Pinoy musician in UAE mixes his art, profession, parenting in vlogging

While video blogging has been a means of some OFWs to lighten their homesickness, a Filipino musician in the United Arab Emirates has made it an expression of his passion, profession, and parenting.

“I've actually stopped from doing gigs for about a year already to give much more time to my wife and family who are far more important than anything else,” Erick Remetio Lacson, lead guitarist of the Sons of Asaph (SOA),  told GMA News Online in a recent email interview.

He said, I “can’t take music out of my system.” So he decided to use YouTube as a platform and started “Pambansang Kuya” vlog.

“I just can’t think of any other way to perhaps compensate my passion for music,” the 48-year-old supervisor of a sales team for the Dubai Duty Free Dubai airport explained.

“Actually, matagal na yung YouTube account kong ginagamit pero lately ko na lang na-decide to have it as an official channel for vlogs,” he added, referring to the shortened term of video blogging.

Lacson calls his vlog channel "Kuya" because all of his loved ones –in the Philippines or in the UAE –call him Kuya.

“I neither have a brother nor a sister that’s why I am down-to-earth kapag nakikipagkaibigan. [And] coming from its channel title, people can expect not only cover songs but also other things like discussions and other vlogging-related videos as well.”

The songs Lacson has sung in his vlogs so far were from the personal requests of his subscribers.

“A viewer named Annabella has been the one who requested ‘Mabagal’ by Daniel Padilla and Moira dela Torre, a certain Roel Dialola for the song “Kasama Kang Tumanda” by Ogie Alcasid, and Aiqa Naeem for the song “The Past” by Ray Parker Jr.”

“Kung ibabase ko kasi sa gusto ko, marami yun. So all the songs I have sung and all the songs I would sing in the future would be based on requests.”

Now, Lacson is spending more time with his family.

“I've been spending quality time now with my wife who’s here with me and my three kids na nasa mga in-laws ko sa Pinas through the internet. It made our bond tighter.”

He also continues to oversee a sales team for the foreign emirates’ airport and is just prepared to perform with his band again.

“Kumbaga sa magsyota e cool off muna ang SOA. Two of the members naman ay tumutugtog pa rin. Kapag hiningi na lang ng pagkakataon, magsasama-sama ulit kami sa entablado. It's mutually agreed naman among all of us band members na ang SOA is not just a band but a family.” —LBG, GMA News