Maria Luisa Ramsey-Gotidoc (born March 21, 1970), known professionally by the mononym Jaya (), is a Filipina soul singer, rapper, record producer, actress, dancer and presenter of mixed Jamaican and Visayan descent. She was a talent of GMA Network but later transferred to ABS-CBN, where she serves as one of the head jury of the Tawag ng Tanghalan segment of the Philippine noontime variety show It's Showtime and performer on ASAP. Jaya is the first Filipino recording artist to chart in the United States, with her debut single "If You Leave Me Now" peaking at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Jaya also ventured into musical theatre, playing the role of Surpanakha in the 1999 Filipino musical Rama at Sita staged at the University Theatre. Early life Maria Luisa Ramsey was born on March 21, 1970 in Manila. Her mother was Elizabeth Ramsey, a Filipina comedian and singer of Jamaican and Spanish-Filipino descent. Ramsey's father is Reynaldo Kagahastian, a Filipino. Her parents separated when she was young, and her father migrated to the United States. He now resides in Alberta, Canada. She entered show business at the age of ten as a backup dancer for her mother, and at the age of 12 was a backup singer and front act for some minor and major shows. She began performing solo in 1982, using the name Louise Ramsey. Ramsey did not finish high school in the Philippines because of her busy lifestyle as a child performer. She nonetheless received high marks and was once elected class president. Life in the United States Her mother Elizabeth decided to leave for the United States in June 1985, and brought Louise with her. There, she continued her solo singing stints, performing with other Overseas Filipino artists like Tillie Moreno, Eddie Mercado, Lerma dela Cruz, and the duo Reycards. Life in America was difficult for Ramsey and her mother as they moved around different cities in California. She attended John Marshall High School in Los Angeles, which at the time already had a large Filipino-American student population. She ran away from home in 1988 after finishing high school, moving to New York with a friend and landing a job as a backup vocalist for Stevie B's group of musicians. Career U.S. debut After high school in the U.S., Ramsey became a back-up vocalist to Miami freestyle singer Stevie B. In 1989, she was