Among 7,000 entries to NRP Music’s Tiny Desk Contest earlier this year, one Bay Area native captivated the judges with her “beautifully arranged music, passion and, above all, authenticity.”
Rapper Ruby Ibarra was declared the winner of the Tiny Desk Contest in May, after submitting a trilingual, intergenerational performance of her single “Bakunawa.”
Ibarra was born in the Philippines and immigrated to the East Bay with her family at a young age. Much of Ibarra’s music tackles topics of identity, immigration and the “American Dream.” All of which are reflections of her personal experiences.
The Filipino community she found in the Bay Area drives her to tell stories with her music. And she’ll be sharing those stories in San Jose when she performs at Music in the Park on Sunday, Sept. 21 alongside Bay Area artists LaRussell, Souls of Mischief and Kung Fu Vampire.
“I look at the people in my Filipino-American community and how a lot of them often still don’t have the opportunity to share their stories and highlight who they are and where they came from,” Ibarra says. “Who is going to tell their story if not me?”
A distinct element Ibarra uses to showcase her culture is the multilingual flow of her words, in and out of English, Tagalog and Bisaya. “It only becomes natural that I do a lot of those language switch-ups in my lyrics to help illustrate those stories even more,” Ibarra says. “It’s a conscious decision of wanting to highlight these languages on a visible level in hip hop.”
The Bay Area not only played a part in her finding a Filipino community, but also contributed to her falling in love with hip hop. “With there being such a vibrant music scene and culture here, that absolutely cultivated and strengthened my love for [hip hop], and also helped shape and develop myself as an artist.”
For Ibarra, winning the Tiny Desk Contest was a dream come true. “It was a feeling of validation, that we deserved to be there,” Ibarra says. In her performance, she shared that in 2019 she submitted a video for the contest but wasn’t chosen. However, for the rapper, winning in 2025 felt much sweeter than it would have then.
“Ultimately, it didn’t even feel like winning a contest; it felt more like a reminder to ourselves that we’ve been building the right path, because these last six years the music I created has been authentically me,” Ibarra says. “I’ve never had to challenge or change who I am. Knowing that I didn’t compromise in that entire journey made it a lot more special.”
After her D.C. performance, Ibarra and her band set off on a 10-city tour around the country. One member of her band, June Millington, is no stranger to touring. Millington is a rock and roll pioneer who is known for her trailblazing career with the 1970s all-female band Fanny. Sharing a similar story of immigrating from the Philippines to Northern California at a young age, Ibarra shared what she learned from working with Millington.
“When it comes down to it, it’s not about the places that you go or the accolades that you have from your career,” Ibarra says. “It’s about still remembering why you do what you do. That’s something that I hope to continue to be able to answer as I further develop in my career.”
After a successful summer of touring in cities from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, Ibarra is excited to perform in Music at the Park’s 35th season finale. “Bringing the music back home to the Bay Area, and us being able to showcase what we’ve been touring across the nation, is a very special feeling. There’s no place like home.”
Music at the Park will take place 4–11pm on Sunday, Sept. 21 at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose. For more information, visit mitpsj.com.