Hailing from the Bay Area across the islands of the Philippines, a Filipino-American rapper’s prose has floored the judges of NPR’s 2025 Tiny Desk contest!
On Thursday, May 13, NPR announced on its social media pages that Ruby Ibarra stunned contest judges with her passionate delivery and the genre-defying sound of “Bakunawa.”
According to NPR’s press release, Ruby performed the track in three languages–English, Tagalog, and Bisaya. It smoothly narrates the Filipino folklore story of the Bakunawa, or bent snake, who swallows the moon. The mythical creature is mostly told in Cebuano mythology.
However, this piece of mythology was seamlessly woven and inspired by the birth of Ruby’s first child.
"This song interprets the story as a metaphor for resistance and a battle cry against erasure," Ruby said in the press release. "Much of Philippine history consists of colonization, imperialism and martial law — but on the other side of that is a rich history of Filipino people who have long resisted, organized and led revolutionary uprisings. This song, for me, is a statement that my daughter is my revolution and my hope that she will be liberated from the effects of our cultural history."
To get a clearer picture, Ruby shared that she was also pregnant with her daughter when she recorded the track. She continued stating how she wanted to “step into motherhood, breaking the generational trauma, celebrating, and accepting all parts of myself and reclaiming my power.”
In part of reclaiming her power, Ruby said everything about her entry is intentional. NPR said that Ruby had put together a band of intergenerational artists to represent how oral mythologies are passed down over time.
In NPR’s Instagram post, NPR hosts Bobby Carter and Robin Hilton announced that Ruby is the 2025 Tiny Desk contest winner.
“Oh my God, I’m shaking. This is a dream come true,” Ibarra expressed, still in shock.
“This is artistry, this is music in its rawest form. And to be able to have a space to share my voice, but also bring my culture along in the music–it’s a dream come true. Thank you,” she added.
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However, this isn’t Ruby’s first triumph at NPR. In 2019, her entry, “Someday,” was featured on the Weekend Edition, impressing the team with her rich storytelling and musical talent.
Ruby and her band will travel to Washington, D.C., to perform at NPR’s headquarters for a Tiny Desk concert. After that, they will be rocking the stages in 10 cities around the United States, alongside Tiny Desk alums and rising artists.
Watch Ruby Ibarra’s Bakunawa performance ft. Ouida, Han Han, and June Millington below.
