Before singing competitions and modeling auditions, Raffy Solano had an audience at his family’s small eatery in Bacolod City.

His mother believed her shy son could sing. To draw customers to their carinderia, she encouraged him to perform karaoke — an early lesson in stepping forward when he would rather stay out of sight.

“That’s how I started to develop my confidence,” Solano told TOFA NEWS.

Now a singer, freelance model and hotel worker at Hilton Jacksonville Mayo, Solano is building a life around two kinds of connection: helping people celebrate their occasions and reaching audiences through music.

His path has not followed the easy trajectory he imagined when he moved to the United States in 2019. A month after arriving, he said, his brother died. The loss remains with him.

“We just learn how to live with that fact,” he said of losing someone close.

Music has helped him carry that grief. His father’s death had earlier prompted him to take singing more seriously, recognizing it as both an ability and a refuge.

“I express my feelings through music,” he said. “It’s just something that makes me happy and complete.”

Learning to stand before an audience

Growing up in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, Solano entered singing competitions for fun. But the confidence he found onstage did not shield him from bullying at school.

He recalled classmates mocking his thin frame, dark complexion and the gap between his teeth. Those comments affected how he saw himself and led him to focus more on his appearance in college.

An encounter with a makeup artist offered a different perspective. The artist saw potential and encouraged him to try modeling, Solano said. He went on to work as a freelance model.

Singing and modeling both require confidence, but he experiences them differently. On a runway, he said, he adopts a character that fits the clothing. While singing, he feels freer to show who he is.

“In singing I could be myself,” he said.

That distinction has helped clarify his priorities. Solano said he was selected among 20 models, including five in the male category, for a Hollywood showcase planned for December 2026. He ultimately decided not to participate so he could focus on music.

The decision meant setting aside an opportunity in one creative field to devote more attention to the one he considers his greatest passion.

Building a life in Jacksonville

Solano initially chose Jacksonville because he had relatives there. In 2020, however, he said a family disagreement over his sexual orientation forced him to leave his aunt’s home during the pandemic.

He began living independently and eventually found reasons to stay that went beyond his original family ties. Jacksonville felt familiar in its pace and atmosphere, he said. It also became the place where he met his husband.

“He has done nothing but to make me feel special,” Solano said, describing his husband as his strongest supporter.

Local singing competitions have given him opportunities to develop his performance skills and become more comfortable before audiences.

Solano reached the top 24 of Jax Idol’s 17th season in 2025 from a field of more than 200 contestants. He also won the seventh weekly round of “So You Think You Can Sing” at Hardwicks in Jacksonville and advanced to its grand finals that year.

Competing has taught him to accept losses as well as celebrate wins.

“I have learned how to be humble,” he said. “You are not always going to win.”

He has also learned that a song can connect with listeners who do not share its language.

“No matter what language I use, music will be music,” he said.

Choosing music

Solano identifies most closely with ballads. He names Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera and Erik Santos among his Filipino influences, alongside Celine Dion and Josh Groban.

Raised in church, he connects particularly with Valenciano’s emotionally expressive performances. He is drawn to songs that build gradually, allowing him to communicate vulnerability through his voice.

His ambition is to break into the music industry and represent Filipino talent before wider audiences. For now, he is also developing a career in sales, finding satisfaction in helping people plan special occasions and building lasting relationships.

The hotel work and the music take place in different settings, but both allow him to connect with people. Onstage, he hopes that sharing his experiences will help someone else feel understood.

For the once-shy child singing to customers at his mother’s eatery, that connection remains the point.

“I love connecting with people,” Solano said.