Troy Laureta is an award-winning Filipino-American musical director, keyboardist, and producer based in Los Angeles, California.

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Hi people of the Philippines and people of the world.

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Let's keep talking.

Kaibigan, tuloy ang usap.

I've been very blessed to do what I do.

I've seen the world, worked with my idols.

But no matter where I go or who I meet, my heart comes back to one place.

Ang aking pangarap ay ipagdiwang ng buong mundo ang ganda at tunay na ating

ang musika ng OPM, Original Filipino Music.

And along with some of my good friends, inihahandog ko sa inyo ang mga awitin na siyang bumago sa aking buhay.

Because of that, I've still been with Hoje

Aking ka na lang.

Aking ka na lang.

Ang ganda na sa araw-araw.

Aking ka na lang...

Aking kanila

At maghihintay

Hanggang aking kanila

Kili

At maghihintay

It's good to see you again

I am happy to see you

Kwento, ano ang mga bago?

Anong mga hindi nababago?

A lot of things has changed, Tito Boy

Since we last seen

I released my third and final album

And I'm just starting to step into

A different era of my artistry in my life

And I'm just very happy to be here

Pag-usapan natin ang Dalamhati

Yeah

Because that's your third OPM Collective

I think Dalamhati for me is my most special album

Because for a number of reasons

The first reason is because

It's my first album that I produced

As an openly gay man

And you know being

Open about myself is something that I've wanted

For so long

So to be able to put all that emotion

And all those feelings

Finally openly and liberated

And freely into a

Body of work

Is just something that I've dreamed about

So this is a celebration of you being

Gay

Yes

This third collective

Yes

Paano?

How did it impact into

Let's say the choice of songs

At the centers?

Yeah well these songs

All have become just kind of beacons of hope for me

During my process of coming out

And with the singers

They're all people that have

You know been with me through it all

Okay I want to talk about the songs

In Dalamhati

I know Martin released one

Okay?

Yes

It's called

Kaya Ganda ng Ating Musika

Yes

Kaya ganda ng ating musika

Kaya ganda ng ating musika

What is that?

Yes

Does Huling El Bimbo

Tama

Yes

Magkahawakan nating kanta

My cousin's fiance

His name is Moy

He actually recommended me this beautiful

Eraserhead song

Huling El Bimbo

And I'd known about the song, but he gave me, I guess, the courage to do my own take on it.

My Troy Loretta version of it.

So, being able to do Ang Huling El Bimbo is kind of my way of connecting more with the people.

Aside from Huling El Bimbo, you also have Jonathan Manalos, our friends.

Yes.

This is performed in your album by?

By Pia Toscano and Lauren Allred.

Good friends, right?

Good friends of mine.

Obviously, we all know Pia Toscano from American Idol and Lauren Allred for doing Never Enough from The Greatest Showman.

So, to be able to bring those two together on this song and do a duet version of such an epic song written by Sir Jonathan, it was just such a moment.

Ogie is also part of, dahil mahatipo, mahatip si Ogie Alcacid.

And he does what song?

He does, we do an acoustic version of his classic, Ang Pangarap Ko Ang Ibigin Ka.

Ang Pangarap Ko Ang Ibigin Ka

When I told him that we were going to do this song, I told Sir Ogie, I really want to do a stripped down version.

My album is very sad and I have this arrangement with just piano and strings.

And I wanted to strip it down so people can listen to your voice and the actual song.

And it came out so beautifully. He sang all the high notes, sang beautifully and Sir Ogie is the best.

There's nothing like the OPM.

Okay, Troy, itong collectives mo, Kaibigan, Giliw, Dalamhati, are your tribute to original Pilipino music.

You've made your mark abroad.

You've worked with the likes of Ariana Grande, Bocelli, David Foster.

You just certainly made this country proud by doing a lot of things that you've been doing.

Okay, so having been there and having achieved what you have achieved,

why are you doing this?

Filipino music has influenced my style of music and the way that I am as a musician for so long

that I wasn't able to formally give Filipino music and Filipinos their flowers and recognition

for molding me into the musician that I am today.

