Estella Banez has been singing for as long as she can remember.

The nine-year-old sings everywhere she goes, her mother said.

“She sings in the mall, in Dollarama, in the bathroom,” Kaye Baneze said, adding her daughter has been singing in the community since she was four years old.

On Saturday (Sept. 23), the Richmond resident took the stage at the Filipino Fest in Cloverdale.

The free event at the Museum of Surrey (17710 56a Ave.) featured crafts, vendors, displays, a Tagalog and English storytelling session and performances.

For her performance, Estella sang a number of songs in Tagalog, a Northern Philippine language. She topped it off with a ventriloquist performance with her puppet ‘Taya.’

“It was really a joy to see her sing,” Kaye said. “Especially for a Filipino event because she was born here and I was born in the Philippines and to be able to transfer on that culture and for her to really absorb it, enjoy it and sing in Tagalog is such a wonderful thing because you know, the next generation is continuing on with our traditions and our language most importantly.”

The Now-Leader asked Estella if she could speak Tagalog.

“I kinda can because I watch a lot of teleseryes (Philippine television drama shows), but not really,” Estella said.

Estella Vanez, 9, singing at Filipino Fest at the Museum of Surrey on Sept. 23, 2023. @SurreyNowLeader pic.twitter.com/vHlbBTRCDf

— Anna Burns (@AnnaBBurns) September 24, 2023

The Filipino Fest was a celebration of Filipino culture, which is one of music, food, love and family, Kaye said.

“When I say family, not just your immediate family, it’s the whole neighbourhood, it’s the whole city,” Kaye added. “It’s everybody coming together to enjoy festivities such as eating, shopping, and listening to music and singing karaoke.”