TUNOGLOKAL QLD Project

The TUNOGLOKAL QLD Project aims to deliver an independent production and broadcast of Original Filipino music in Australia to increase the representation and participation of Filipino musicians in the Australian music industry and airwaves. To achieve this goal, we produced an all-original album including six songs (Filipino and English) written by Filipino migrants who consider themselves as amateur songwriters and singers from different parts of the Philippines and Queensland, who also belong to different generations. The album offers a wide range of musical styles, which echoes the diversity of music and cultures of the Philippines and the Filipino diaspora in Australia.

​

The album was released on various streaming platforms on the 26th of November 2023, including AMRAP (https://amrap.org.au/release/nicky-anacin-tunoglokal-qld-project) and APRA-AMCOS for registration.

​

Before the production of the album and writing of the songs, the project also involved a series of capacity development relating to music production and recording as well as radio broadcasts of the finished output and interviews with musicians. This phase of the project aims to enhance the skills and creativity of the Filipino migrant community through music production, music diffusion and multicultural identity. To do this series of workshops, we collaborated with E-Talent Musikademy (https://etalentmusikademy.com/), a music lessons on-demand provider that specialises in music development through the teaching of musical instruments and songwriting. Through E-Talent Musikademy, we were able to tap the expertise of prominent songwriters and producers from the Philippines such as Jonathan Manalo, Vehnee Saturno, and Jim Paredes. The workshops were facilitated by Annabelle Regalado-Borja, a songwriter, producer and former talent manager in the Philippines.

After the initial mixing and completion of the songs, a soft launching was conducted at Radio 4EB where the Filipino group set up a live outdoor broadcast on 23 July 2023 where all the songwriters performed their songs live and the recorded versions were played on air.

The launching also involved interviews with the musicians and the producer. The event was also broadcast live on Facebook. The project motivated the participants to enhance their confidence and creativity further and write more songs. Their involvement also increased their network and the opportunities
that they had as musicians. The project added more interest as well as an increase in the membership of the Filipino group. Ultimately, the project facilitated an increase in the production and broadcast of independently produced music from Filipino migrant musicians, which has not been given much attention in the Australian media and music industry.

​

The album has been played at Filipino festivals where the OB Van was invited to promote the station. These events include the Barrio Fiesta 2023 at Rocklea Showgrounds on 11 June 2023, The Fil-Aust GC Filipino Festival at Broadwater Parklands on 18 June 2023, and The Laura Street Festival in South Brisbane on 15 October 2023. These festivals were attended by about 5000-10000 people from all cultural backgrounds. In terms of other media, the album launch was featured in The Philippine Times in its August 2023 issue.

​

The project has also been discussed by the producer during some of his conference presentations regarding Filipino musicians in Australia, including papers and conferences such as:
• ‘Identity, Liminality and Transnationality of Filipino Cover Musicians in Australia’ presented at the HLSS/GCSCR Transformative Futures Conference on 30 October 2023 in South Brisbane;
• ‘Playlist Curation as a DIO Practice and Alternative Music Promotion Model among Filipino Independent Musicians’ presented at the 2nd International Music Livelihoods Symposium 2022 on 28 November 2022 (online)
• ‘(Trans)local/Transnational Music Circuits and Practices in Urbanised Regional Locales in the Philippines’ presented at the Regional Music Research Group Seminar on 4 September 2022 in South Brisbane. 

I have also talked about the project and the music in various live broadcasts at Radio 4EB, which were heard not only by listeners from Australia but also from the Philippines and other parts of the world.