MANILA, Philippines?Aiza Seguerra has a confession to make: After spending roughly two decades as a performing artist, it was only recently that she realized music was her true calling.

?Akala ko kasi nag-e-enjoy lang ako nung una ... pero a few years ago ko lang naisip, oh my God, gusto ko pala talaga ito,? Seguerra told the Inquirer during an interview for her concert dubbed ?I Am Changing? (with guests The CompanY and Zamboanga pop band Frio) on Sept. 24 at Metro Bar on West Ave. QC.

Two phases have defined the career of the former child star-turned- singer-songwriter, who turns 27 on Sept. 17.

The first started when, at age 3, she joined the Little Miss Philippines contest on the noontime TV show ?Eat Bulaga.? She didn?t win it, but she became a cast member of the show and stayed for 10 years. Her precocious-child appeal landed her roles in other TV shows and several comedy movies.

She left ?Eat Bulaga? to concentrate on her high school studies. Out of the limelight, she said, her popularity waned. Still, she had to work, to help her family: ?At the time, my father was a government employee with a low salary.?

Work meant singing in town fiestas. Later, dropping out of a music course in college at the University of Sto. Tomas, she joined a ?showband? that played in a Cubao joint called Joker, and an acoustic trio that lasted for two gigs.

?Walang nanonood sa amin,? she recounted. ?Bukod sa nanay ko, siguro mga two to three tables lang.?

Things changed when record producer Margot Gallardo showed up at Joker and offered her a song called ?Pagdating ng Panahon.?

With nonchalance, she agreed to record the folk ballad, along with other tracks for a whole album. Released in 2001, the album sold more than 200,000 copies.

It was her second taste of fame.

But it would take a few more years before she could say she truly wanted to be a musician. That happened after she met members of a band she idolized, Color It Red, at a party.

?Impressed ako kay Mike (Villegas, former Color It Red guitarist). May character siya as a guitar player,? Seguerra said.

She admitted that she had wanted to play the guitar since age 9; the instrument has since been part of her act.

She sought out Villegas, inviting him to join her for a one-month stint at Hard Rock Cafe Makati. ?Just to try if we had chemistry while playing,? she said. ?E, meron. Dun na nagsimula.?

Their team-up has led to creative collaborations. They wrote together ? she as lyricist, Villegas as composer ? for a track in her 2007 album ?Para Lang Sa ?Yo,? and the ?Kimmy Dora? theme. Villegas has also sat as producer of her other albums.

It was likewise through Villegas that she got to hang out with the likes of Lolita Carbon, Cynthia Alexander, Ria Osorio, Cooky Chua and Bayang Barrios (Villegas? wife).

Though she is a mainstream artist, she said, spending time with these musicians gave her a sense of belonging: ?Sometimes we?d play at Conspiracy for three hours straight. Na-hook na ko.?

Confidence gained

Being ?hooked? on these jams resulted in another positive development: Seguerra gained confidence as co-writer and producer for one track, ??Di Lang Ikaw,? in pop singer Juris? debut solo album, and producer of ABS-CBN?s rainy season (?Sukob Na?) station ID.

Seguerra revealed that Villegas encouraged her to do these things.

For her Metro Bar concert, she?s playing with Villegas on guitar, his brother Angelo (bass); Jonathan Urbano (violin); Budeths Casinto (percussion); and Osorio (keyboards).