By Robbie Pangilinan 

International multi-genre, multilingual, and multi-instrumentalist musician Raffy Swap One got the Excellence Award in Music and Entertainment at the Golden Balangay Awards, a nationwide search for outstanding Filipino-Canadians in Canada. The awards night was held September 9 at the Toronto Bank of Montreal, Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario.

The singer, songwriter, and music professor was also nominated for Pinoy of the Year Award and Manggagawang Filipino of the Year.

While Raffy is in the Philippines, he will have a concert titled “Taste of Maple Leaf in Quezon” at Rency’s Restaurant, Villa Bota, Gumaga, Quezon on September 21 with guest musicians from Vancouver, Lamar Alviar and Ron Militar.

He will also stage “30 Years After,” a fundraising concert with the Quezon National High School (QNHS) City Rhythm Band Batch ‘85 and ’87 at the Queen Margarette Hotel, Downtown Lucena City on September 23.

The reunion-dinner concert is a tribute to the late Emeterio Rolle of Lucena City for helping Raffy study on full scholarship and build his future as a successful musician.

“It’s a fundraising concert to provide budding musicians with musical Instruments, uniforms and scholarship. I decided to make this concert for this cause to challenge students to reach my achievements in music,” says Raffy, who used to play in school programs and small bars in Lucena and played trombone in a marching band as a teenager.

He thanked Erwin and Erick Rolle for allowing him to organize the project and Mayor Don Don Alcala for sponsoring the event.