Our hearts would always have a spot for stories of seasoned konteseras who take on an arduous journey towards stardom. Zephanie Dimaranan is the recent addition to showbiz’s roster of contestants turned mainstream singers.

 

The Voice Kids is the first stop in Zephanie’s long ride to success five years ago. She was unfortunately eliminated before the finals. A few years later, she failed in her attempt to bag the coveted Tawag ng Tanghalan championship on It’s Showtime.

 

Despite the heartbreaks, Zephanie did not give up on her dreams until her tenacity bore fruit when she was hailed as the first Idol Philippines grand winner. When asked what fuelled her determination to keep going, Zephanie says she just knew her time will come even if defeat hurt so much. She simply used the past failures to shape her grit.

 

The 17-year old dreamer could vividly recall every step of her journey – from the auditions down to her winning moment. Every single Idol Philippines experience brings her happy thoughts. Of course, there were moments of jitters. But even those, she could still clearly imagine. Zephanie remembers crying a few days before the final showdown, pressured and scared. The good thing is her co-hopefuls whom she established friendship with were there to boost her courage.

 

Her life changed since winning the Idol Philippines. Besides living the dream, she is now able to help in the family’s finances and extend the blessings to others as well.  On top of that, her first album is on the way.

 

In the meantime, fans could listen to Zephanie’s latest single “Sabihin Mo Na Lang Kasi.” This song showcases the Kapamilya singer’s soft vocals and ability to create pain out of lyrics and melodies. “Iba kasi ‘to sa ibang songs ko. Ito, masakit. Gusto kong sabihin sa lahat ng nakaka-relate na kung mayroon kayong gustong sabihin, sabihin mo na lang kasi bago pa mahuli ang lahat,” she says. She clearly practiced her The Voice Kids’ coach Sarah Geronimo’s advice to sing from the heart.

 

Zephanie does not limit her artistry to music alone. She dreams of venturing to acting someday and working with Kapamilya teen stars like The Gold Squad members.

 

The young songstress is not resting on her laurels. Her quarantine days are used to improve her musicality by playing the guitars and writing songs, and a little Tiktok time on the side. She loves cooking her favorite food ampalaya and watching K-dramas, too. If given the chance to learn a foreign language, she’d go for Korean and Japanese. As soon as the pandemic ends, Zephanie would like to try traveling to Taiwan with her family.

 

Zephanie knows the crisis can trigger anxieties. When confronted by fears, all she does is kneel and ask God to cleanse her mind from worries. She further underscores the benefits of speaking to someone.

 

To answer more questions from the netizens, Zephanie shares that she once accidentally cut her finger during an arts and crafts session in school. She loves listening to the worship songs “Magnificent” by Hillsong Worship and “Power of Your Love” by Don Moen. Her favorite bible verses are Mark 11:24 and Matthew 6:34.

 

The star on the rise also takes on the First and Last Challenge wherein she reveals that Yeng Constantino’s “Hawak Kamay” is the first song she perfectly sang. Her last Instagram post is a birthday greeting for her father, the last person she said ‘I love you’ to. A self-confessed K-drama lover, Zephanie cried over “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo.” She believes the eyes are the windows to the soul. On her first embarrassing moment, she narrates, “Pauwi na po ako sa condo. Sa sobrang pagod namin, nagkamali kami ng unit na napuntahan.”