Juris takes the big leap

CEBU, Philippines - While singer-songwriter Juris Fernandez of MYMP fame is enjoying a flourishing solo career, she’s about to say adios to the solo tag soon…with her love life, that is.

The Davaoeña is taking the marriage plunge with her non-showbiz boyfriend of five years after he proposed during New Year’s Day of 2011. That joyous moment happened months ago, but Juris had just recently announced it on television. She and her fiancé weren’t keen on broadcasting their engagement as they are an awfully shy pair.

Juris, who didn’t seem comfortable talking about her upcoming nuptials or specific details of how her soon-to-be-husband asked for her hand, simply said their church wedding will occur anytime this year.

Of the little that the chart-topping acoustic artist had shared: “He picked me up at the airport because I had just come from Davao. We just went out for a New Year’s celebration. He had no particular place where he wanted to propose, as long as it happened that day. He was just looking for the right time and the right feeling.”

Her music is similarly in a blossoming stage too. Juris is the first Filipino artist in recent years to release an album in the highly competitive Korean music industry. She made her first foray into the international scene by digitally releasing the six-track album If You and Me in South Korea after a Korean producer contacted Star Records and expressed their interest to produce an album for her. It featured covers and songs written by Korean and Filipino composers.

She was also the only Filipina who was invited to perform live at the “Green Plugged Seoul 2011” music festival last May in Seoul. One of the most successful and the biggest music festival in Korea, the event showcased 117 artists from all over the world, including Korea, Finland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Sweden and the Philippines.

“I am happy when I receive tweets from Filipino K-pop fans that really monitor Korean websites. They tell me that they see my name in music charts. When I went there, some producers are thinking of projects for me to collaborate with Korean artists. They tell me the reason Koreans appreciate me because my music is easy-listening,” she said.

Juris is currently working on an all-OPM album, which will contain three revivals including the song Forever More originally by Side A, while the rest will be new compositions. She is also set to join her fellow ASAP Sessionistas on another US tour that will begin on the last week of August until the first week of September. (FREEMAN)