KAYA Drops Video for "Harana x Half Free"

Still from “Harana x Half Free” / Image courtesy of the artist

We’re super excited to share rapper, poet and musician KAYA’s brand new video for “Harana x Half Free”! Shot at the Unisphere in Corona Park, Queens, the self-directed video features KAYA and frequent collaborator Kuya donning Filipiniana by Brianna Lim and slow dancing through the dreamy, hazy landscape. The visual is actually composed of two songs b2b; the first, “Harana,” produced by Mary Sue, explores the rural serenade tradition of harana, in which young men may formally meet single lady visitors.

“Harana is a flip on tradition and a way for me to honor the sweetness and romance of young love,” KAYA says. “I don’t believe in raising daughters to revolve partnership or intimacy around being approached first. I think it is important for young Filipinas and young people period to speak honestly about the things they experience in romance and intimacy.”

The second track, “Half Free,” produced by Jcomm and featuring a verse by Kuya, refers to a term she began using “to talk about Filipinos in NYC and America at large. No matter where our people stand, know that this nation we sometimes claim as our own soil, and find security through sacrifice in, never wanted us free.”

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, KAYA garners her strength from her birth name, Kaya, which roughly translates from Tagalog to “ability.” After a three year hiatus from performing and writing, she joined music collective Planet Locale in 2019 and debuted with her solo tape “Mahal Ko” followed by EP “Dunya” in 2021. Rapping around reflective themes of faith, metamorphosis, and her immediate surroundings, KAYA thoughtfully explores expression of her heritage and the idea of Filipinos taking charge of our own history. Her hand-collaged liner notes for the video give context behind some of the video’s themes, like the act of donning and removing the terno and barong – garments that are seen by some as a form of reclamation and by others as a marker of colonial control.

Check out the video below and stream/download “Harana x Half Free” via KAYA’s Bandcamp.