Filipino Jazz Celebrity
Tokyo, Japan
October 27, 2017

Rosario Vergara Suyama, popularly known for her artist’s name ‘Charito’, gained celebrity status as a sought-after jazz singer in Tokyo, Japan. Her active involvement in the jazz music industry, where she also mentors other aspiring jazz singers, paved the way for Filipina women to be recognized as professional artists with real talents.

Charito, who auditioned as a singer for a band during her teens, transferred to Japan in the 80s to work for six months. However, what she considered then as a stint in music became her lifetime career and mission that cemented her name in Japan’s jazz music industry.

“I wasn’t really trying to make it big… I just wanted to do my work as good as I can and… one little step at a time. I always tell my student, you know if you’re given a job of wiping the tables, make it the shiniest table, right? And then for me, for my case, I bloomed where I’m transplanted,” she said in the interview.

Presently, Charito has produced 17 CDs under her belt and has performed worldwide alongside famous jazz artists. She also pioneered the Tokyo Manila Jazz and Arts Festival, where Filipino and Japanese singers and jazz players get together to celebrate and share their love for jazz.

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