From Balay to Bolo: Filipina-Irish Soul Singer Ouida's Journey to Stardom
By Tianna Mae Andresen
Ouida (wee-duh) is a Filipina and Irish-American singer and songwriter whose thoughtful lyricism, warm and smooth neo-soul R&B sound, and vocal activism for equity and dedication to community have soothed the souls of people across the globe.
Hailing from San Francisco, Ouida was among the 3 new artists introduced to debut under Ruby Ibarra and LASI’s new Filipino music label, Bolo Music Group, at the October Undiscovered SF Block Party. Along with Ian Santillano and Vince A, Ouida performed at Spotify Space LA and on the WISH 107.5 Bus. The group will be performing their debut group concert at The New Parish on Friday December 8th. Bolo Music Group is set on uplifting the next generation of Filipino American artistry through its nuances an through community.
Photos of Ouida from the October Undiscovered SF Block Party. 📸: @nicobelasco
After the announcement, we were able to catch Ouida for a short interview detailing her feelings about UNDISCOVERED and what it feels like to go from Balay Kreative to Bolo Music Group with her Balay mentor Ruby Ibarra.
Ouida has recently released her new EP “Come Rain, Come Shine”, that features an interlude tribute to her father and brother. The interlude outlines the struggles of artists balancing vulnerability, failure, and staying true to the artistry within an industry not built for many. Check out Ouida talk about her song “Visions” at her EP launch party put on as a part of her Balay Kreative Artist Residency.
“Take a minute and the stars do align and be free, no ones gonna free your mind, never been a better time to take the bad and kiss it goodbye”
Come Rain, Come Shine is an EP that Ouida released through the Balay Kreative Growth Program. In an interview with Balay Kreative, Ouida mentioned how she wrote the EP during the lockdown phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic stating that “I find that in my own personal experience of dealing with grief and the loss of a loved one, it’s not linear. With this project, I wanted it to feel — in four songs — as though you could trace that storyline, but the truth is [grief is] a revolving circle and something that I’m always still learning more about.”
Photos from KQED Filipinx Arts Night 2022
As a Kultivate Labs family, we are honored to have had the opportunity to have Ouida in our spaces. Please support Ouida in her upcoming endeavors with Bolo Music Group!