WINNIPEG – Winnipeg’s Filipino community will host a concert at the Burton Cummings Theatre featuring Maria Aragon and Sierra Noble on Friday night to raise funds for their devastated homeland.
The Philippines was hard-hit by Typhoon Haiyan on Nov. 8, which followed a 7.2 magnitude earthquake on the Philippines island of Bohol on Oct. 15.
The Show for the Philippines is at 8 p.m. and also features The Treble, Those Guys and Tiffany Ponce.
“It’s going to do a lot of good. It’s going to help a lot of families, a lot of children that are affected in the Philippines because of Typhoon Haiyan,” organizer Ron Cantiveros said.
The evening will also be a chance to celebrate the talent in Winnipeg, he said.
“With the amount of talent that we have in our community in Winnipeg, I think we have the capacity to do more,” Cantiveros said. “It’s going to be one fantastic evening.”
Tickets cost $20 and the goal is to sell out the 1,500-seat theatre and raise more funds from people who want to help but can’t attend, he said.
Young YouTube singing sensation Maria Aragon is one of the headliners at the concert.
Her family comes from the Philippines and her mother’s family lives in an area that was hit by the typhoon. They’re all OK but it gives Aragon a personal reason to help, she said.
“I’m Filipino and I’m very proud to be Filipino, so when this disaster struck the Philippines, it was completely devastating,” she said. “The Philippines has been so supportive of me and I felt like it was time to give back, and that was through my music.”
Aragon’s YouTube video of herself playing and singing Lady Gaga’s song Born This Way, recorded when she was only 10, has received almost 57 million views. She shot to fame when Lady Gaga tweeted a link to the video, expressing her admiration for the rendition.
She’s been working on an album of her own music and will play some of her original music at the concert, she said.
The federal government is matching donations made by Canadians until Dec. 23, so funds raised by the concert will be doubled.
Those who can’t attend the concert but want to help can go to the Manitoba Filipino Journal website, the Red Cross website or support another charity listed here.
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