Latest news with #RubyIbarra
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ruby Ibarra Ignites NPR's ‘Tiny Desk' Concert: ‘This Immigrant Is Here'
Ruby Ibarra, a Filipina-American rapper from the Bay Area known for her potent storytelling, made her debut on NPR's Tiny Desk this week. Chosen among 7,500 entries from independent artists across the country, Ibarra secured the top spot for the series' annual contest with her entry track, 'Bakunawa,' which released last fall. With her hair slicked back into a ponytail and wearing an 'I Love Pinays' tee for the moment, Ibarra performed alongside her all-Filipino band and together, they delivered a heavy-hitting trio of tracks buoyed by shimmering instrumentals. More from Rolling Stone Grupo Firme Cancel La Onda Performance in Napa Amid U.S. Visa Issues This $75 HP Home Printer Comes With Three Months of Free Ink The Best Sonos Deals Ahead of Summer - Save Up to $180 It was a moment Ibarra seized. 'Being human is not illegal. Immigrants have been here, lived here, worked here,' she said before introducing herself: 'And this immigrant is here. From Tacloban City, Philippines, all the way to Washington, D.C., my name is Ruby Ibarra.' When speaking to Rolling Stone over the phone, Ibarra, who was born on the Leyte island, recalls her early influences. 'A lot of the early memories that I have kept from spending the first few years in the Philippines involved a lot of music,' says the artist. 'At a young age, a lot of my cousins, uncles were all part of bands, and they perform at local festivals. So, music was always in and outside of my household.' After moving to San Lorenzo in San Francisco's East Bay, Ibarra says she was later influenced by hip-hop's Golden Age, from the likes of Tupac, the Fugees, and Wu-Tang Clan. Throughout her music, Ibarra weaves in elements of storytelling embracing the rhythms and narratives of the genre, while also bringing her relentless blend of Tagalog and English to her lyrics. When discussing her choice of tracks for her NPR appearance, along with 'Bakunawa,' Ibarra also featured 'Someday' (what she says is a 'reminder' to herself that some of the best things in life happen in due time) and '7000 Miles,' a song she says felt important to include 'because of the state that we're in right now in this country.' 'There's a lot of questions about who belongs here, and for me, I've always been such a strong advocate, as an immigrant myself, of making sure that people feel seen, people feel visible, people feel like they're welcome,' she says. 'It was a perfect opportunity to create conversation around that and at the same time, to also celebrate my experiences as a Filipina immigrant.' The single, from her 2017 album Circa 91, portrays her mother's journey from the U.S. to the Philippines and Ibarra's own evolving frame of mind while watching her mother struggle and fight for a better life for their family. The rapper says that during her Tiny Desk performance, her mother was in the audience. 'Where the chorus goes, 'Mama will make it in America,' it was so special,' says Ibarra. While the camera didn't capture the crowd that included a small group of family and friends, Ibarra says that when she would look over, 'they were crying, they were passing around a box of tissue, and I was starting to get soaked up myself just seeing my mom's reaction, and it was just special.' She says the moment was an important experience for her and her band, as well as a 'collective win.' The ensemble included June Millington of Fanny, Ouida, and Charito Soriano on vocals; Jojo Ramirez on drums; Camille Ramirez on flute and bass; Angelo 'Lasi' Macaraeg on acoustic guitar and keyboard; and Anna Macan on electric guitar. She adds, 'We do hope to see more Filipino American artists on that stage, in that space, there's so much great talent out there, and we're hoping that we can keep that door open.' When looking ahead, Ibarra has her efforts focused on her sophomore album that will be released through her Bolo Music Group, which she founded with producer Lasi in 2023. 'I want to make sure that the music that I share always has as a message, has a point. I'm not the type of rapper to ever waste even just the word. Every word is in the song for a reason,' she says. Ibarra says that her music, like her, will continued to evolve, and that the experience of motherhood has made her 'revisit a lot of the lyrics that I have.' Passing on the stories of those before her, Ibarra says 'I want to continue becoming a songwriter so that the songs I release can help create dialog with my daughter someday.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
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GMA Network
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Ruby Ibarra performs her Tiny Desk Concert at NPR!
