Mangalipay

Press release

For immediate release

Talilo and Alana Rich's “Mangalipay” Earns GRAMMY® Consideration in Inaugural Best Asian Pop Music Performance Category

Debuting during Filipino American History Month, the culturally rooted collaboration celebrates heritage, community and how far Filipino artists have come, while earning consideration in the inaugural Best Asian Pop Music Performance category at the 69th Annual GRAMMY Awards®.

Filipino-American artists Talilo and Alana Rich come together on “Mangalipay,” a vibrant new single celebrating Filipino culture, community and the generations who paved the way for where Filipino artists stand today.

Arriving during Filipino American History Month, “Mangalipay” is both a celebration and a reflection: honoring the people and traditions that came before while recognizing how far the Filipino American community has come and carrying that culture forward through a new generation of music and storytelling.

The title “Mangalipay” evokes a spirit of joy and celebration—a sentiment woven throughout the record from its opening moments. The song begins with the sound of traditional Filipino percussion, grounding the listener in culture before unfolding into a contemporary pop production. More than an instrumental choice, the drums serve as a sonic connection to heritage, evoking the rhythm, movement and communal spirit that have long accompanied Filipino celebration and gathering.

From there, “Mangalipay” weaves Ilonggo language and Filipino musical influences into a modern soundscape, creating a bridge between generations. The result is a record that does not treat tradition as something belonging only to the past, but as something living—capable of being carried forward, reinterpreted and celebrated through contemporary Filipino artistry.

At the heart of the collaboration are two Filipino American artists whose experiences reflect different threads of the diaspora.

For Talilo, “Mangalipay” draws directly from Filipino culture and musical tradition, transforming those influences into a contemporary expression of pride and celebration. Featured artist Alana Rich, a second-generation Filipina and Southeast Asian American artist whose family roots extend across the Philippines, Laos and Thailand, brings her own multicultural perspective to the record. For Rich, the collaboration is an opportunity to honor the Filipino side of her identity while contributing to a larger story of Asian American representation within contemporary music.

Together, Talilo and Alana Rich turn “Mangalipay” into something larger than a collaboration between two artists. The song reflects what can happen when culture is not only preserved, but lived, reinterpreted and joyfully shared.

Its debut during Filipino American History Month gives that message additional resonance. Observed each October, the month recognizes the history, achievements and contributions of Filipino Americans in the United States. “Mangalipay” offers a contemporary musical expression of that history—one centered not only on remembering the past, but celebrating the community, creativity and opportunities that exist because of it.

Rather than viewing heritage solely through the lens of struggle and sacrifice, “Mangalipay” makes space for joy as an expression of resilience. It celebrates the generations whose sacrifices allowed their descendants to dream differently, the traditions that continue to connect Filipinos across borders, and the growing visibility of Filipino and Asian artists on the global stage.

That message takes on further significance this GRAMMY® season, as “Mangalipay” is entered for consideration for Best Asian Pop Music Performance at the 69th Annual GRAMMY Awards®.

Debuting at the 2027 GRAMMY Awards, Best Asian Pop Music Performance is a newly established category recognizing artistic excellence in contemporary Asian pop music.

With “Mangalipay” bringing Ilonggo language and Filipino musical influences into a contemporary setting, its consideration in the inaugural category represents another opportunity for Filipino language, culture and artistry to be represented within the global recording community.

For Talilo and Alana Rich, that consideration reflects the very spirit behind the song: celebrating how far Filipino and Asian artists have come while continuing to create space for the languages, sounds and stories that shaped them.

At its core, “Mangalipay” is about looking around at the community, looking back at those who helped make the present possible, and recognizing just how far we’ve come.

It is a celebration of a culture that has endured, evolved and traveled across generations—and of a new generation of Filipino artists carrying it forward on their own terms.

Because honoring history does not always have to be solemn. Sometimes, honoring where you come from means singing louder, gathering together and celebrating that the culture is still here—and still evolving.

“Mangalipay” by Talilo featuring Alana Rich is available now on all major streaming platforms.

About Talilo

Talilo is a Filipino American hip-hop artist and cultural practitioner whose work moves between ancestral memory and contemporary struggle, between islands and cities, between survival and collective belonging. Beyond music, Talilo builds spaces where youth are not just participants in culture, but co-authors of it. As co-founder of Ascending Flow and founder of Peer Tribe Foundation, he develops programs that support justice-impacted youth through creative practice.

About Alana Rich

Alana Rich is an independent Filipina/Southeast Asian American pop artist and songwriter based in the Pacific Northwest. Known for her cinematic approach to pop and dynamic live performances, Rich has amassed more than one million independent streams and has performed on stages ranging from major regional festivals to NBA halftime and national fashion events.

A Recording Academy Voting Member and 2025 PNW Music Awards Artist of the Year, Rich has shared stages with artists including JoJo, Michelle Branch, Richard Marx, Arnel Pineda, SHAUN and JUNNY. Her work reflects a commitment to creating space for independent and multicultural voices within contemporary pop music.

Media contact: Alana Rich · alana.bookings@gmail.com