singing. I can’t complain.”