For the 17-year-old rising star Hannah Nolasco, getting to record an album is like a fairy tale come true. And winning an award for her album Peksman is more than a validation of her talents in singing and composing. At the recent PMPC Star Awards for Music, Hannah tied with Morissette for the “Best New Female Recording Artist of the Year.”
Hannah, who studies at San Beda Alabang, is the daughter of Col. Ricardo L. Nolasco,Jr., PAF (Ret), owner of Hannah’s Beach Resort & Convention Center, which for the second time in a row received from Gawad Amerika Foundation the “2015 Most Outstanding Tourist Destination in the Philippines.”
Hannah exemplifies the typical teenage Filipina – gentle yet strong, fun loving but knows what she wants. What sets her apart are her free spirit, talent and gift to narrate her personal experiences through songs. She shares, “I wanted to capture these years of my life on an album while they still represented what I was going through.” Hannah describes her own music as fun and youthful. “I never choose a song that I can’t relate to in some way, shape, or form. My music will always reflect who I am and what I believe in.”
Her father recalls that he saw the spark of Hannah’s career with a simple hum and her passion to play the piano at the tender age of 3. As she grew, her interests flourished to include swimming, basketball, gymnastics and ballet lessons. “I believe Hannah took up her skills to play piano from me. I remember she would always sit on my lap as I play my favorite pieces on the piano at dinner time.”
When asked about her musical influences, Hannah responded, “Aside from my Papa, I look up to Ariana Grande, One Direction, Katy Perry, Vanessa Hudgens, Beyonce, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and a lot more.”
Hannah is constantly inspired and motivated by her Papa, whom she considers the best father in the whole world but could also be her harshest critic some times. Hannah shares, “Papa is incomparable in every way. He is very loving and caring and is my constant source of inspiration and constructive criticism in all areas.”
It is Hannah’s hope that her music will provide a means for her to give back to her family (especially now that her father is running for Congress under Partylist CONSLA (Confederationof Savings & Loan Association of the Phils.); to the community and become a role model for the youth in her own humble way. “I would like to give back to my family and school for teaching me all that I know and for moulding me to be the person who I am today,” she says, in addition to wanting to give back to other charitable organizations close to her heart.
Hannah also knows that, with her family, friends, relatives and God on her side, and with her sheer determination, anything is possible for her to achieve her goals and make her dreams come true. “Everyone has dreams,” she states. “This is not just a dream of mine, this is a goal that I am determined to achieve and I won’t give up!”