The Filipino Superwoman Band

The Filipino Superwoman Band is built around the R&B classic “Superwoman” (1989), popular in the Philippines, and its Filipino adaptation, “Hindi Ako si Darna” (I Am Not Superwoman, 1998). Both songs speak to the challenges encountered by women in care work and the global service industry.

Eisa Jocson (Manila), a contemporary choreographer, dancer, and visual artist, is dedicated to exploring the affective and aesthetic labour of Filipino migrant workers. Her performance at the Singapore Biennale 2025, The Filipino Superwoman Band, evolves around the R&B classic “Superwoman” (1989), which holds popularity in the Philippines, and its Filipino adaptation, “Hindi Ako si Darna” (I Am Not Superwoman, 1998), to reflect the challenges encountered by women in care work and the global service industry.

In their live band format as The Filipino Superwoman Band, with sound design by Teresa Barrozo and video projections by Franchesca Casauay, performers Eisa Jocson, Bunny Cadag, and Cathrine Go investigate the phenomenon of “Overseas Filipino Musicians (OFM)”—cover bands that meet the global demand for Western music in hotels, clubs, and amusement parks. Alongside The Filipino Superwoman X H.O.M.E. Karaoke Living Room located at Luck Plaza, the live performance integrates traditional Filipino oral histories and folk rituals with contemporary pop culture and soul ballads to convey themes of feminine empowerment, colonial influence, and the socioeconomic conditions affecting Filipino overseas workers. Through dance, song, and projection, Jocson and her team offer an insightful examination of the biopolitics of labouring bodies while celebrating the resilience of Filipino Superwomen in the globalised context.