Ruby Ibarra continues to do the Philippines proud! The Fil-Am rapper (and scientist) just performed at NPR's super popular Tiny Desk Concert in Washington D.C., which is among her prizes for winning NPR's Tiny Desk Contest. Ruby and the all-Filipino band she assembled for the gig performed three songs — her winning entry "Bakunawa," "7,000 miles," and "Someday" — and repped the Philippines through and through. Where "Bakunawa" had her rapping in English, Tagalog, and Bisaya, "7,000 miles" had her talking about "my journey, of everything I've witness I've felt, and I've held from that distance from the Philippines to America." She ended the song by introducing herself triumphantly: "From Tacloban City, Philippines all the way to Washington DC, my name is Ruby Ibarra. Mama, I made it in America." Ruby closed off her set with "Someday," the song she used when she first entered the Tiny Desk Contest six years ago. "We didn't win at that time, and I admit I was heartbroken. Winning this time around feels so much better," Ruby said, adding "that journey in between those six years has allowed me to see myself more clearly. To recognize I never have to compromise my art and I never have to ask permission to be myself." "That journey has been everything," Ruby said, adding with flair: "This last song is called 'Someday,' but today is the day." Ruby won NPR's Tiny Desk Contest earlier in May, besting nearly 7,500 entries, "a record for the project, now in its 11th year," NPR said. Apart from the opportunity to perform her own Tiny Desk Concert, Ruby will also go on a 10-city tour. When Ruby and her family migrated to the US in 1991, her parents brought with them only one record: Francis Magalona's "Yo." She was only two years old then, and when she turned five, she was introduced to Francis M. "What attracted me were the melody and the tone of resistance. It's really the voice of the youth and the unheard. It's an expression that empowers people." And now Ruby's on NPR, repping the Philippines so beautifully. We say don't sleep on Ruby. Our fearless prediction is she's going to take on the world soon. — LA, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BART rep. addresses last Friday's systemwide shutdown, financial challenges
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — BART experienced a system shutdown last Friday morning, leaving commuters stranded for several hours due to a communication failure between devices. The shutdown lasted for four hours, affecting service across the Bay Area. BART officials have identified the devices involved and are investigating why redundant systems failed to prevent the outage. 'We've identified what devices were involved with the problem,' said BART Communications Director, Alicia Trost, noting that the equipment was not old but failed to communicate correctly. Bay Area rapper Ruby Ibarra wins NPR Tiny Desk Contest The incident has put a spotlight on the importance of transit systems and the need for coordination with other agencies, such as ferries and buses, to provide alternative routes for commuters. BART is currently facing a significant financial challenge, with a projected $379 million deficit due to decreased ridership. While most riders have returned, they are traveling less frequently, impacting revenue. New fare gates are being installed at BART stations, aimed at reducing fare evasion and crime. Preliminary data suggests these gates are effective, with reports of decreased fare evasion and increased ridership. (Watch the full interview in the player above) All facts from this article were gathered by KRON4 journalists. The article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence. It has been edited and approved by KRON4 staff. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area native wins 2025 ‘Tiny Desk' contest
Bay Area native Ruby Ibarra has won NPR's 2025 'Tiny Desk' Contest. The Filipina American rapper beat out nearly 7,500 other artist submissions with a performance of her latest single, 'Bakunawa,' an intergenerational track that draws inspiration from Filipino mythology. 'I'm absolutely honored,' Ibarra, who grew up in San Lorenzo, told the Chronicle. 'The 'Tiny Desk' concert is one of the few platforms where live performance is celebrated and artists get to uncompromisingly showcase their artistry, lyrics and stories.' As this year's winner, Ibarra will get the opportunity to perform an intimate 'Tiny Desk' concert in Washington D.C. at the same desk where superstars such as Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and Usher have performed in the past. Then she'll set out on a brief Tiny Desk Contest On The Road Tour, which is set to kick off June 11 at the Regent Theater in Los Angeles before stopping at Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma on June 13 and then dotting across the country. The 10-stop trek is scheduled to wrap up on July 19 at Howard Theater in Washington, D.C. NPR shared a video clip to Instagram on Tuesday, May 13, of 'Tiny Desk' hosts Bobby Carter and Robin Hilton telling Ibarra the good news. 'To be able to have a space to share my voice but also bring my culture along in the music, it's a dream come true,' said an emotional Ibarra. Ibarra told the Chronicle that it is particularly meaningful to her that 'Bakunawa' was selected for the honor, as it 'features two Filipino languages and is an intergenerational collaboration with other incredibly talented women.' The track, released last September, switches between English and the Filipino languages Tagalog and Bisaya. It features Filipina Canadian singer and raper Haniely 'Han Han' Pabelo; June Millington from the Bay Area '70s rock band Fanny; and Ouida, who is signed to Ibarra's Filipino American-focused record label Bolo, which Ibarra co-founded with her friend and producer Lasi in 2023. All three are set to join Ibarra on the Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour, in addition to guitarist Anna Candari, drummer Jojo Ramirez and bassist Camille Ramirez. Their performance submission was posted in January and judged by a panel of nine music professionals including Carter and Hilton, 'Tiny Desk' alum Audrey Nuna and NPR's 'World Cafe' host Raina Douris. ''Bakunawa' covers all the bases: beautifully arranged music, passion and above all authenticity,' Carter said in a statement. 'We've never seen or heard anything like Ruby Ibarra.'
