Permission to feel what you need to feel comes naturally, you are allowed to process these emotions and convey them in whatever way you can. Shanne Dandan channels this into her art, tapping into very heavy emotions she uses to write the songs in her debut album, Kung Iyong Mamarapatin.
One year after releasing this catharsis of an album, we chat with Shanne to talk about her headspace at the time and how this experience led her to growing to the soft spoken yet soulful singer she’s known for today.
“The one thing na lagi na lang sinasabi ng bagong listeners sakin is may pagka-ethereal daw. When listening to me, they feel like they’re in another world.”
Today’s scene can be crowded with artists flooding certain genres or experimenting with niche ones. With Shanne Dandan, it’s a throwback to the glory days of the Manila Sound. She credits her lola for making her fall in love with the tunes of the old days, noting Pilita Corales and Ella Del Rosario as inspirations that she tried emulating when she sang as a child.
And as a child, she would often get opportunities to sing on TV. Before being able to gain a viral hit on TikTok or Instagram, aspiring artists like a young Shanne would resort to joining singing contests on television like The Voice Kids or Born To Be A Star.
“There’s a certain stigma kasi sa mga singers before na if magaling ka bumirit, kailangan mo sumali [sa TV shows] kasi para dun talaga yung way mo.”
This would lead her to take a break from music altogether, embracing a different love in the form of visual arts with her fondness for painting and drawing. But like a first love calling back from a distance, she eventually found a way back into music later on in life.
In the heart of her debut album, Kung Iyong Mamarapatin, Shanne is trying to reconnect with her younger self, past the singing competitions and TV appearances; simpler times with her lola and the radio.
The album opens up with Gemini, Shanne’s star sign and also her looking at the stars, pondering her place in life during the times she was writing the album.
“Three years ago, I was going through something dark in my life. I couldn’t express myself in any other way than writing songs.”
The tracks from this album allow her to make sense of what she was feeling, all the hurt and pain from experiencing a really tough breakup. The tracks Kailan ba ako magiging masaya and Iyakin offer a way of her opening up not just to her audience, but also to herself.
What do I do with you offers a self-reassuring hug from Shanne to herself. It’s the leftover love she has to give that also bleeds into di na babalik sa’yo. Holding on to the roots of Manila Sound, she even included a revival of Cherie Gil’s Boy, I Love You, a Shanne Dandan-coded track on its own matched with a revamped band arrangement and personal interpretation of the classic 70’s belter.
The whole album itself is a journey, navigating her emotions and her feelings towards the end with the album’s namesake. It’s her reclaiming who she is after being defined by labels like “just a TV singer” or “just the girl in the relationship.” Not only when it comes to music, but her identity as an individual as well.
“It’s this beautiful thing na like me wanting to reintroduce myself to other people, but then ako yung na-surprise sa process ng growth ko during that.”
It’s Shanne overcoming fears and doubts and showing that she is her own musician. She notes that this was her most honest attempt in songwriting, as compared to previously writing songs as if she was in the shoes of others. It’s her writing a love letter to her soul, saying that everything’s going to be alright.
A full year after releasing and performing the songs from her album, Shanne’s more confident than ever. The magic of opening herself up to the world led to many of her fans falling in love and crying along with the melodies. Genuine emotions bring genuine understanding and that’s what Shanne Dandan manages to do with her art.
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