LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Filipino culture is rooted in music in a way that’s unique from the rest of the world.
Friday, two days after Filipino Independence Day, that culture will be on display in the valley where more than 200,000 Filipinos live, according to the Philippine Chamber of Commerce of Southern Nevada.
“I’ve been singing since I was a kid, so this is what I was dreaming of,” Filipina singing star Dessa Salazar, known on stage simply as Dessa, told FOX5. “Filipinos – we love music. We love to sing, we love karaoke.”
Dessa is part of “Harana: An East Meets West Live Experience,” a one-time performance at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The show brings together Dessa and several other big-time Filipino artists, such as Martin Nievera, Loren Allred, Pia Toscano, and Morisette Amon, among others.
They’re joined by Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns, led by Danny Falcone, who heads up Lady Gaga’s brass section. The show is directed by the head of Ariana Grande’s rhythm section and successful music producer Troy Laureta.
“I’m going to be doing all the hits from the Philippines as well as the hits from all over America – all the stuff that we love,” Laureta said of the show.
Laureta, who’s also Filipino, wants to do more than put on a good performance.
“I’m hoping to bridge the gap,” he said, referencing the fact that not many Americans are familiar with Filipino musical culture. “When I was growing up, there wasn’t a lot of representation as a Filipino-American, and I feel that with this concert and with the albums I’ve done, I’m hoping to create representation and make it easier for the next line of Filipino-American artists.”
With Harana, Laureta and the others involved promise a never-before-seen blending of Filipino and American music.
“That mix has never happened,” remarked Peter Ferguson, who brought the many players together to make the show happen. “If I put six horns from Lady Gaga’s orchestra, because I know them, with those singers and Troy’s band in Las Vegas, that is a show.”
“To put all of this together, it’s really a whole other level of excitement for us,” Falcone added.
Falcone is eager to show Las Vegas the unique sounds of the Philippines, where he says music means something different than it does here.
“Just people off the street — if you go hear them at karaoke – they’re unbelievable,” he said. “And when they sing, they do things vocally that other people just can’t do.”
Dessa agrees and tells FOX5 how music is even ingrained into the dating scene there.
“The guys will be courting her with a song,” she said, referencing the dating scene in the Philippines. “That’s what we call Harana. And that’s the title of the show.”
Harana is almost sold out, but there are still some tickets left. You can buy them here or call (725) 259-3243.
Copyright 2024 KVVU. All rights reserved.