The Brief
- Ruby Ibarra is a Filipina musician who grew up in San Lorenzo, where she discovered representation through spoken word.
- For a young Filipina-American growing up in the East Bay, she said representation was rare, pushing her to create space for stories like her own.
- That storytelling continues in her latest single, Bakunawa, the first release from her forthcoming sophomore album and the winning song of NPR’s 2025 Tiny Desk Contest.
SAN FRANCISCO – From Tacloban City to the Bay Area music scene, Ruby Ibarra is using music, poetry and storytelling to amplify the immigrant experience in her own voice.
Early days
Growing up around music:
Some of Ibarra’s earliest memories are filled with music, watching family members sing, play guitar and perform at local festivals in the Philippines.
When she was just 5 years old, Ibarra immigrated with her family to the United States, landing at San Francisco International Airport in 1991.
Raised in San Lorenzo, Ibarra says her years at San Lorenzo High School became a defining chapter in her life, shaping the foundation of who she would become as an artist, activist and musician.…