Troy Laureta, Dessa to collab in LA for ‘golden gays,’ abused children (2025)

Troy Laureta (right) and Dessa (bottom, left) on the poster of ‘Liriko’/CONTRIBUTED BY JENSEN CARLO QUIJANO

Los Angeles-based musician Troy Laureta, who served as musical director to A-listers Ariana Grande and Andrea Bocelli, will share his talent for the benefit of senior gay men and abused children in the Philippines.

The award-winning Filipino-American singer and musical director will headline the show “Liriko: An Intimate Night of Music,” which will also feature power belter Dessa, who he has been collaborating with in the past.

Darsen12 Foundation Inc. of LA-based singer and drag artists Jensen Carlo Quijano is mounting the show that will be held at the Kusina Filipino restaurant in the city of Cerritos in California’s LA county on April 26.

Speaking online to a group of Manila-based scribes, Quijano said he had long wanted to use his talent to give back to the community, looking back on his days as a struggling artist who got by through the generosity of others.

He said Laureta and Dessa did not hesitate when he got in touch with them for the undertaking, a gig that is by no means as grand as the ones that the two had been going on board for and that people have expected them to be a part of.

Kusina Filipino in Cerritos has a 160-person capacity, miniscule compared to the massive theaters and auditoriums that Laureta and Dessa have been filling.

“He doesn’t have any hesitation. Troy is very detailed. From cover to cover of the concert he is hands-on,” Quijano shared.

He also said that Dessa did not impose any special requirement to take the gig. “Troy and Dessa worked before. They have a specific repertoire. The day before the event, she will fly out to LA from Las Vegas for technical rehearsals,” he added. The female singer now calls the “Sin City” her home.

“Liriko” aims to raise funds for the “Home of the Golden Gays” in Pasay City and the Gabay sa Landas Foundation in Angono, Rizal. Quijano hopes to build a permanent home for the senior gay men who are now living in a rented apartment without any security of abode.

He has also been helping the Angono-based foundation that cares for children who have been abused and maltreated. He said he also hopes to build a safe house for them in the same town.

Quijano said that he has been in talks with a Philippine-based real-estate company for his plans, and revealed that it will cost around P3 million to P5 million for one of the homes that he is planning to build.

He said he is planning to fly to the Philippines after “Liriko” to personally hand over his donation to the Home of the Golden Gays and the Gabay sa Landas Foundation.

VIP tickets to the show, priced at $98, are already sold out, the producer shared. General admission tickets worth $78 are also fast-selling. For inquiries, contact Quijano at (714) 606-3576.