Published March 30, 2026 11:32 AM PHT

MANILA — A quiet shift has been unfolding in the country’s live music scene: jazz, once relegated to niche audiences, is finding new life among younger listeners drawn to intimate venues, analog textures and a sense of nostalgia reframed for the present.

At the center of that resurgence is singer-songwriter Nicole Laurel Asensio, whose own artistic evolution mirrors the broader movement. Known earlier in her career for rock performances, Asensio has, over the past decade, leaned into jazz and blues — an instinctive pivot that now feels prescient as the genre experiences renewed cultural currency.

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