For Filipino American History Month, Velvet Einstein welcomes The Sampaguitas to the KALX studio on Friday, October 18th at 12pm for a brief performance and discussion of their adaptations of traditional Filipino folk songs ahead of their upcoming performance at the Freight & Salvage on Saturday, October 26th.
The Sampaguitas sing Filipino folk songs and inspired originals in three-part harmony. Drawing influences from folk, blues, doo-wop girl groups, and the Filipinx-American diaspora, Jenevieve Francisco, Cristina Ibarra, and Aireene Espiritu share music from their roots and explore what it means to be in a “third culture” between worlds. The sampaguita is the national flower of the Philippines and only fitting to describe the sweet sounds coming from their melded vocal textures, tones, and tight harmonies.
Espiritu, Francisco, and Ibarra met in San Francisco and immediately connected over their shared ancestry and love of music. Their collaboration evolved organically, each bringing musical strengths into the fold. Using Filipino folk songs as a way for them to explore their cultural roots, they soon found that singing together unlocked a deep connection, not only to each other, but to audiences as well.
“We each come from different experiences and familiarity with the language. But getting to sing and learn Tagalog, it feels like stepping into a river that flows back to our ancestors. Singing these songs together is like creating our own connection to the country of our roots, and standing proudly in our Pinay heritage.”
