SURPRISINGLY, Jo Ramos has opted to launch her first CD album now that her father is no longer in power. She could have gotten more media mileage had she taken advantage of her father's popularity, but she opted to wait. So, after a long absence on the music scene, Jo has come out with "Low Profile," a compilation that showcases her versatility as musician and performer. Why did it take her three years to complete the album? "I was looking for funding," Jo replies. "Negotiating with sponsors for the album wasn't very easy."

"Low Profile" aptly describes Jo's personality and best characterizes her vocal range, the rare low alto. "I've always been very quiet and shy. Even before my father's term as president, I've always wanted to stay behind the scene," says Jo. "But on stage, I'm attracted to the level of energy and live sounds that are created during performance. They motivate to pursue my kind of music."

Jo has been in the music business for 17 years. She was one of the pioneers of the Powerplay band which became popular during the '80s. Jo stayed with the group for six years until she went solo in 1993.

Jo is also known as a competent percussionist. In a country that rarely sees a female drummer doing her thing, Jo's skill captured the public's attention before she became a presidential daughter.

Jo's love for rhythm was developed during her childhood. She was a very good dancer who joined neighborhood street dancing and copied dance steps on TV. She took lessons in jazz dancing and worked as a back-up dancer and assistant choreographer for a TV station.

Percussion best complements dance, so she studied percussion until she achieved proficiency and mastery.

Unfazed with the revival and remake trends in the recording industry today, Jo fervently hopes that her music fans will enjoy listening to her album. "It has a little bit of everything," she states. Her main reason for making the album? "I've never really targeted superstardom. I made the album because I had so many songs nagging my mind, written on scratch paper and recorded on tape, and I felt na sayang naman if I wouldn't do anything about them."

One of the highlights of the album is "Nightbird," an original composition by Sonny Emory, the drummer of the world-renowned band "Earth, Wind, and Fire." The album also contains vocal renditions like the carrier song, "Low Profile," "Just Say No" and "This Time," and two percussion instrumentals, "Percussion Prayer" and "Freedom Festival." Jo played percussion on three featured cuts.

The album may sound too "noisy" to inspire introspection, but Jo shares this thought that guided her through while making the album: "It's about dealing with our problems with a lot of prayers."