Queer Artists in a Pandemic

Pantayo’s new pandemic-produced music video is a tribute to karaoke

By Lito Howse • July 30, 2020 4:56 pm EDT

Pantayo is a Toronto-based band made up of five queer, diasporic Filipinx who combine percussive instruments from the kulintang traditions of the Southern Philippines, with vocals and electronic music.

Pantayo

In the second episode of our video series, Queer Artists in a Pandemic, band members Michelle Cruz and Kat Estacio discuss what it’s like releasing their first album during a global pandemic and re-imagine what a music video can be when you can’t film in person. Since their debut album release, Pantayo has been shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize.

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Lito Howse (they/them) is a queer and trans/non-binary identified videographer, editor and producer based in Toronto. They previously worked for the CBC where they wrote TV stories, edited and control room produced for News Network. They also produced videos for CBC Radio and wrote web articles for shows like The Current and As It Happens, among other roles. They speak English.

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