Nopality October Artist Spotlight | JONAVI
Written by Nopality Media Team | October 25, 2025 | Dallas Fort Worth, TX
For Filipino artist Jonavi, moments like this feel like a return to her foundation. Singing was always a part of her world. She began singing at age six, growing up in a family where her parents met through a church choir. Her earliest memories were filled with sound, performance, and the sense that music was always meant to be part of her life.
As a child, she took nine years of classical piano lessons. The instrument became more than a discipline; it became her songwriting tool. At one point in time, she wanted to be an author, and songwriting became the bridge between her love for storytelling and her love for melody. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she began to pursue her music career with intention, transforming moments of isolation into opportunities for creation and reflection.
Her newest single, If Only We Knew, released on October 9, represents that evolution. Written in just a few hours, the song captures the end of a long-term relationship and the quiet strength that comes with acceptance. She describes it as a mature version of her songwriting, blending layers of electric guitar and synths that expand her usual sound. Through this experiment, she found new depth in her creative voice.
Jonavi hopes that listeners find their own meaning in her music. “Music is always up for interpretation,” she explained in an interview with Nopality Magazine. “I want people to hear it and feel that they’re not alone.” For her, connection is what keeps the art alive. Every song becomes a shared experience between artist and listener, built from mutual understanding.
Before If Only We Knew, Jonavi gained recognition for Peaches, a single that won Best Music Video at the FilAm Creative Film Festival (FACFF). The project, created with filmmaker Monica Silverio (known as moni.m0v), celebrates Filipino-American creativity and the artistry of visual storytelling. The recognition strengthened her belief in narrative-driven music and encouraged her to continue blending cinematic imagery with songwriting.
Jonavi is now preparing to release a full album that explores themes of love, generational trauma, and immigrant identity. The songs are nearly complete, requiring only final production touches before release. She hopes to accompany the music with short films or visual pieces that expand each track’s story. Inspiration comes from her own experiences but also from being surrounded by other creative individuals in fields such as film and painting. Seeing others express passion motivates her to give more of herself to her craft.
In conversation, Jonavi’s focus remains grounded in community. The Filipino community in the Dallas-Fort Worth area has played a meaningful role in her journey, offering support, opportunities, and spaces where her art can grow. Through performances, collaborations, and cultural events, she continues to strengthen the connection between her identity and her audience.
Her music is both a reflection of her growth and an invitation to others to reflect on their own. For Jonavi, songwriting is more than performance; it is storytelling. It is the written word in sound, the emotion that lingers after silence. And when she steps on stage, she becomes what her songs have been building toward all along, herself.
