Filipino singer-songwriter Aicelle Santos gets candid as she looked back on the beginning of her career in the music industry during the She Slays: Girl Coded Convention at the Concourse, One Ayala last Saturday, March 29, 2025.
“At 18 when I started sa mga banda-banda. Aaminin ko, I was singing for money. I was in college, so I sent myself to school. Ang hirap mag-perform on stage ‘pag hindi mo naman talaga mahal ang ginagawa mo,” she revealed.
Aicelle said she thought twice in entering the theater world as she was not that confident in her acting skills.
“Ayokong makarinig ng review na, ‘kanta na lang siya, hindi siya maka-arte.’ Natatakot ako dun sa ganung reviews, you know how Pinoys can be harsh sometimes,” she said.
She then recalled her first musical project in 2013 titled “Katy.”
“My first musical was ‘Katy,’ that was 2013… I just went to audition with hopes na matatanggap ako… Aicelle are you okay to do, Katy? So sabi ko, sige po. sige po. Tingin talaga ako sa taas nun, sabi ko, Lord, kaya ko po!… I was surrounded by people na malaki ang tiwala sa akin, I was very thankful for that. Nung time na ‘yun doubtful ako sa sarili ko… I think I can act,” Aicelle shared.
Adding, “Paglabas ko on-stage, I was doing my thing… When I delivered a line biglang tumawa ‘yung audience. I think I can act. Ang sarap pala sa pakiramdam may immediate reaction. One of the best experiences ‘yung unang-unang tugtog sa stage.”
For Aicelle, rejections and failures toward a dream is completely normal. But noted it took her awhile to understand and trust the process.
“I did write some songs and then nilapit ko siya sa record label… Lumampaso ako sa sasakyan, iyak ako… That album is called Liwanag. When you get rejections, okay lang ‘yun. Pero babangon ka din maniwala ka sa akin. Lagi kong sinasabi sa sarili ko, if it doesn’t happen maybe it’s God’s way of telling you na there’s something bigger for you. Merong mas nakalaan para sa’yo… Hindi ba?” she stressed.
She also explained the common misconceptions about people working in the music industry.
“Lalo na siguro sa older generations, ang tingin nila sa performers walang pera… May katotohanan naman talaga. Hindi rin talaga kalakihan ang sweldo. Totoo po ‘yun. Totoo talaga siya at hindi mo masisisisi ‘yung older generations that it’s happening but these stage performers are fueled with passion, love for the arts… Kaya makikita mo ngayon, buhay na buhay ang teatro,” she said.
When asked about her message to aspiring singers and musical actors, she encouraged the public to be brave and hone their talents.
“Hone your talent. May mga time na I doubted my voice… That’s given to you. Be brave. Because you never know that one small door will open big things for you,” she ended.
