Jhasmine Espinas Villanueva, professionally known as dwta, is a Filipino singer and songwriter born and raised in Albay, Bicol Region. She is known for her tracks "Padaba Taka" and "Santigwar". [1]
She is known for incorporating her mother tongue, Bikol, in her songs.
Early life and education
Jhasmine Espinas Villanueva was born and raised in the Bicol Region,[2][3] hailing specifically from Tiwi, Albay.[4] Before delving in songwriting, Villanueva was involved in other forms of art like dancing and never expected to pursue music until senior high school year when she was invited to join a songwriting workshop after jamming with friends at an event.[2]
Villanueva initially wrote songs in Filipino before finding more comfort to making songs in her native language Bikol after joining a Bikol-language songwriting competition.[3]
Dwta gained recognition for her unique musical style that blends traditional Filipino sounds with contemporary genres. Her lyrics, often written in her native language, celebrate Filipino heritage and promote linguistic pride.[5] She signed with Sony Music Philippines and adopted the stage name "dwta".[2] The name is derived from the combination of the Filipino words "diwa" (spirit) and "tala" (star) which she deliberately chose for its Filipino-ness.[5] She released her debut single, "Daluyong", in 2021, marking the beginning of her professional music career.
Her career continued to flourish in 2023 when she joined the Coke Studio Philippines Season 7 lineup. This notable collaboration series brings together diverse Filipino artists wherein dwta collaborated with the P-pop group Alamat for the song "Kapit".[6]
The following year, in 2024, dwta was part of the prestigious Wanderland Festival, an annual music event in the Philippines that features both local and international artists. At Wanderland, she shared the stage with global acts like Hwasa and Thundercat, marking another major milestone in her career.[7][8]
That same year, she was featured as one of the Spotify Radar artists for Class 2024, an initiative aimed at supporting emerging talent. Spotify Radar helps artists grow their audiences through curated playlists, platform visibility, and exclusive content. dwta's inclusion in the program, alongside fellow rising stars like BINI, Maki, and Cup of Joe, elevated her profile and introduced her to an even larger audience.[9][10]
Dwta's achievements have been marked by both critical acclaim and commercial success. In 2022, she received her first Awit Award nomination for her song "Panganoron". The following year, she won her first Awit Award for Padaba Taka, which became a breakout hit. [11][12]
Her earlier song "Santigwar"[13] also made waves, reaching #2 on the Spotify Viral 50 Philippines chart in 2022 and was nominated for Best Regional Recording at the Awit Awards, alongside Padaba Taka.[citation needed]
In addition, she was also honored with a nomination for Listener's Choice at the inaugural Billboard Philippines Women in Music which celebrates the achievements of female artists in the Philippines.[14]
In 2025, dwta released “Kung Ikaw ay Masaya” as the official soundtrack for the film Flower Girl, starring Sue Ramirez.[15] The same year marked a significant moment in her career as she received two major recognitions: New Artist of the Year at the New Hue Music Video Awards,[16] and Folk Song of the Year for “Sampung mga Daliri” (featuring Justin) at the inaugural Filipino Music Awards.[17] During this period, she also began composing songs for other artists, notably co-writing BINI’s single “First Luv.”[18]
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