Zia Quizon Returns to the Stage That Started It All
ZIA QUIZON – In a moment that felt both heavy and healing, Zia Quizon returned to the venue named after her legendary father for her new music launch.
Singer-songwriter Zia Quizon marked a significant milestone in her career as she made her long-awaited return to the music scene with the launch of her new single, “Reto Na Naman.” The event, held on Thursday at the Dolphy Theater, became an emotional and “bittersweet, full-circle” experience for the artist, as the venue is named after her late father, the legendary Comedy King Dolphy.
Quizon shared that the choice of venue happened naturally, noting that it was the most practical location for the launch. “Not meaning to, it was just the most logical place to have it logistically. There is a sense of finality. We are moving into a new chapter. This physical space won’t be here for much longer, so it is nice we got to do it while it is here,” she said, acknowledging the personal significance of returning to the theater where her journey first began.
Despite the emotional weight of the event, Quizon emphasized that her father’s enduring legacy is not bound to any physical space. “Even if the place won’t be here much longer, we will always have him. The stuff he imparted. The wisdom,” she explained during an interview held at her contract signing with Star Music. She added that Dolphy’s lessons and values remain with their family. “My dad would feel like the stuff he taught us, that’s what will last. Hindi nila magigiba iyon. ‘Yung mga asal na tinuro niya sa amin, ‘yun ang baon. Iyon tawag niya doon, pag may project — kailangan bigyan sila ng baon. Tatay na tatay. You have to go home with something — a lesson.”
Zia’s mother, OPM icon Zsa Zsa Padilla, watched her daughter take the stage once again and described the moment as deeply “bittersweet.” “I would remember him being here alive and not so, during the wake,” she said, recalling both joyful and painful memories tied to the venue. She also looked back at the time when Zia first launched “Ako na Lang,” sharing, “he stood in the wings, smiling ear to ear, proud of Zia. I can imagine him still watching and smiling.”
Padilla added that she sees much of Dolphy in their daughter. “When you listen to Zia, you can see her dad’s humor. She’s very funny — not Dolphy funny, but Zia funny. And when she talks, you see how smart and articulate she is,” she said.
Zia Quizon’s “Reto Na Naman,” along with its music video, is scheduled for release on November 14, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her musical journey.