KIANA V: DAZED BUT CERTAINLY NOT CONFUSED

BY DENISE J MALLABO

In the Philippines, the last names Valenciano and Pangilinan are well-known in the entertainment industry. As one of the most sought-after performers in the country, Gary Valenciano left footprints of his legacy through exceptionally talented children making a mark on their own.

“For as long as I can remember I ran away from this career path,” confesses singer songwriter Kiana V (Valenciano) who started singing on stage from time to time with her father when she was a kid. Kiana presently juggles her life between the Philippines and Los Angeles and has been continuously creating music; spreading her sound. Try as she might to avoid performing, the universe has other plans and it indeed pulled her to where she is now; her calling. “I wanted to build something different from what my parents had built, but I kept gravitating towards it. I took a summer fashion course in London a few years back and while I was there I started writing and recording music just for fun. That’s when I realized it was something I really wanted to pursue,” says Kiana.

The 27-year-old artist has recently shared a track called “Safe Place” that was included on a mixtape by Paradise Rising, a label created by Globe in partnership with 88Rising, a US-based label and management company that releases tracks from Asian artists like Rich Brian, Keith Ape, Joji, and more. “I loved working with them. I’m such a huge fan of their creative team and their ability to just get things done,” says Kiana when asked how her experience was working with the international group. Kiana freshly dropped a soul, synth, and soothing beat packed EP entitled Dazed, also the name of the EP’s first single, which she admits the title perfectly encapsulated what she was feeling mentally over the past two years. The 5-track EP is currently streaming on music platforms like Spotify and YouTube Music and was co-produced by Filipino-American Jesse Barrera, who worked with other Filipino musicians like Jeff Bernat, AJ Rafael, and Jeremy Passion. A Book Of caught up with the Filipina talent and she spoke about her new EP, production process, and plans on how to share her music.

Hi, Kiana! How you and what are were you doing before this interview?

Hey! I’m doing great. I have a friend over and we’ve just been watching Legally Blonde while we both work from home.

What was the first album that made you want to sing?

I always wanted to sing. Everyone in my mom’s family sings so from a very young age my cousins and I would perform for guests and set up shows. I do remember hearing Jojo’s first album though and thinking “I wanna do that.” She was 13 and I was awestruck.

You belong in a family of entertainers. Was there a certain kind of pressure to be one as well?

Definitely. Because I started singing and performing at such a young age, almost everyone I knew was just kind of waiting for the day I officially jumped into the industry. I guess that’s why I ran away from it for so long.

How did your dad influence you with your singing?

Not only does my dad push me to keep practicing and honing my craft, he also introduced me to a lot of my musical influences and to so many different genres that have shaped me as an artist.

How do you describe your music style? How did you decide on your sound?

I think that over the past year my music has been gravitating towards the more soulful tip of the spectrum. I’ve had a drastic shift in my lifestyle since I started producing music and so that’s undeniably affected the type of music I’ve been writing and releasing.

What’s your music production process like? When you write songs, what should be the mood like?

When I write I appreciate being in a safe space, if not I get lost in my thoughts. I usually write alone, before the music is produced, and then edit the lyrics and melody when we start building the beat.

What made you decide to make “Dazed” as your first single?

We chose Dazed as the first single for the same reason we chose it as the title. I felt like starting with something that was raw was the best way to usher in this season for me.

With the pandemic still around, how are you planning to spread your music? Are you planning to do online concerts?

We are doing our best to stay creative and figure out the best way to share the experience with my listeners. I’m hoping to shoot and record a few live versions over the next few weeks and yes, hoping to have an online show as well.

What can we look forward to from you this year? What are you looking forward to the most this year?

More music. That’s really what I’m looking forward to! Meeting new collaborators and reuniting with my constants. We have so much we want to do! It’s a very exciting time.

For more about Kiana V, visit her website www.kianavee.com and follow her on Instagram and Twitter at kianavee and on Facebook at facebook.com/kianavofficial.