[Julie Steiner]

The winner of this year's Tiny Desk Contest makes me feel like a proud, moon-swallowing, fearless mama dragon. Which some might not recognize as a flavor of comfort, but it definitely is.

Ruby Ibarra's entry, "Bukunawa," from Oakland, California.

"Bakunawa" is performed in three languages (English, Tagalog and Bisaya), and tells the Filipino folklore story of the Bakunawa dragon who swallows the moon. It's also inspired by the birth of Ibarra's first child.

"This song interprets the story as a metaphor for resistance and a battle cry against erasure," Ibarra says. "Much of Philippine history consists of colonization, imperialism and martial law — but on the other side of that is a rich history of Filipino people who have long resisted, organized and led revolutionary uprisings. This song, for me, is a statement that my daughter is my revolution and my hope that she will be liberated from the effects of our cultural history."

...

Ibarra says that every detail in her entry is intentional — including the band she put together to create it. She's accompanied by Ouida, Han Han and June Millington (yes, that's the June from '70s rock band Fanny) on vocals, as well as Anna Candari on guitar, Jojo Ramirez on drums and Camille Ramirez on bass. Ibarra told us she wanted these intergenerational artists to represent how oral mythologies are passed down over time.