The Filipino street music scene reached international grounds when The Busking Community PH (TBCPH) held its first overseas showcase in Hong Kong, titled Mula sa Kalsada, Para sa Kalsada ng Hong Kong.
The lineup featured Fisheads, Ciara Silva, Ren Bugash, and Martin Riggs, who performed in Hong Kong’s public spaces. Their sets created a cultural exchange that emphasized music as a creative and accessible form of expression.
Apart from their street performances, the group also played for the Filipino community in Hong Kong and performed songs that reminded overseas Filipino workers of home. The artists said that what began as a casual stop became one of the most emotional moments of the trip.
“Napunit puso ko sa lahat ng nakita kong Pilipino na nakatambay sa underpass,” said Riggs, co-founder of TBCPH. “May mga dekada nang ‘di makauwi sa pamilya. May nakausap ako—first time niya uuwi sa March 2026, graduation ng anak niya.”
He said the unplanned performance became personal for the group as the audience connected with their music.
“Ang ending, lahat ng kinanta ko para sa mga OFW. Kaya nagkaroon ng gano’n karaming crowd, at nagkaroon din ng purpose na magkaroon ng TBCHK.”
The idea of performing abroad came from a long-time collaboration with Fisheads, a Hong Kong duo who previously went to Manila to busk with TBCPH.
“Fisheads registered as a TBCPH busker and played in Manila last year,” Riggs said. “We already talked about the possibility of us busking in Hong Kong with them, and now it finally happened.”
He described the trip as a cultural exchange and a milestone for Filipino buskers.
“It’s fun, and we’re proud, but more than that, we learned something from each other,” he said. “In Manila, marami sa amin secured ang permits. But in Hong Kong, guerilla-style pa rin. Iba, pero parehong may puso.”
Riggs said the collaboration also inspired a new idea. “Alexis of Fisheads reached out to me about forming a busking community in Hong Kong, inspired by what they experienced in the Philippines. I guess that’s the start of what we can potentially call TBCHK—The Busking Community Hong Kong.”
With Hong Kong as its first international stop, The Busking Community PH continued its goal to bring music mula sa kalsada, para sa kalsada—from the streets, for the streets—wherever they may be.
