Written by Vi-Linh Nguyen | August 31, 2025

Habang Buhay performing at the Sama Sama Festival

Filipino culture has been woven into the fabric of Texas history for decades, from the thriving professionals that have called the state their new home, to delicious food, and now through music. Habang Buhay has etched their own signature through their unique sound that blends culture and identity in a way that is both very Filipino American and theirs alone. Fronrich Puno’s (also known as Piing) rich, liquid gold voice, combined with Mario Juguilon’s (KOUYA) adaptable and multi-layered instrumental prowess, has brought their stamp into the Texas music scene.

History and Finding Fulfillment

Habang Buhay started as a budding, not yet named university collaboration, releasing their very first song, Lotta Love, gaining local recognition from Austin’s local news journal, Overload ATX. The group’s singer, Fronrich Puno (Piing), started his career in software development and UX research, and graphic design. Mario Juguilon, the group’s instrumentalist, who also goes by KOUYA online, also has his professional beginnings in software engineering. The field of software engineering and code requires some hefty creative muscle to begin with. The problem solving skills and adaptability is how the field continuously keeps its workers on their collective toes. However, it was both members’ mutual love of music and the arts that brought them back together to form Habang Buhay. Engineering may feed the pocket and mind, but it was music that fed their souls.

The Habang Buhay Sound

Habang Buhay’s musical style is soulful with clear influences of R&B mixed with the members’ own nuanced views of their heritage. Their songs have a wide array of storytelling genres, making the flexibility in the lyricism a creative auditory feast. Their song GHOST for example, explored grief and the process of managing that pain while simultaneously trying to move your life forward. With some lyrical analysis, combined with stunning visuals in their music video, GHOST manages to allude to Orpheus’s journey into the underworld to find Eurydice, adding a broad and classical appeal to this song as a whole. PASSPORT explores themes that are closer to both members’ cultural identities while simultaneously diving into how faith, gender, and the masculine tradition play roles with them. Habang Buhay seems to play with sound in a way that still keeps their signature style recognizable to new and old audiences alike.

SAMA SAMA Art Festival

SAMA SAMA is a festival that showcases the intersection between Asian American and Pacific Islander identities and the Southern US identity, as well as the creativity that both bring to the table. Attendees got to see a range of art forms inspired by familial culture, from the high energy of the Texas Dragon/Lion Dance Team, Stabbigabi’s custom tattoos, to the New Genesis dance talent of Rachel Kao, Sam Chen, and Claribella Reeve. Habang Buhay had the honor of closing the festivities with a repertoire of their original songs. The festival attendees got to return home with their music as the last parting gift from SAMA SAMA. It was a day to remember for both the artists and spectators, whether they were Austin-based or not. With the success of this event, listeners could look forward to seeing Habang Buhay at future live events.

Tradition and Creative Rebellion

Habang Buhay has given life to a sound that calls attention to an identity shadowed by tradition in a memorable and unique way. Culture is rich with history and set ways, but the music this group gives its audience shows that culture has room to learn and grow. It’s possible to fight against set ways if they cause harm. Habang Buhay has also managed to demonstrate how crowded the intersection between the arts and sciences truly is. It’s encouraging to know that the aforementioned grey area has birthed more creative souls than what the separation between both disciplines has led many of us to believe. As someone who studied both art and computer science, both to fulfill my passion and survive cultural expectations, I couldn’t be happier.

Follow the Artist

Instagram: @hbu.hay

Spotify: Habang Buhay on Spotify

Nopality August Artist Spotlight | Habang Buhay