The Story Behind Thomas Orlina’s New Song Begins at Home

His single, “Magsayaw na Tayo,” is a love letter to the Philippines and to his parents, who helped him connect with his heritage.

For Thomas Orlina, recording a song with his parents is a natural extension of the Filipino traditions he grew up with at home, where singing and dancing were part of family gatherings.

Orlina is a content creator and advocate who has used his platform to champion LGBTQIA+ rights, mental health awareness, and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) issues. His voice has taken a different turn as he pursued his music career, but it has remained consistent in its purpose: to empower people.

But no one can blame Orlina for taking inspiration from home when it comes to making music. He has always been enamored with the celebratory culture of Filipinos, especially at social functions: debuts, weddings, or even just simple birthday parties where the titas and titos pull you up to sing a song or maybe just dance along to it.

“I love my music to be personal. I like to take people on a journey. So when I’m on stage, a lot of my performances are very much storytelling. I think all great songs come from personal experiences,” he says.

His love for pop music and his commitment to sharing his heritage have pushed him to produce his new single, “Magsayaw na Tayo,” which tells of his experiences as a Filipino American and the realities of growing up between cultures. What he takes pride in the most is that, in the making of the song, his parents, Tomas and Josephine Orlina, were completely present, which made him feel more connected to his Filipino upbringing.

“Working on this song with my parents is one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. This project will always be part of our family’s story. It’s my love letter to the Philippines and to the memories we’ve shared there,” he adds.

On top of everything, what makes this project extra special for him is the experience of putting on different hats. He has tried being the director, a singer, and even a producer. “I’ve grown to really hone in on every single step of the way, and I’m involved in everything. It’s a long process, but it’s so rewarding once everything is done.”