“I want to be known as someone who has done something good that people can remember."
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As promised, here are the official photos and snippets from the Manila Bulletin- Students and Campuses Exclusive feature on Marie Digby!
Marie Digby- About A Girl
A Manila Bulletin- Students and Campuses Exclusive
Photos by Jerico Montemayor (assited by Paolo Sy) of Illuminati
Creative Direction by Jaser Marasigan
Styling by Donald Elizaga
Makeup by Eman De Leon for Revlon
Hair by Adrian Adraincem
Clothes, Shoes, and Accessories from Jellybean (SM Megamall)
Shot on location at Ronac Art Center and Secret Fresh
You can read the full article here!
About A Girl
MANILA, Philippines — If only Marie Digby could save lives one song at a time, she definitely would.
After Japan was hit by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake on March 11, Marie has made it her mission to ease the sufferings of those affected in her own little way.
The daughter of a Japanese mother and an Irish-American father, Marie was right there in Japan when the tragedy struck. She and her mom were just stepping off the elevator when the tremor occurred, lucky to have been in a secure building when it happened.
“My initial thought was this is just another earthquake. It wasn’t until I turned the news on and saw how bad it was for other regions,” she recalls. “We got very lucky because our building is secure. The cities that were built near the water, they weren’t prepared for a tsunami that huge. I’m sad because even if they’re not necessarily our family, it’s still our people. It was very sad to watch that,” she laments.
She was scheduled to come to Manila on March 13. Reluctant to push through with the plan, she nevertheless went on after her parents, worried about the radiation scare and aftershocks, advised her to.
“It was with a heavy heart that I came here because I felt guilty for leaving Japan when it was most in need. We decided that I should go ahead, but my work would have to give back to Japan,” she says.
The first thing she did was to participate in “Jam for Japan” held at the Ayala Museum in Makati City. They were able to raise P17 million from the said benefit concert.
On her passion for music...
“When I started doing the YouTube videos, in my mind, even if there’s one more person somewhere around the world who knew about my music, I’ve already been successful. For me to sit here now and think about the millions of people who viewed the videos, it’s really hard to believe. I’m just very grateful for it,” she says.
“I realized that I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t try music a 100 percent right then. It is really what I want to do. There was no other option. Music is the only thing that makes me happy. If I were not a musician now, I would probably be crying somewhere in rehab. I would be miserable.”
On her favorite song- Unfold...
“I noticed that I have this trait where anytime someone starts to get close to me, I find a way to push them back. And I was trying to figure out why I am this person. I’m the one girl in school who couldn’t get a date in a school dance. So I sat down with a guitar and literally worked it out through the song. In ‘Unfold’, I try to say, at some point you have to be able to let go and let people see you for what you are, not just the good, but the bad too. I struggled with it still. But the song helps to remind me.”
What we don't know about her...
“I love being very active. I was a jock, I played tennis in high school. I’ve been training for mixed martial arts for over a year now. I got into it because I had a few scary instances with stalkers. I had to make sure I didn’t have to rely on anyone else to defend myself. In the beginning, it was really for self-defense and then it turned into pure fun.”
On her stay in the Philippines...
“I absolutely love the Philippines. I’ve been here a few times but this is my first extended stay. This time, it is a very special experience for me because I’m getting to see more of the Philippines. Not just the surface. Before, I just saw beautiful hotels, places, gourmet food.But what I want to know is what life is like on the streets, by the river and under the bridges. I’m always more interested in that than the perfect and appealing.”
It's not just about breaking records or selling CDs, or becoming famous....
“I want to be known as someone who has done something good that people can remember.Not just the one who wanted to make a name in life, or be known for what she does or how she looks. I want to be more than that,” she ends.
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Many thanks to Jerico Montemayor for sharing some of the unofficial photos (below).
Enjoy!