MANILA, Philippines – DNA — formerly known as the Mitra Sisters — never planned on being in a girl group together. In fact, when their aunt approached them with the idea, their first answer was a resounding no.
“Coming out of the pandemic, spending all that time together without really going out all these years, we kind of wanted to have our own [things] going on at the time,” shared Ezri Mitra, the eldest of the three. Tasha doubled down on this, saying that despite all of them being interested in the performing arts, they weren’t too keen on doing it together so as not to ruin their personal relationship.
“For me specifically, I was probably the one who didn’t want to do it [the most],” Tasha added. “I’m the youngest. We all went to the same schools. I felt like I was always competing with them, because [people would always say], ‘Oh, you’re so-and-so’s sister.’ I wanted to make my own name out there, without them.”
When you look at the bigger picture, Tasha’s hesitations are understandable. The Mitra sisters come from one of the most star-studded lineages in Philippine entertainment history. Their mother, Cacai Velasquez-Mitra, is a household name in the realms of performing, talent management, and concert production.
Their father, Raul Mitra, is one of the most sought-after music directors, composers, and arrangers in the country. Their uncle is the acclaimed singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid. The aunt who pushed them to form DNA in the first place? None other than Asia’s Songbird herself, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid.
When they first announced their debut as the Mitra Sisters, that lineage was the first thing that people called out. Even as they formally introduced themselves as DNA, the comparisons and associations with their family members continued.
“I think it’s something that I’ve kind of had all my life to prepare for,” Ezri said when talking about how they feel about the constant associations with their family members. “It was always gonna be there. We were already being associated [with them] even if we weren’t ‘public anybodies.’ It was always in our heads; an expectation.”
“But we always knew that we had something to show ourselves. It’s also expected that if we [entered the entertainment industry], especially as sisters, it was going to be inevitable. But it’s a blessing, if anything.”
Ezri continues by saying that the only thing that they’re in control of now is the effort that they show, and proving that they can bring something to the table. The three sisters are incredibly conscious of the fact that their lineage is part of the reason why they’re able to debut under Star Pop, and equally cognizant of the fact that it’s part of the reason why people scrutinize them.
Despite this, they’re incredibly thankful that their first supporters are the Reginians, with Tasha sharing that during their first-ever ASAP taping, the crowd was full of their tita’s fans.
“For me, it’s a win because we already have people who are looking out for us and defending us,” she adds.
With their family’s legacy on their shoulders, one can’t help but wonder if this legacy adds pressure to the budding pop trio. “Our family has always been supportive and encouraging,” Julia shared. “I never felt the pressure to live up to whatever they have. [I feel more pressured] to show what we have. [The fact that] our family is so encouraging takes the weight off.”
“And rather than trying to ‘live up to’ or trying to ‘be like’ our family and tita,” Ezri interjected. “The pressure is on us to do the best that we can.”
Charting their own path
As the sisters find their own voices, not as Velasquez-Mitras but rather as DNA, the first thing that they want to establish is that they’re much different from their family members. Their debut single, “Don’t Ask Me Why,” is edgy, full of swagger, and a full production number — a long way from the emotional pop ballads that their family is best known for.
Inspired by Ezri’s love for dressing up and the comments that she’d get for her different outfits, “Don’t Ask Me Why” is an anthem that challenges people to just mind their own business. The sisters are hands-on when it comes to the musical process, with “Don’t Ask Me Why” being written by Ezri herself.
The funny thing with the single was that the girls didn’t want it to be the first release. The track was part of a couple of songs that Ezri had pitched to the production team. After a couple of songwriting sessions with the team, the girls were surprised that the team really highlighted the track.
Ezri first tried her hand at making an arrangement for the song on Logic (a digital audio workstation) before bringing it to their father, Raul Mitra, to make the demo. They sent it to Jonathan Manalo afterwards for production and arrangement, until it became what it is today.
“When we were deciding what the first song should be, we didn’t vote for ‘Don’t Ask Me Why,’” Tasha revealed, laughing. “Everyone else loved it!”
While the overall visuals and marketing are handled by Star Pop, the three sisters — who are all skilled in visual arts — give great input to DNA’s creative vision both in sound and sight. Assisted by Jonathan Manalo and Roxy Liquigan, Ezri works with Star Pop’s team of songwriters and producers to write songs and work on instrumentation.
“They let Ezri do her thing, and they’re very supportive of her vision,” revealed Tasha. Ezri added, “In the meetings that we had, I felt so lucky because everybody already agreed with what our creative direction would be because they [knew] our personalities, what our songs looked like, and everybody already saw this pattern going on. It was easy to decide on where we were going.”
The girls define the DNA vision as “definitely pop” with influences from R&B and a darker, “futuristic” aesthetic. They consider themselves a more “mature” group, as they land on the older end of typical girl groups across Asia.
Looking back now, “Don’t Ask Me Why” is a great introduction to the trio. It’s a head-bopping anthem that shows off each of their skills in rapping, singing, and dancing. Its accompanying music video, which premiered last October 16, leans into that futuristic and dark vision that the sisters want to be known for.
“‘Don’t Ask Me Why’ is a great starter song for the direction we want to go to. I think people will see that eventually, that the music makes us different. [The single] is a great starting point, but it’s not just what we want to sound like.”
The next chapter
With all eyes now on the sisters, the three are committed to showing their authentic selves in the industry. While they definitely grew up surrounded by music and entertainment, don’t let their last name fool you — they are wholly unique, skilled, and talented in their own right. As they gear up for new releases and feel excitement towards the future, the possibilities seem endless for the trio.
“I just hope people see our talents as our own,” Julia shared. to close. Ezri added, “We just want to be different. We want to be known as people who are very hands-on and very authentic in the music and visuals we want to create.” – Rappler.com
Content shared from www.rappler.com.