At the 2026 edition of Research Reveals 2026, a symposium showcasing the work of previous year’s Queensland Memory Fellows, researcher Dr Carl Anacin presented a compelling exploration of Filipino migrant life in Queensland through the lens of music and performance. Hosted by the State Library of Queensland on 06 March 2026, the event highlighted new historical insights uncovered through extensive research in the library’s collection and community archives.
Anacin, the 2025 Letty Katts Fellow, presented his project entitled Migration, Musical Practices and Belonging among Filipino Migrants in Queensland: Festivals, Music Industry Participation and Everyday Lives. The research examines how music functions as a cultural bridge that connects migrants to their heritage while fostering a sense of belonging within Australian society.
Tracing Filipino Presence Through Music
Filipino migration to Australia has grown steadily over recent decades, making Filipinos one of the most dynamic diasporic communities in Queensland. While migration narratives often focus on labour, settlement and policy, Anacin foregrounds culture – particularly music – as a central element of migrant life.
Drawing on materials housed in the State Library’s collections, alongside community archives, oral histories, and his own fieldwork collection, the project uncovers how music has shaped the everyday experiences of Filipino migrants. These practices range from participation in multicultural festivals and church events to performances in cover bands, gatherings, and professional music industries.
Music, Anacin argues, is not merely entertainment. Rather, it is a social and cultural practice through which Filipino migrants articulate identity, sustain transnational ties, and negotiate belonging in Australia.
Festivals, Performance and Community
One of the key themes in the research is the role of Filipino community festivals in Queensland. Events such as cultural celebrations and independence commemorations often feature live music, dance, and performance. These gatherings serve as important spaces where cultural memory is performed and transmitted to younger generations. Songs from the Philippines evoke nostalgia for the homeland while situating Filipino identity within the multicultural fabric of Queensland society.
Beyond community events, Anacin’s research also highlights Filipino musicians’ contributions to Queensland’s broader music ecosystem, including those active in cover bands and entertainment circuits across the state. These musicians often navigate complex forms of cultural labour – performing international repertoires while bringing distinctive musical sensibilities shaped by Philippine popular music traditions.
The study reveals how Filipino musicians function as cultural intermediaries, connecting diverse audiences through shared musical repertoires. By documenting these practices, Anacin’s research contributes to a richer understanding of migration histories that are often overlooked in official archives. To complete the picture, Anacin presented a Filipino music map that he created to identify venues and suburbs in Queensland where such engagement has taken place through the years. He also performed Balikbayan Blues, a song he wrote for kababayans and balikbayans in the diaspora.
Expanding Queensland’s Cultural History
Research presented at Research Reveals demonstrates how archival collections can illuminate previously underrepresented stories in Queensland’s history. Anacin’s project, in particular, foregrounds the cultural contributions of Filipino migrants and the role of music in shaping migrant belonging.
Ultimately, the research reminds us that migration histories are not only written through policies and demographics but also through sounds, performances, and musical memories that migrants carry with them.
Aside from Anacin, other projects presented at Research Reveals 2026 included topics on cross-dressing in family photograph albums (Dr Marion Stell & Prof Celmara Pocock), EKKA’s travelling show community (Bronwyn Bridgwater), Businesswomen of pre-1970 Queensland (Dr Joanne Dolley), sport history knowledge (Dr Kate Kirby), refugee stories (Dr Zhila Gholami), and historical interiors (Anna Rowe).
The slide presentation below was delivered by researcher Carl Anacin during the Research Reveals 2026 event at the State Library of Queensland in Brisbane. The research explores migration, musical practices, and belonging among Filipino migrants in Queensland.
Read more of Carl’s project and other State Library fellows here.
