Show 11: The Best Part (feat. H.E.R./Gabriella Wilson)

On August 9, 2019, I took part in full-day events at the United Nations as it declared the date as the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. Among themes like innovation and creativity, there was a special focus on indigenous language.

I had great access as a delegate of the International Young Leaders Assembly, so I decided to bring two close friends. They are young women leaders who share the heritage of one island divided by a river and a complex history to create two nations—Haiti & the Dominican Republic.

What strikes me most about these women is that their qualities transcend to reminding me of the best of my Philippine ancestry.

They are what my indigenous Philippine ancestors looked like. In them, I see two women who I have cared for and cared for me for many years. Their fighting spirit, giving nature, and loyalty to their communities remind me of the best leaders to ever derive heritage from my country. They love the same fruits that I do, even if some of them are named differently. They also love the same music I do.

“What are you all doing after?”, I asked. “I can take you to Lincoln Center for a thing you’ll like”

So we walked over to the bandshell at Damrosch Park, and got “Carried Away.”

That was the opening song for H.E.R.

H.E.R. has never hidden her Filipino and Black heritage. That was clear when in 2007, a 10-year-old Gabriella Wilson, sat on a piano to perform on The Today Show, accompanied by her Filipina Mom and Black Dad at the side of the stage.

She proudly acknowledges her Filipino-ness and Black-ness, whether on social media or otherwise. She is not half of both. She is 100% of each—as is each biracial child.

I watched that episode of The Today Show as it aired live. I remember being stunned as she sang and played “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys and and the maturity with which she spoke during the interview portion of her segment.

Nearly ten years after that appearance, H.E.R. emerged with her hit, “Focus.” That was also the ninth song on her 13-song setlist that day at Lincoln Center.

The song prior was “Make it Rain,” where she teased us with her guitar skills. Two songs before that was “Best Part,” which moved the audience to joyful sways and sighs. The tenth song in her setlist wasn’t her song. It was “Ex-Factor” by Lauryn Hill.

Part of H.E.R’s magnetism is the hints of the best music in the decade in which she was born. Her dedication to eyewear gives off shades of Aaliyah. The end of the chorus in H.E.R.’s “Every Kind of Way” reminds me of vocals on an obscure Ginuwine song. Then she ended her Lincoln Center set with Prince’s “Purple Rain.” About a minute into the song, while dressed in a long, black and white dress, she dropped to her knees, tilted her head back, and completed the climax of that legendary guitar solo as if to intuitively prompt the crowd to sing the unforgettable “whooooo hooooo hoooo hoooo” of the song.

“I gotta hang out with her someday,” I told myself once her set ended. And so I did, while also telling her that we have to shoot some hoops sometime.

Like Lumpia reminds you of Chinese egg rolls, like Fillipino chicken and pork adobo reminds you of seasonings in pollo guisado, and like Pancit reminds you of Lo Mein, H.E.R.’s music is simultaneously reminiscent of the 90’s yet distinctly modern-and should be celebrated as such.

Like how Spanish surnames combined with indigenous names in our lineages, like our wide range of skin complexion, and like the dozens of dialects and regional languages spoken across the 7,641 islands of the Philippines, the nuance and history that provides context to H.E.R.’s music needs to be examined to fully appreciate it.

On The Today Show, 10-year-old Gabriella Wilson closed her interview by saying:

“I want to be a singer, a songwriter, and a musician. And I wanna also be a dentist because I think taking care of teeth is important.”

It doesn’t get more Filipino than aspiring for career full of stardom, yet having a healthcare career in mind as a reliable backup.

So to all Filipino-Americans, from the non-nurses to the multiracial Filipinos, I wish you a wonderful Filipino-American History Month.

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Concert access + more:

1. Since I wrote about an amazing experience at NYC’s Lincoln Center, check out the Festival of Firsts. It’s a Fall season of FREE concerts!

2. Raphael Saadiq is extending his one-man show nationwide. Tickets are here.

3. Reneé Rapp’s “Bite Me” tour is amazing (trust me, I went). Syd and Ravyn Lenae are the opening acts. Tickets are here. It’s the best value in terms of my price-to-musical-greatness ratio of all the concert tours out now.

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Job/Career Opportunities in Music and Entertainment:

1. Spotify has many open roles in NYC, London, and Stockholm, in roles ranging from engineering to content to finance

2. Music career info via Grammy Go can be found here to strategize and set realistic expectations about a career in the music industry.

3. There are open roles at the Recording Academy (yes, the Grammys)

4. Here are the early career programs and roles at Sirius XM. Plan ahead, early career talent!

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About the author:

Cris M. is the award-winning Founder & CEO of GrantAnswers, an NYC-based data, strategy & consulting firm founded in 2013. His journey to becoming an award-winning entrepreneur has been highlighted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, MTV, and Forbes. He has helped +1000s launch careers in tech & secure acceptances to top colleges & programs. His speaking engagements for the likes of Columbia Business School, Teach for America and the US Chamber of Commerce encompass immigration, career development, entrepreneurship, and tech diversity & inclusion. He is also an avid concertgoer for +25 years and counting, and likes to tell stories about it.