Conversations with Kenneth Laurente

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenneth Laurente.

Hi Kenneth, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always been passionate about singing. I have been singing all my life. At age three, I started joining amateur singing competitions in the Philippines. Singing contests are fairly common in the Philippines, and I believe these competitions trained me to be confident with my talent at a young age.

I was also a part of several church choirs in the Philippines. When I joined the Saint John Bosco Chorale in Makati City, it gave me an opportunity to tour with them in Canada in 2008 and Singapore in 2010.

Because singing has always been a part of my life, I worked as a wedding singer and a church choir conductor while studying nursing.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wouldn’t say it was smooth, but I would say that I was pushed onto different roads at first. When my mother petitioned me to come to the US in 2011, I was pushed to become a nurse. Back then, it was believed that taking up nursing was one of the fastest ways to go to the US. Lucky for me, I have a mother who can petition me. But, deep inside, I am not sure if I really wanted to become a nurse. So, even if everyone else is telling me to take the licensure exams for nurses, I did not take them.

So when I couldn’t practice as a nurse, I enlisted in the Army and spent eight years of my life as a mechanic. Despite all of these, my passion for singing never faded. I continued singing while in service. My free time was spent with a guitar in my hand and performing in front of my co-soldier. And when I left Army life and transitioned to civilian life, I joined the Harana (Serenade) Men’s Chorus. It is an all-male Filipino acapella ensemble in Los Angeles. Joining the ensemble reminded me how I missed performing and singing on stage.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I think what sets me apart is that, despite struggles, I never let my passion for singing die. I might have been led down multiple paths, but I continued singing. Music has been so deeply engraved in my soul that I cannot let it die easily. I continued to pursue my dreams because that is what I love. I have always believed that singing is really the career that I want to pursue, and now my dreams have started to become reality.

I collaborated with my friends, I wrote my own songs, and currently I have seven singles available on all music streaming platforms. And because I continued pursuing my music, many started to recognize it, and I was lucky to be awarded as the Most Promising Performer, Most Promising Male Recording Artist, and Most Promising Pop Artist, such as the Gawad Amerika Awards 2022, America Excellence Awards, and Spotlight Awards.

What are your plans for the future?
Find a mentor that you can have a good relationship with. A mentor should be generous and will not keep any tips so you can be better. A mentor should celebrate with you during your wins and help you get up in times when you have not reached a certain goal. Find a mentor who will help you achieve your goals.

Join groups and present yourself well. It is a good idea to do research on the events and find something that interests you. Find people with common interests so you can network by talking about similar experiences.

I will keep making music whether it’s in English or Tagalog to represent Filipinos in America and pursue my love for music.

Contact Info:

• Website: kennethlaurente.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennethlaurente.music
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kenneth.laurente
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/kennethlaurentemusic
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/kennethlaurente.music