A new artist has been making hits left and right under the name of one particular artist from Tarsier Records, a record label and subsidiary of ABS-CBN’s Star Music.
Ralph William Datoon professionally known as Maki, is a Filipino singer and songwriter born November 27, 1999. He first gained attention when he released his 2 singles “Saan” and “Bakit” from his very first EP, “Tanong” in September 2023—gaining lots of streams on Spotify, which were followed by his other single, “Kailan”.
Maki began writing R&B songs during his high school years and independently auditioned at various recording companies. In a media interview, he recalled being traumatized by the treatment he received during an audition at the age of 15, he was treated poorly and may have faced inappropriate behavior. The experience upset him, and he quietly cried on the jeepney ride home. He did not tell his family about it because he had kept his dream of becoming a singer-songwriter a secret from them.
During his high school, he struggled to find his direction as a singer, eventually deciding that a career in music might not be for him. This led him to shift his focus towards his college, ultimately graduating from New Era University with a degree in communications.
Maki was first signed as an indie artist under Tarsier Records, but he was later signed on as an exclusive artist and appeared on different shows like the hit noontime show, “Showtime”.
The name “Maki”, which has androgynous connotations, is relatively common in Japan as both a first name and a surname, and is also widely recognized in Japanese cuisine, particularly with the dish California Maki.
His very first single he released was in 2021 titled, “Halaga” then in 2023, he released his EP, “Tanong” which is composed of five songs, “Sigurado, Saan, Kailan, Bakit, and Siguro?” which eventually made him one of the new artist to look forward to in the music scene.
In May 2024, his song “Dilaw” was released and directly debuted at the top of the charts. The song topped local Spotify and Billboard charts and even made its way onto the global Spotify chart. “Dilaw” has been the very first OPM song to debut on the Philippines’s own Billboard Hot 100 straight to Number 1. “Dilaw breaks records left and right, surpassing OPM songs like Juan Karlos’ “Ere” and gins&melodies’ “Babaero” featuring Hev Abi. The school-themed music video for “Dilaw” featured Maloi Ricalde, the main vocalist of the P-Pop girl group Bini.
Maki shared that the song had been in his vault since August 2023, waiting for the right moment to be released. On August 30, 2024, Maki released a single titled “Namumula” now available on all music platforms around the globe.
As an avid listener of Maki since “Kailan”, I can say that he will go further than where he is right now. His humbleness and kindness towards his fans are a few of the very reasons why he will soon be one of the best performers and selling acts in the Philippines.
Mabuhay ang OPM!
Credits: Wikipedia, Maki
