Singer-songwriter MATÉO is drawing international attention with a modern take on kundiman and harana.
With his warm baritone voice, heartfelt lyrics, and old-soul sensibility, MATÉO is not your typical newcomer to the OPM scene. Born Matthew Ong, he has gone from indie passion project to being one of the first Filipino artists signed to a South Korean music label.
“I’ve been listening to old songs ever since. When I was in high school, I joined Kundirana, a group where Sir Ogie Alcasid and Gary V. also came from. We sang all genres, but kundiman stuck with me. It just felt natural,” MATÉO told Manila Standard Entertainment.
That early immersion in music eventually evolved into a quiet passion. Though he never had formal singing training, MATÉO developed a distinct voice through songwriting and self-produced tracks that he would later share on TikTok. It was through social media that his breakout single, “Lalim,” first gained traction.
“I wrote it as a serenade for someone who was also an artist. It was never meant to be released, but people kept asking for the full version,” he continued.
The song resonated with listeners, debuting at No. 1 on Spotify’s Viral 50 Philippines chart in September 2024. It now boasts millions of streams, fueling MATÉO’s growing fan base and opening doors beyond his expectations, including an invitation from South Korean label Abyss Company, which discovered him on Instagram.
“At first, I thought it was a joke. The daughter of the managing director messaged me. They flew me to Korea to write music with one of their K-drama writers. It wasn’t even in English. The song was in Tagalog. They were totally open to it,” MATÉO added.
That openness sealed the deal, he said. As someone who previously worked in A&R and music production, MATÉO knew the value of creative control.
“What mattered most to me was freedom. And they supported what I had already built—they just gave it scale,” he said.
His version of Cinderella’s 1976 classic, “Bato Sa Buhangin,” which dropped on July 25, is perhaps the most personal of his songs to date. He describes it as his “all-time favorite OPM song.”
“I just want to sing it as it is, with as much respect to the original as possible. I hope this message about love—the kind that is sure, slow, and lasting—lives on,” the singer-songwriter shared.
Despite his rising popularity and international label backing, MATÉO remains grounded.
“I’m still hands-on with my music, 100 percent. I may have help from friends in production, but the concept, the ideas—that’s still me,” MATÉO said.
Talking about his baritone voice, he said that he had his fair share of struggles, too.
“It’s hard to stand out as a baritone in a world of biriteros. I had to write songs that were comfortable for me, songs that made sense with my voice,” he added.
Yet what could have been a limitation became his strength. With original songs like Pinipili and Tungo, MATÉO leans into the intimacy and emotional depth of kundiman—qualities he believes are still at the heart of being Filipino.
As for what’s next, MATÉO is open to collaborations, especially with artists he admires like Unique Salonga.
“This all began as a passion project. So knowing that people connect with it, that they keep listening, that’s everything,” he stated.
