Music is a universal language. Just like any language, music helps us to articulate all the feelings we have— may it be sadness, joy, fear and of course love. It helps us to explore our feelings and allows us to get in touch with our deepest desires.
For Clara Benin, that’s what she wants with her music. The feeling of comfort and familiarity with her songs would resonate with her listeners. From her heartfelt solo compositions to numerous collaborations, TV commercials, and local films, her comforting writing allows us to express our feelings through music.
Mostly accompanied by an acoustic guitar, the 28-year-old Filipina singer-songwriter delves into various themes with her music. Whether she sings about life, healing, or #hugot songs, Clara is one of the exceptionally talented musicians of today’s generation. As her goal for her music is to be as sincere and comforting to her listeners, Clara never fails to tell a story through her soothing and enchanting voice.
So, to truly appreciate the genuine music of Clara Benin, let’s get to know the artist herself.
Music in her genes
Raised by talented musicians and songwriters parents, Clara's love for music began at a young age. As she started to play the guitar, her dad, Joey Benin, a songwriter and former bassist of Side A, taught her the basic chords and strumming techniques. While as a teenager, Clara began making song covers and tried writing her songs.
“My parents are both talented musicians and songwriters. Their passion and love for music and for people are one of the things that inspires me,” Clara explained.
Being surrounded by musically inclined parents growing up, Clara acknowledged the influence of her parents on her singing and songwriting career.
Songwriting as a form of therapy
During our private interview, Clara mentioned that she draws a lot of inspiration from personal experiences and conversations she has with her friends.
Like most artists, Clara also used the opportunity to create art amidst the never-ending pandemic. During the lockdown in 2020, Clara released her song “It’s Okay," a song that allows oneself to take a break, and in 2021, she released "blink," a song about one's journey towards healing.
As her music provides healing and calmness to people, Clara says that her music has always been to connect and comfort her listeners.
For Clara, songwriting is a way to connect with others who might be going through a similar thing. “I always say that songwriting has always been like therapy to me. It helps me process my thoughts and give language to my feelings,” she continued.
Clara on representing Filipina musicians
Last February, Clara was featured on a Times Square billboard in New York. Alongside other talented females in the music industry, her songs were also part of Spotify’s EQUAL playlist.
When we asked what she felt about the whole experience, Clara said that she felt really grateful and hopeful. “Maybe people who passed by that billboard saw our names and looked up our music and felt inspired!,” she added.
As the OPM continues to thrive in the local and international music scene, more and more Filipino artists are now in the spotlight to share their music. However, we can't deny the fact that there would be some comparisons when it comes to this conversation. So we asked Clara if there are any challenging aspects of being a female singer-songwriter in the music industry here in the country.
Clara explained, “I think one of the challenges of being a female singer-songwriter in the Philippines is we are constantly being compared to one another. I always push myself to support and champion other singer-songwriters, especially young females!"
More music to come
Recently, Clara released her song “Affable Dork”, a song that plumbs the depths of love as it examines the delicate balance between infatuation and fantasy. According to Clara, this song was ‘locked in a vault for a very long time’.
“I don't exactly know why it took me this long to release it, but I always knew that I was gonna release this song someday because I think it's a very relatable song,” she said.
Clara also teased about her upcoming music plans, saying that there’s ‘more music to come’ *insert smiley face* I mean? She really is adorable, we can’t wait!
By the end of our interview, Clara left a message for young artists who are aspiring to be in the music industry just like her.
“Don't compare your journey to someone else's. Instead, champion each other's works and let's continue to encourage one another and build each other up.”
Just like language, music is dynamic and constantly evolving. So, as long as we continue listening to OPM and supporting our local musicians, OPM will live.
━━ Written By Karla Maginit
━━ Photos by Joshua Elefan
━━ Photos by Joshua Elefan
