Jamiela is Finding Her Voice in Pinoy Rock

Jamiela Dacome had taken a break from busking as a senior high school student when she decided to take her music online, where she’d gain traction under the mononym Jamiela. In September 2023, she released “Kahon,” a song about caving under academic pressure, which resonated deeply with a young Filipino audience. Nearly three years later, the musician continues to find comfort in her craft and is learning more about herself and her music as she goes.

When she sits with me for a chat, she almost whispers into the microphone. “Noong busker pa lang ako, I was really shy. Super takot ako sa people,” she tells Rolling Stone Philippines. “And talagang pinush lang talaga ako ng mga friends ko, ng mentor ko, kasi may nakikita silang potential.”

Despite her reserved demeanor, Jamiela knows how to call attention in other ways. On her social media pages and in person, she only wears frilly pink-and-white dresses adorned with ribbons. 

Jamiela admits dolls are a fixation, and they’ve inspired her work. “Everything is a source of inspiration. For example, the way I dress is inspired sa mga kino-collect ko [na dolls]. And sa music, visual, lahat ng forms of art na ginagawa ko, magkaka-connect sila,” she says.

Beyond a presentation that is unmistakably her own, she’s also capable of raising her voice. Having garnered almost 300,000 streams on Spotify as of this writing, the single “Bendahe” is Jamiela’s strongest work yet and demonstrates her capabilities as a singer-songwriter. In the rock track, she likens herself to a bandage used to cover up a man’s wounds, crooning one moment and belting the next.

That edgy, bluesy rock sound easily reminds one of Peklat Cream-era Bita and the Botflies, and Jamiela recognizes the similarities but admits that she only discovered the band recently, being young and new to the industry. “People, nakahanap talaga sila ng music artists na parang ka-genre ko and na-recommend din sila,” she says.

Braving the Crowd

In the span of two years, Jamiela has gone from busking in malls to doing shows at Makati’s Sari Sari, but she says live performances remain a challenge for her.

“Noong ginawa ko ‘yong busking, hindi talaga maiiwasan na may masasabi or iba ‘yong perception sa akin. Minsan nakaka-hurt kasi softie ako, parang hinahayahan ko din. And mahirap din na ako lang talaga nagfigure out alone [dati]. And hindi ko alam kung may naniniwala ba sa art na nilalabas ko.”

But since making her own music, Jamiela has learned to trust her own abilities. “I discovered na kaya ko pala kahit madalas na-lo-lost ako ng direction. Ready akong mag-gamble sa kahit ano. Kahit takot ako, naniniwala ako na may calling ‘yong art ko.”

So far, she has enjoyed her time in the music industry, having signed with PolyEast Records’ Filtered Music in April 2025. “Sa industry, I think, wala pa akong na-encounter na challenge kasi in-enjoy ko lang talaga siya. It’s a big opportunity and a dream sa akin.”

This year, she looks forward to releasing new music and doing more shows. She says, “I hope na makapag-evolve ako as an artist, share more music, at makapag-connect sa people, at maka-visit din ako sa different places at makapag-perform.” This year, the internet’s Pink Dolly Busker has our eyes and ears.