And that's something that's very heavy on my heart.

And it's for my family too.

I see how hard they work and what they had to do to get here.

It was my way of just saying thank you.

And for anybody that's, you know, the youth especially, that's, you know, something to be proud of.

Something to look and listen to and be seen and heard.

Because when I was growing up, there wasn't Filipino music other than what I saw on TFC.

But if someone in the States or someone in the province here can listen to, you know, our music being sung by the world,

I'm hoping that it gives them the courage to just step into it.

To their life.

Because I would have loved that back when I was a little younger.

Did you come with David Foster when he did his concerts in Manila?

You did?

I did.

The very first time you were contacted to do this for David, was that scary?

Yes.

It was.

His manager called me on a random Tuesday or something and said that,

Hey, David needs a musical director.

And I, telling you, the boy, I got so scared.

I almost didn't do the audition.

I wasn't sure if I was ready.

But I did.

I did it.

And he's been following my career with Ariana and all the other artists that I've worked with through the years.

And he's no, he, you know.

Let's talk about Ariana Grande.

Paano kayo nagkatrabaho ni Ariana Grande?

I got with Ariana through auditions also.

Auditions in LA.

I became her musical director on her first major world tour, the Honeymoon Tour.

How was it working with somebody like Miss Grande?

Amazing.

You know, I'm a fan of singers.

So when I was able to work with,

someone that's not only famous and beautiful but actually fulfills my musical heart and my 90s heart because she's like a mini-Biritera.

I loved it.

I mean, it's something so natural for me because I worked with all these Filipino singers.

So.

Mabait siya.

Super and very good singer.

I know this is not something that's important to you because you are an artist from head to toe.

But how good is the money in that kind of thing?

It pays the bills, Tito.

Dollars.

Dollars.

Dollars.

Yeah.

Let's move on to Katy Perry.

You work with Katy.

I worked with her on a couple gigs.

We do, it was through David and we did these, we do like these corporate events and we did a full set of her songs and it was so much fun.

It was a very short situation but I was able to play fireworks and you know, all the hits and it was just super fun.

And she was very nice, she came in rehearsal, went on her way and it was really fun.

Bocelli, how was it?

That one for me was special because I, obviously, we all know Bocelli from singing like songs like The Prayer.

And I grew up with her.

And I grew up with that song.

So when I got to work with him, my first gig with Bocelli was actually in Italy and we performed at the Colosseum.

So if you could imagine, that was my first introduction.

And that was actually one of my first David Foster gigs.

It was a moment that I'll always remember because full circle moment.

What do you learn from that?

Artists and celebrities are just normal people.

I think for a lot of, big part of my career, I was so like .

I want to see everybody but when, as I got to the later parts of my career, you know, being able to hold your hand,

or make jokes with Miss Reg or you know, high five Nicole.

I just, they're just people and they just want to connect on a more personal level and I love that.

It's a surreal thing for me because I looked up to these people.

The great thing about your story is that it was not easy to get there.

No.

You paid your dues.

I sure did.

Yeah, you did.

I think I did.

Kaya yung dalamhati po ay napaka lalim ng ibig sabihin sa akin as somebody who knows you.

And when I was going through the tracks, I said, this is Troy's ode to, you know, the country.

And more importantly, sabi mo nga mahalaga din itong Third Collective sa'yo because this is your first work.

Your opus as a gay man.

Yes.

Tell me the story.

I was closeted for a long time because I didn't want to disappoint my family.

I thought within myself that if I was able to just do so good at music that they wouldn't care about, you know, me being gay.

And you did.

I did.

And you did.

But then it started to take a toll on me where I was kind of hiding who I was and I didn't see myself anymore.

And it wasn't until my grandfather died in 2016 that I kind of made the decision to just start to come out slowly.

And it wasn't until last year that I officially came out to the world.

And it was so hard, tito boy.

How did it happen?

I was sitting with my mom at breakfast and she, you know, was just wondering, like, why are you so quiet?

