As Filipino Heritage Month rolls into motion, the dynamic Canadian duo Manila Grey, composed of Blame Soliven and Ghostride Neeko, recently shared their experiences as Filipino artists and their deep connection to their heritage in an interview with ET Canada’s Keshia Chanté.
When asked what to expect when meeting a Filipino partner’s family for the first time, Soliven advised: “Prepare for the tea, that’s for sure.”
“Especially if you’re meeting all the aunties. Be ready for some conversations. And prepare to sing your heart out because you know how it goes down when everyone is drinking and eating good food. Someone’s going to start singing.”
“And prepare to get offered food like five times in one night,” added Neeko.
Comparing the crowds in the Phillippines and Vancouver, the duo emphasized that both bring electrifying energy to their performances.
“I would say it’s the exact same energy. It’s just different. Yeah, but Vancouver, Toronto, you know, we sold that out during the pandemic, and it was the most electric show. And then when we go back home, I guess it’s just different crowds. So in Asia, people are a little bit more sing-along-y,” explains Soliven. “In Toronto, Vancouver people be jumpin’, and they let loose.”
On the topic of their Filipino pride, Neeko expressed that they want to “shine light on our culture and empower youth to have somebody to look up that looks like them.”
Through their recent single, “Motherland,” they aim to shed light on immigrants’ challenges and foster empathy and understanding across cultures.
“We’re from Canada and Canada’s built on immigrants and we don’t even want to just talk about just the Filipinos,” explains Soliven. “I think we want to just talk about people in general, people who have that immigrant struggle in general because there is a system and there is a way that being an immigrant, you know, it’s not the most beneficial thing, especially if you’re starting from scratch.”
Manila Grey’s latest album, “SOUND DRIFT”, currently streams on every major music platform.
