Ruby Ibarra: ‘Who Is Going to Tell Their Story If Not Me?’

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