Why are you being weird?

Why are you...

She kept badgering me and finally I just started crying and I fell to the floor and I told her that I'm gay and I'm tired.

I'm very tired.

And she just gave me a hug and she said that it's okay.

And that...

That part was probably the most hurtful part of coming out because, like, then I realized, like, grave, like, for 30 years I could have came out sooner.

And it...

There was a lot of regret of, like, we could have made more memories.

We could have...

We could have done this.

We could have done that for the longest time.

But I wasted so much time.

My dad's reaction was similar.

My dad didn't care.

And that was the one that I was worried about.

My dad...

Filipino from Quezon City, baby.

Like, you know, tol, bro.

So, when he was cool with it, it just made my heart jump.

No, I have a different way of looking at it.

You didn't waste time.

You are who you are today because of those years.

Because you know why?

When you put in an act, when you perform, because you want parents to be happy and you don't want anybody disappointed, you're coming from a place of love.

So, can you imagine every time you'd play today?

I'd look forward.

Ito nga yung dalamhati.

I look forward to listening intently to every track because Choi found himself in this album.

Di ba? Parang ano kaya ang pagkakaiba?

Ano kaya ang tunog na ginawa ni Choi dito?

And it's really interesting.

It's really interesting.

And thank you for making us part of this journey.

Really, thank you.

I'm just very honored to be on this journey.

And I'm hoping that I make a difference in Filipino music.

You will. You really will.

If there is one song, Choi, and I know I've asked you this, but again, now on a different phase in your life, if there's one song that defines who you are, what is it?

You'll be surprised at the answer, Tito Boy.

The one song that will always bring back memories and make me feel happy or sad depending on the moment is this beautiful Bisaya song.

It's called Usahay.

I'm a very proud Cebuano. I'm very proud Bisaya.

So to be able to showcase that to the Philippines and the world.

Have you arranged Usahay?

You have?

Yes, I have.

Can I listen to part of the song?

Sure, yes.

Listen,

I don't.

Good song.

The best.

What do you want to tell the Filipino people?

I want to say that the past couple of years have been so beautiful for me.

To the Filipino people, to be able to connect with you guys on a musical level is something that I've been wanting all my life.

And I just want to say thank you guys so much for embracing me and my music these past couple of years.

And I also want to say on just a personal level when it comes to OPM, you know, God has taken me to such beautiful places, Tito Boy.

But there is nothing like coming home.

And we can like Ariana, we can like Journey, we can love Whitney Houston.

But it's still amazing and beautiful to celebrate Milita Corrales, Martin Rivera, Haji Alejandro.

To celebrate our music.

Because our music is so beautiful.

And I mean a lot of people ask me like why do you do this or why are you so passionate about it?

Because OPM has literally saved my life.

Dalabhati is a story about how I was able to get through the mental stuff that I was going through.

And I used Filipino music to get me through those times.

And I'm hoping that Filipino people in the future will be able to do the same.

And I'm hoping that Filipino people in the future will be able to do the same.

And I'm hoping that Filipino people in the future will be able to be reminded of how powerful our music is.

And that it can take someone from being at rock bottom and bring you back on top.

And I'm hoping that with these three albums and the work that I'm doing, that Filipinos have something to be proud of when it comes to original Filipino music.

And it's something to be celebrated and constantly celebrated.

Joy, thank you.

Thank you.

God bless you.

Always.

And you know the most important lesson I learned tonight in this conversation is aside from the love for mom and the love for family,

is that if you want some things to happen to you in your life and your career, show up.

Do it.

And live with love.

Be there for the pain because what you can do can save yourself.

Stand up.

Make yourself a sign for faith in God.

Stand up.

Right.

To the end of this story, in the next video, we will have another day and we are going to honour President 되는 avoided from the endorsement at the country.

So let us hang in there together, ladies and gentlemen.

May God bless you.

Nais maramdaman, nais maramdaman, kailan kaya?

Kailan kaya?

Kailan kaya?

Thank you to B&B Studios at Quezon City, owned and operated by Keep Filming.