RATED R
ni Rommel Gonzales
DAHIL parehong artista ang mga magulang, hindi kataka-takang pinasok ni Icee Ejercito ang showbiz.
Si Icee o Garielle Bernice ay panganay na anak nina Gary Estrada at Bernadette Allyson.
Pero sa halip na pag-arte sa harap ng kamera ay ang pagiging isang recording artist ang napili ni Icee na pasukin. Sa katunayan ay pumirma siya ng kontrata sa Universal Records kamakailan kasama sina Gary at Bernadette at ang manager ni Icee na si Arnold Vegafria (ng ALV Talent Circuit).
Bakit pagkanta ang larangang haharapin ni Icee?
“They find it strange as well,” ang natatawang pakli ni Icee pagtukoy sa mga magulang niya.
At nakagugulat din ang genre na nais ni Icee bilang mang-aawit.
“Well, I’m into rock music.
“I like mga indie-pop-rock naman, not the heavy stuff… I mean I hope, you know kasi it’s challenging din, eh.
“I like all genres of rock, so whether it would be soft to hard rock to the ’80s style, like Guns N’ Roses, Nirvana; grunge, metal rock like Deftones, also punk rock like Paramore and like Evanescence.
“I don’t know. But then he’s (Gary) the one who introduced me naman din to rock music like ever since before. I don’t know, he’s always been playing it like sa radio or like sa speakers, on his playlists, that’s why I think I found interest on that.”
Ang mga pinsan niya sa father side ang nakadiskubre na may talent si Icee sa pagkanta noong sampung taon pa lamang siya.
“’Coz I was like singing, I was in the bathroom with them and then I just started singing along to a song and they were like, ‘You could really sing!’
“And then I told my mom and I think that year, ‘coz you know she’s very supportive, so that year she put me in voice lessons.”
Wala pa mang nare-record na kanta si Icee ay may mga cover songs siya na naka-post sa kanyang Instagram at Tiktok account.
“Short covers lang of like indie songs that I play on… ‘coz I play the piano so I like to record myself singing. Actually I’m self-taught with the guitar.
“During the pandemic, I took guitar-playing as a hobby, so I’m hoping to hone my skills, so that I can move on to electric guitar, since I think it will be more beneficial with the rock sound,” sinabi pa ng magandang dalaga.