Toronto guitarist Russell Molina brings Filipino jazz fusion to The Emmet Ray
Frequency reported on 6 November that Filipino Canadian guitarist Russell Molina shared his Filipino jazz fusion work with Toronto audiences at The Emmet Ray on 5 November, drawing on his five-track debut EP Riptide.
Frequency reported on 6 November 2026 that Filipino Canadian guitarist Russell Molina shared a jazz set rooted in Filipino musical traditions with Toronto audiences at The Emmet Ray bar on 5 November.
According to Frequency, Molina leads the Russell Molina Quartet, which blends traditional Filipino influences with contemporary jazz improvisation as a way to explore family stories and cultural identity.
It's just a matter of using this medium of instrumental jazz music to tell some stories of how Filipinos grew up.
Roots and training
Frequency said Molina began piano at age five, later switched to guitar, and pursued undergraduate and master's degrees in music. His site lists a York University BFA in jazz guitar performance and an MA in composition, both with honours.
Frequency reported that Filipino music, including APO Hiking Society songs on family road trips between Toronto and Quebec, was part of his upbringing, and that choosing music was unusual in a family largely working in health care.
Riptide and Filipino jazz
Frequency said Molina's five-track debut EP Riptide grew from master's compositions, with the title track drawing on kulintang influences and a story from his mother's side about conflict years ago in Mindanao. Other tracks named in the report include Blue Sampaguita and Exodus. His site says Riptide was released on 17 June 2026 and features five pieces in contemporary big band jazz fusion with Filipino influence.
Frequency said that for the 5 November Emmet Ray performance, Molina was joined by bassist Jordan Pelunsky, drummer Dylan Matsuda and keyboardist Stallone D'Souza, and planned to feature work by Filipino jazz musicians including pianist Boy Katindig alongside his own repertoire.
Molina told Frequency he wants to showcase underground Filipino jazz to wider audiences, framing the work as stories of longing for a first-generation Filipino Canadian reconnecting with home through music.
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- Frequency on 6 November 2026 reported that Filipino Canadian guitarist Russell Molina performed at The Emmet Ray bar in Toronto on 5 November with the Russell Molina Quartet, blending traditional Filipino influences with contemporary jazz improvisation.
- Frequency said Molina's five-track debut EP Riptide grew out of master's compositions; the title track draws on kulintang and Mindanao family history; other tracks include Blue Sampaguita and Exodus; for the Nov. 5 show he was joined by bassist Jordan Pelunsky, drummer Dylan Matsuda and keyboardist Stallone D'Souza.
- Russell Molina's site describes him as a Toronto-based guitarist, bassist, producer and composer; a York University graduate with a BFA in jazz guitar performance and an MA in composition; and says Riptide was released on June 17, 2026 with five pieces in contemporary big band jazz fusion with Filipino influence.
Official sources
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