Key Points
- Niño Deomano's family migrated from the Philippines to New Zealand in 1993, and in 2005, they moved to Australia. He was 17 years old when they relocated, which made it difficult for him to adjust to the new country.
- According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs, at the end of June 2022, there were 586,020 New Zealand-born people living in Australia.
- As a child in the Philippines, he was already part of a choir, but in New Zealand, he wasn't able to continue. However, when the opportunity arose in Australia, he became part of the Filipino Choir of Saint Francis Church, or Kiko Choir, serving as its President, alongside his wife, Lori.
- Apart from being part of the choir, Niño also sometimes does front acts, such as being a guest singer at Chedi's upcoming concert, a former member of Smokey Mountain, on October 26, 2024, in Cairnlea, Victoria.
In an interview with SBS Filipino, Niño Deomano said that while he loves singing, giving back to the community is very important to him.
The Filipino Choir of St. Franchis Church Inc. Credit: Angelito Valdez Jr
By helping others, you are also helping yourself and paying it forward.Niño Deomano
Niño also thought about pursuing a career in singing, but he chose to focus on his studies instead. He is happy to accept opportunities to be a front act or guest singer at concerts; however, he is not actively seeking them.
He was a front act at Martin Nievera's concert in Australia and even performed a duet with Lea Salonga during her concert when he was chosen from the audience.
Niño Deomano was a front act at Martin Nievera's concert in Australia and even performed a duet with Lea Salonga during her concert when he was chosen from the audience. Credit: Supplied
"I guess we weren’t prepared for the change at that time; we almost went back to the Philippines. I asked, 'Can we continue studying in the Philippines?' But my dad said to give it a chance, and after a couple of months, we got used to it and settled down," he said.
However, moving to Australia from New Zealand was much easier because he was older, and his entire family had already moved ahead of him.
"Australia is home," he said.
