Divino Dayacap, creatively known as Halina, knew he was taking his music in quite a niche direction. We hear old music permeate the contemporary scene from time to time, but Halina’s music stays fairly true to the sound he grew up listening to and still does to this day. From his 2018 single “Ukay Tamis” and latest release “Tukso,” he incorporates classical and mid-century music with a modern twist, ultimately reaching listeners with a particular taste in music.

Halina is a solo recording project Dayacap launched in 2014 and is easily one of the most exciting voices in OPM today, particularly within the indie circle. In 2025, Halina signed with Offshore Music Philippines, an independent record label founded by Eraserheads' Ely Buendia. He is, to put it simply, a rebel from the get-go who knew music had always been his calling — and nothing could stop him from pursuing that passion. Good thing, he has the talent to back such ambitions.

A multi-instrumentalist with an extreme fondness for visual art, Halina has never tried to fit in or conform to what others may perceive as palatable — at least in a mainstream sense. But he’s also a thoughtful artist who cares deeply about the music he puts out into the world. One thing we can say for sure is that he doesn't release half-baked music only for the sake of releasing it.

However crazy his approach to crafting songs is (with one of his songs even taking nine years to finally come into its full form), it’s always guaranteed that each of his tracks isn't released until he is finally happy with it. He said it himself: he is a perfectionist. And that’s what makes Halina an interesting artist, deserving of a place in everyone’s musical consciousness.

In our latest exclusive, The Beat Asia caught up with Halina as he talks about gravitating toward the Baroque pop genre, his influences, his deep love for old music, his penchant for writing sad songs, and how “Tukso” took almost a decade to complete.

To start this on a more personal note, beyond music and Halina, who is Divino, and what are some of the things about you that your listeners might want to know about?

Firstly, I’m a film scorer and music producer by profession. My day-to-day job is scoring and composing music for films, and I also produce music for other artists like Juan Karlos Labajo, Toneejay (formerly from Munimuni), and Iluna, to name a few. Besides that, I also compose for commercials and jingles — just one of the few things that I do outside of Halina.

What drew you into exploring the Baroque pop genre?

The first time I realized that I wanted to be a musician was when I watched the film “Amadeus” from 1984 on DVD. Before I was into music, I was actually into visual arts, so ever since I was a kid, I was always drawing — I was always painting with oil paints and watercolors. I always thought I was going to be an architect or a painter, but my dad insisted that I should be an architect because the money is there. I actually took architecture when I went to UST (University of Santo Tomas) for the first year. But music was always calling me.

I discovered I was a musician with that film, “Amadeus.” I was always fascinated by the relationship between scribbling notes and the art of it, and making it sound in their head. I was in awe of that ability, so I tried to replicate it. After I watched that film, I went straight to the piano — I didn’t know how to read notes at the time, but I tried to write something. When I got back to school, I had this music teacher who saw me scribbling notes. I was copying sheet music from books in the library, and he told me to download this computer software so I can do my scribbles there and can actually play them back. So I was amassing lots of sheet music and copying it onto my computer and playing it back, I was like, "Oh, that sounds nice!"

I was just doing it visually, I was just copying like I’m drawing music. That’s how I discovered harmony and melodic writing. That’s how I developed my ear in music. Classical music is a big part of that. I was always surrounded by classic rock, jazz — everything old from the ‘50s to ‘90s. A little bit of Y2K (early 2000s) music over there. I was always surrounded by old, classical music, and it resonated with me. When I was writing for Halina, I think it was a no-brainer decision that I should incorporate my natural vocabulary and my influences because that’s me! What better should I do than utilize what I know and what I excel at?

Are there any genres you haven’t explored yet but would like to try in the future?

I would like to dive more into hip-hop. With Halina, besides the classical aesthetic and the homage to the old art, I’m not always trying to fit in. But I’m always surrounded by modern music, and I’m also a lover of everything. I always try to incorporate everything. But with Halina, I’ve always been a fan of Motown, soul music, and mid-century music. That kind of music always relies on a groovy, funky beat. It’s always very drum-heavy, beat-heavy, and bass line-heavy. So, when writing with Halina, I always try to incorporate groovy basslines like soul, R&B, and Motown.

In terms of hip-hop, that’s their roots. It’s not too far off, and I can see it working — hopefully, if I try to write in that vein. I always try to incorporate modern pop production, especially with my vocals. I try to layer sometimes. I try to make it sound modern or psychedelic, you know, very out of this world — nothing that exists in the real world. I always wanted to paint pictures with sound. I’m not trying to replicate real life all the time. I wanted to take my audience into a dream-like state of some sort.

That’s nice! Correct me if I’m wrong, but I noticed your music is also inspired by the classic Filipino sound. Has it always been your plan to incorporate a bit of your culture into your music?

Yes! I grew up with Manila music, and I’m a big fan of Manila sound, like Cinderella, Ryan Cayabyab, Sylvia La Torre, and Celeste Legaspi — those artists. And I discovered that with the way I sang, the Tagalog language, I think, really suits me. [That’s where] I found my comfort zone.

I incorporate Filipino influences because why not showcase it? That’s me! I mean, I’m Filipino. I just wanted to create something new. I think it’s not really getting done right now. I think someone should do it. And I have the arsenal, so why not do it? So I just did it!

I think you’ve already mentioned some artists, but who are some of your musical inspirations?

Right now, I’m a big fan of Frédéric Chopin, the mid-19th-century pianist and composer. My music is not really solo piano, but I’m really inspired by him because even though he only wrote piano music, like 99% of his output is piano music, but the way he utilizes the piano, he could express the whole universe, like he could make you feel melodramatic, angry, he just paints the whole human condition in one piece.

