By Gabbie Corral |Staff Writer|
CSUSB musicians took the stage in the Santos Manuel Student Union Events Center (SMSU) to raise money for the Philippines.
Lubos PASO, the Filipino-American Student Organization, held their annual Fil Am Jam (Filipino-American Jam) on Thursday, April 26 in the SMSU Events Center which attracted more than 150 students and residents of the area.
The event raised money and awareness for the indigenous people of the Philippines who need education and proper farming land.
“This event is a great way to give back. We try our best to do what we can,” said Lubos PASO member Neann Genato.
Rising singers, rappers and musicians took the stage, showing off the music they had spent so much time preparing for the Fil Am Jam benefit show.
One of the crowd favorites, Luigi Seno, played his guitar to a set of soft songs like “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5. He surprised the audience by bringing out his sister, Mary
Seno, and beat boxer Joe Santos for remixes of Trey Songz’ “Bottoms Up” and Lauryn Hill’s “I Need You Baby.”
The highly anticipated headlining acts included YouTube sensations like AJ Rafael, and newlyweds Michael Alvarado and Carissa Rae.
“We just got married today and we’re so excited to celebrate with you all here tonight,” said Alvarado. The couple played a set of love songs telling the story of how they met and their journey to where they are today as married musicians.
Alvarado and Rae receive an average of 100,000 views per video on their YouTube account as a musical duo and some videos reach nearly a million views. The Fil Am Jam marked the duo’s first-ever live performance as newlyweds.
“When we started doing videos and songs together, [they were] getting a lot of good feedback and people liked [them],” said Rae. “We had fun doing it because you get to perform with the one you love.”
The couple originally started off as individual artists, writing and performing songs on separate YouTube accounts. However, they thought it made the most sense to officially sing as a duo, going by the name “Us.”
“People ask us if we make videos to become famous,” said Alvarado. “But really we just want to connect with people through music in hopes that they will say ‘I can relate to that’ or ‘I can’t relate to that but it’s still good.’”
Alvarado and Rae said it’s events like the Fil Am Jam that make performing outside of a computer screen so exciting.
Attendees who bought the VIP package for the event got to meet, interact and take pictures with the performers backstage. “I came for Michael Alvarado and Carissa Rae. I love them!” said Cal Poly Pomona student Mia Nollora.
It seems as if all the hard work Lubos PASO continues to put into their annual Fil Am Jam paid off yet again. They were able to raise money and awareness for a cause that is close to their hearts as Filipino-Americans.
There’s no telling what big stars the club will acquire for next year’s Fil Am Jam, but one thing is for sure; the show’s popularity continues to grow every year.