MEGA has an exclusive interview with international musical director and producer, Troy Laureta
Filipino talent is like a city on a hill that can’t be hidden, it just shines wherever and through whatever. From sports, business, the arts—and especially music—Filipinos will always find a way to claim their rightful place in their chosen industry. Take for example, award-winning Filipino-American, Troy Laureta, a musical director, keyboardist, and producer for international stars.
Our very own creative and musical genius has already worked with Katy Perry, Justin Beiber, Ariana Grande, David Foster, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, The Pussycat Dolls, and Andrea Bocelli, and locally with Jay-R, Kyla, Jake Zyrus and Lani Misalucha here in the Philippines. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Laureta moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to further pursue his musical career.
Recently, he released an album, titled KAIBIGAN: A Troy Laureta OPM Collective, Vol. 1, where he collaborated with both Filipino and other Asian-American artists. This creation has nine tracks of famous OPM (Original Pilipino Music) and performed by both Filipino and international artists like Nicole Scherzinger, Korean singer, Ailee, Regine Velasquez, and more big names in the industry.
In this exclusive interview with MEGA, he shares his early beginnings in the industry as an Asian-American, and how his Filipino roots shape his music.
MEGA: What is it like to be an Asian-American carving his own path and making a name for himself in the international music scene?
TROY: I was born and raised in Hawaii. Being from the islands, I was exposed to a lot of different types of music from pop to Hawaiian to reggae to church music and of course, Filipino music. I grew up singing and performing with my sister, Cheesa. We were in a group together called A2C, and we performed everywhere from graduations to funerals to weddings. Our style was heavily influenced by music that my father grew up with. A lot of our repertoire included music from Martin Nievera, ZsaZsa Padilla, Jessa Zaragoza and Regine Velasquez. We opened for many Filipino artists as well when they wouldhold concerts back home.
I remember one of the biggest shows we did was Sharon Cuneta Live at the Blaisdell Arena. That was the first time I got experience playing at these big arenas. It was a surreal experience and solidified my love for and want to pursue a career in music.
After graduating high school, my family moved to Los Angeles, and I attended college at the Musicians Institute. College really helped me refine my skills including musical direction and production, which enabled me to Los Angeles opened doors for me as a professional musician. I really worked hard, gigged everywhere and accepted all opportunities that came my way. I had start from the ground up in Los Angeles, and to be honest it wasn’t always the easiest journey. I’ve dealt with rejection, racism and tough times. But my goal was always to do music regardless of the outcome.
It was that much of passion for me. I got my first big gig with David Foster and Jake Zyrus, and finally got a chance to musical direct a major tour. This became my jumpstart to working with many other artists soon after. I think it’s also amazing that my first big gig connects me to the Philippines. It was kismet. Working with David and Jake was my first taste in playing OPM on a big stage, and to see a Filipino artist truly make it here in the USA served as such a huge inspiration and motivating force for me.
MEGA: Can you share with us the talented people you’ve worked with, and your experiences working with them?
TROY: It always trips me out when I get to work with such talented and phenomenal artists. Some artists I was able to work with include Ariana Grande, Andrea Bocelli, Steven Tyler, Justin Bieber, Nicole Scherzinger, Big Sean, Ne-Yo, Seal, and others. I currently work as the musical director for David Foster.
I’ve gone to work with these artists as either their musical director or producer. It’s a joy to be able to do what I love with people that I’ve looked up to or admired. I’ve learned a lot working with numerous artists across multiple genres, and it truly shaped me into the musician and producer I am today. When an artist puts their trust in you with their art, it’s something very personal and we share a special connection when doing music, whether it’s live or in the studio.
MEGA: Can you share with us the creation story of your first album, Kaibigan?
TROY: Creating Kaibigan was a real journey. Since I was a teenager, I’ve always been so enamored with OPM. OPM has a magic about it that no other genre possesses, and since I started doing music professionally at 18, I’ve also dreamt of having an album or show that showcased the beauty of Filipino music, as well as the artists and creatives behind them. When the pandemic, everything shut down and I really needed to pivot and find a way to make music. Live music was no longer an option. So, I decided to make this life-long a dream reality with an album.
The concept of the album was to have an international collaboration to interpret Filipino music. Throughout the years, I had the privilege of working with many artists. So, I really just picked up the phone and called some of my favorite artists and musicians that I’ve either toured or been in the studio
with and asked them if they would do this project with me. Every one of them said “YES,” and it started the creation of Kaibigan.
I’m always going to be grateful for the hard work and passion everyone put into this. Everyone came through for the love of music and belief in my vision for OPM. It was a surreal experience to hear and feel the way these artists interpreted these songs during the process. I got to hear fresh takes on the music and the vocals. And the topper of it all, I was able to hear these artists sing in Tagalog. That was one of the best thrills for me.
MEGA: Do you have a personal favorite among the OPM songs in your album?
TROY: I absolutely love every single song on Kaibigan. I was picky when it get to the songs that I wanted to interpret. It wanted each song to mean something to me. But, if I were to choose one song off the album that really speaks to me, it would have to be “Kahit Isang Saglit.”
I think this song truly exemplifies the main message that I wanted to convey with Kaibigan. Life is short. Hold on to your loved ones. I felt that this was so fitting for the times and to open my album with this message was something I thought was incredibly powerful and appropriate.
MEGA: What do you want your listeners to feel whenever they hear your music?
TROY: When people listen to my music, I want them to be changed and transported into another world if just for a moment. I always jokingly said that my main goal was to make people cry when they heard me play or produce. What I mean by that is that I hope my music touches people, whether it taps into an early memory or reminds them of their partner or makes them miss that special someone. It didn’t matter, as long as whenever they heard something from me, they relate, connect and is changed by it. That’s more important for me than being on the charts or making millions.
MEGA: After the success of Kaibigan, are you planning to release a new album soon?
TROY: I am currently working on a second volume to Kaibigan. I am happy that everyone’s response world-wide has been so positive in regards to this album. I truly am grateful. I really wasn’t expecting the response that it got. It’s a mission of mine to spread my culture to the world. The Philippines has so much to offer, and as a musician, I feel that it is my duty to do what I can in my power to let people know about our music. So, spreading OPM has been a new found mission for me thanks to the pandemic. I see it as turning lemons into lemonade.
And I hope that with my second album, the world will continue to discover and appreciate the beauty of Filipino music. It would be super sayang if the world wasn’t able to hear what Filipinos have to offer. We are such a musical and vibrant people, and it’s our time to let the world know about it. It’s amazing to see so much representation in 2021, and I think that Filipino music deserves a chance to be showcased on the international stage.
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