Livestream sensation Gigi De Lana rocks NYC

‘I’m still overwhelmed. We did not expect this.’ Photos by Lindy Rosales

By Lindy Rosales

Gigi De Lana, a Filipino singer who became famous via YouTube during the pandemic recently held her third concert with her band Gigi Vibes.  

“Rated Gigi” was a standing-room hit at Astoria World Manor in Queens on April 21. This was Gigi’s second New York City concert.

Gigi spoke exclusively to The FilAm after her sold-out show. She said her group  Gigi Vibes started out as a wedding band.

“Actually wedding band po talaga kami. Matagal na po kaming magkakilala. Doon po kami nag-start sa garahe, maliit lang. Sa pandemic talaga kami nakilala. We started livestreaming as a fundraiser for my Mom,” she said.

Her mother Imelda  is reported to have stage 4 breast cancer. Although  in serious condition, she is  proud of her daughter who is a fast rising star in the music world.

At first, Gigi Vibes was just Gigi and her pianist and musical director Jon Cruz.

“Then nag tuloy tuloy na po. Sinama ni Jon si Romeo, kasi po sabi ni Romeo, sardinas na lang po ang kinakain niya. Then Jake (base) and then Oyus (lead singer). Don Romeo Marquez plays the drums, Jake Manalo plays bass and Oyus, who plays the guitar. The band members are grateful for the warm reception, support and sold-out shows,” she said. 

Full house at Astoria World Manor.

“Bakit nga ba Mahal Kita” was their breakout hit. Their version of the song, originally rendered by Roselle Nava, went on livestream in 2021 and reached 15 million views. It was Charo Santos-Concio who discovered her and her band and signed them up with ABS-CBN.

Actually, very unexpected po sa amin ng Gigi Vibes,” she said expressing surprise at the rousing accolades the group has received from Filipinos around the world. “Kasi po talagang hindi natin na-eexpect eh. Sold out tayo. Maraming maraming salamat. We are very very happy. At the same time, I’m still overwhelmed about it. We did not expect this to happen.”

De Lana’s second time in New York, in Brooklyn was in 2022. At that time, the world was just beginning to open up amid the pandemic. She performed as a solo artist grooving to rock and roll and alternative rock.

Producer Lovely Sons estimated the Brooklyn crowd at a thousand people. They started planning for the world tour in November 2023. After New York, the world tour will proceed to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and then to Canada. The North American leg of the tour will finish in May 2025. Then the band will go home to the Philippines for a break. The world tour will resume with a concert in Sydney, Australia.

Author interviews Gigi De Lana (top) and the Gigi Vibes (below).

Fans are thrilled

Sisters Janelle and Arielle Calalang  drove all the way from Northvale, New Jersey to watch Gigi in concert. They were lucky to find parking quickly. It was their first time to see the rising artist in concert.

“Our Mom is a huge fan, but she couldn’t come today. We took so many videos for our mom. It was really good, we had a lot of fun. She’s so pretty in person,” the sisters gushed.

Their favorite band member is Oyus, the guitarist. “His voice is so nice, so angelic.” 

Gerard Valino and his wife Jeehan  from Staten Island said their favorite Gigi song is “Angel Baby.”  

The couple and their friends are big fans. They meet every Friday in Valino’s backyard to listen to Gigi’s songs. Their friends started calling their backyard “Jerry’s Grill” like the similarly named Filipino restaurant on the West Coast. Gerard is a chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan,  a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Their friends couldn’t come to the concert as tickets were sold out.

“We love you Gigi,” said Jeehan.

Glenn Obieta, a registered nurse, has followed de Lana’s career since the dark days of the pandemic. His favorites are her love songs, also known as “hugot” songs. His favorite cover song is “Bakit nga ba mahal kita.” 

De Lana made special mention of her rendition of the song “Angel Baby” which garnered 16 million views on YouTube. She sang it to the crowd with people joining along. Her first album is titled simply, “Gigi De Lana.”



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