A few years in the past, within the Canadian city of Ajax, there was a younger boy who was simply starting to find his penchant for sound.
The boy’s dad and mom are from the Philippines — an inherently music-loving nation — so whether or not or not he had a selection, music fairly actually ran in his veins, due to the limitless karaoke classes he’d be a part of at house. Whereas tinkering together with his father’s intensive R&B CD assortment and his brother’s hip-hop CD assortment laid the groundwork for his musical tastes, it was of his personal accord that he started scouring the catalogues of Michael Jackson, Aaliyah, Pharrell, Timbaland, Ne-Yo, and extra.
It lastly got here time for him to begin following in these musical icons’ footsteps, too. Earlier than lengthy, he’d make his official debut as an R&B artist known as Pino — which you may need already guessed is brief for “Filipino.”
“In Canada, all of the Filipinos go to a Catholic highschool, however I went to a public one. I used to be one of some Filipinos there, so individuals would simply name me Pino,” he defined.
When you might have a nickname (and finally, an artist title) like that, your heritage is sure to change into a serious a part of your artistry. It’s a reputation that carries a whole lot of weight. There’s an unstated stress that comes with it, however Pino is set to carve out area for his Filipino roots within the Canadian music scene.
Something however nonchalant
In 2016, simply earlier than Pino entered highschool, producing lure beats turned considered one of his favourite pastimes, however it was under no circumstances supposed to show into something severe. It was all only for enjoyable, till he would quickly notice that music was one thing he was actively pouring his coronary heart into.
But it surely hadn’t at all times been the graceful lure of the rhythm and blues style that dominated Pino’s sound. Rap was what first caught his eye.
“I may at all times sing as a child. That was a given, however in highschool, youngsters are actually into outdated rap and simply being mischievous or savage,” Pino advised Rappler. “I wasn’t doing something loopy, so I didn’t assume there was a cause for me to rap as a result of a whole lot of it’s form of violent.”
It had really been by way of the encouragement of his friends that he determined to transition to R&B. “It matches you,” they might inform him — and Pino himself knew that, too. He made the swap, and since then, he has by no means regarded again.
Within the R&B style, it’s frequent to reveal your soul to your listeners.
However for the 23-year-old artist, navigating that’s the place his Filipino roots actually come into play. Pino is calm and laidback, so carrying his coronary heart on his sleeve is one thing you may not count on of him at first look. However you’ll rapidly study that that couldn’t be farther from the reality.
“It’s in our blood. Filipinos are ‘chalant,’” Pino mentioned, referring to the colloquial time period that’s now being extensively used as the other of “nonchalant” — the place somebody is totally devoid of sturdy emotion.
“We’re not afraid to confess our emotions or say what we need to say. So it’s pure to me and a whole lot of us,” he added when requested if vulnerability was one thing he struggled to point out in his music.
From Canada and the Philippines, to the world
Simply hearken to his 2025 EP 02. Right here, Pino takes listeners by way of tales of affection, loss, and damage, fronted by songs like “Can’t Depart Alone” and “Love This Ache Away.”
However whereas his Filipino aspect takes the reins for the unapologetic outpouring of feelings in his lyrics, his Canadian aspect takes cost of the soundwaves.
“As a result of I mainly grew up exterior of Toronto, Drake, The Weeknd, Tory Lanez, and PARTYNEXTDOOR had been the form of stuff we had been listening to after we had been youthful. As a result of I’m from there, I heard their music when it first began popping out,” he shared, including that this early publicity to all these legendary Canadian artists served as an enormous affect to him.
All this is part of Pino’s effort to mix modernity and nostalgia. He ties this all collectively within the report’s cowl artwork, the place he sports activities a barong tagalog as he leans towards an alleyway’s wall.
“We now have this distinct sound,” Pino mentioned of the Toronto music scene. “It varies between all of the artists out in Toronto however for the previous few years, it’s undoubtedly been the ambient form of R&B.”
Pino was fast to confess that it was solely in 2025 when he actually started listening to music from his motherland — with traditional R&B artists like Jay-R and South Border making it into his private playlist. Nonetheless, together with his rising platform on Canadian floor, he finds significance in showcasing extra of OPM’s distinct model, which he hopes to include extra of into his music shifting ahead.
For now, although, Pino is simply having fun with the trip. When prompted to open up about any struggles he’s skilled all through his five-year music profession to date, he was stumped.
“Actually, I can’t actually complain about something. You must stick it out till you begin seeing traction. Endurance on this trade is de facto necessary,” he advised Rappler.
Pino is nicely conscious that artists discover their footing at totally different factors of their careers. Whereas he’s discovered 1,000,000 people who find themselves greater than prepared to hearken to his physique of labor, he wholeheartedly believed that dedication, endurance, and consistency stay on the coronary heart of his thoughts and soul as an artist. – Rappler.com
