himig kabataan cultural society

about us

Himig Kabataan ("youthful melody" in Tagalog) Cultural Society (HKCS) is the first and only youth-led Filipino Youth choir in Western Canada. Based in Surrey, British Columbia, HKCS aims to share the beauty of Filipino music and educate its significance to second and third generation Filipino-Canadian youth.

Himig Kabataan Cultural Society started in 2022 as a one-time volunteer choir for the University of the Philippines Alumni Association in BC (UPAABC) Balagtasan event that year. Bea Correa, the founder of HKCS, was asked by her high school math teacher, to put together a choir to sing a few Filipino-composed choral pieces.

After that performance, the group of eight fell in love with the beauty of Philippine choral music and compositions. HKCS decided to continue learning more songs in different dialects, and encouraged their friends to join in.

The rest, they say in Tagalog, “Ay kasaysayan!”

Sharing their passion for Filipino culture and music, HKCS has been on a journey of learning their roots. Composed of second and third generation Filipino Canadian teens and young adults not fluent in any Filipino dialect, they find a purpose in learning about their Filipino heritage through choral music whether they are folk songs or kundiman or Original Pilipino Music popularized in the 1970s through the 1990s. Their repertoire also consists of popular songs from 21st century Filipino musicians who shine in their adoptive countries such as the USA and Australia. 

vision

Filipino-Canadians of the next generation embracing and celebrating their Filipino heritage in music and art.

mission

Our mission is to encourage young Filipino-Canadians in embracing their Filipino language and culture and to continue to learn more about it through music and art, and to share this with others.