Before I actually wrote love songs and Tagalog songs, I initially thought of Halina as an indie, psychedelic music project because I was a big fan of Tame Impala, the Beatles, and Pink Floyd around 2013 and 2014. That’s the kind of music I wanted to do and in English, but once I discovered that I could write Tagalog songs, especially when I wrote “Ukay Tamis” back in 2017, and had good feedback from people, I realized “I think this is where I belong.”

What’s the meaning behind the name Halina? What was the inspiration?

I was thinking of a random name. I just want something that’s kind of evocative or mysterious because I don’t want to call it Divino or something. Not that I hate my name. I just wanted to do my other things with my name and do something artistic with a different name — it’s like a project name.

I came up with Halina because if you’re a Filipino, maybe you’ll think, "Oh, Halina, tara! (Let’s go!)."  It’s like you’re calling someone suggestively, "Halina (come on)." And at the same time, if you’re an English speaker, you would think it’s a girl’s name — they’d wonder. I just want something that sounds good, but at the same time doesn’t have meaning, like anyone can put their own meaning. Maybe, "come on, let’s listen. Halina!"

I’ve heard your latest single “Tukso,” which is great by the way! Can you tell us more about that song and what inspired you to write it?

Thank you! “Tukso” was written back in 2016, which is like 10 years ago. I was just trying to write a song — a love song. Well, it’s not really a love song. But it is now… a love song about temptation, about two people having a conversation. It’s like a love song about letting yourself go. When I wrote it, I actually didn’t have that much experience getting tempted because I hadn’t been in a relationship at that time. Those are one of the few songs [that weren’t inspired by] my own life experience. It’s like painting a picture of other people and other people’s relationships. I just wanted to write something about temptation in general — not necessarily romantic relationships or affairs.

Back in 2016, the verses were there, the choruses were there, but the bridge wasn’t there. When I initially wrote it, it was actually about anything that tempts you, like the food you can’t eat, smoking cigarettes, doing illegal substances, alcohol, or anything that’s not allowed.

I just wanted to write a psychedelic track about temptation. But through the years, I became a fan of Manila sound, so [the song also sounded like that]. Also, in 2016, I was listening to a lot of Up Dharma Down (UDD), so some parts of that song, I think, are also inspired by Armi Millare’s writing. And it took me nine years! It was released last year. It took me that long because I’m quite a perfectionist, and I don’t want to release something I’m not happy with. But it kind of helped!

We started gigging that song two years after I wrote it; we were gigging it in its incomplete form. There was no verse, there was no guitar solo in the end. There was just an intro, a verse, a pre-chorus, and a chorus. I didn’t have an idea if I’m going to put a girl in there yet. Back in 2017, I think I discovered I should put a girl there — the one who represents the temptation. It kind of showed me my progress as a writer because every time I learned something new, “Tukso” just got better and better. It’s a journey.

Out of all your songs, which one is your personal favorite? Or the one you have a deeper connection with?

Right now, “Tukso” because I’m really proud of it. I think I achieved what I wanted to achieve and expressed what I wanted to express musically and artistically. I think the song really solidified my brand. I kind of found my identity by making this song and music video.

Speaking of the music video for "Tukso," I'd like to thank the Director of Photography, Joaquin Puyat, and the writer, Aaron Alegre.

What does your songwriting or production process usually look like?

Usually, when I write a song, it always comes instantly in the most random and most mundane moments. For example, when I was riding the LRT, I suddenly felt something. I’m usually feeling something! Like melancholy or getting lonely. I can’t write happy songs — I rarely write happy songs. I always write sad songs, and I always get inspired when I’m sad. Like when I’m riding the LRT, and I have something to say about a situation, I don’t just say it in words — there’s always a melody. The melody is always in there. It just comes out.

The whole musical picture, they’re always in my head. I have a rough idea of the drums, the chords, and the sound. Once I get that down, I try to hurry back home and record that on my software. That’s how I usually start my songs. I rarely have a routine and sit down and say, "I must write a song." Sometimes that kind of process can be fruitful, but usually I really want that gut feeling, the natural way, and I don’t want to force it. The vocals do come last. It’s a really personal thing for me, recording vocals.

Let me just circle back to what you said earlier. So you mentioned you usually write sad songs, but do you think you can write a happy song in the future?

I’ll try my best! But the most natural thing for me is writing really melancholic songs. Yeah, I can write happy-sounding songs, but the lyrics are always sad. Maybe I’m just too miserable *laughs.* And I like it! It's raw emotion, you know? Pain! It’s so easy to write sad songs. I want to share what I’m feeling with other people and how I see life. That’s why I’m doing this — sharing how you see and how you feel about the world. It’s a privilege.

What has been the biggest obstacle in navigating the music industry so far, and how did you overcome those challenges?

With my music, I’m doing something quite niche. It’s not the mainstream style or anything. But when I try to write the lyrical content, I try to make it as relatable as possible and pair it with interesting visuals. [The challenge so far] is everyone's attention span. No one listens to albums anymore. And AI music, and the industry itself. And right now, because I’m juggling my [corporate] work and career with this Halina thing, that’s another big obstacle for me because I have to balance them.

Have you ever encountered creative blocks? If so, how do you handle them?

Yes, with “Tukso.” It took me 9 years! I get distracted easily with anything and everything. Sometimes I hop to another song instead of finishing the other one. I try to do everything at once. The songs really come to me somehow fully-furnished. I always start with the concept. I always have the concept. But the thing is, it’s hard to flesh out. It’s very easy to write and get inspired, but to flesh it out, I’m like, "What should I write for the second verse? I got this perfect thing going on for the first half. How am I going to finish it? How am I going to make it cohesive? How am I going to make it marketable? How am I going to get people to listen to this?"

It’s very hard to do stuff if you have everything because we have all the technology. I’m a hoarder of instruments. "What instrument should I use? Should I use everything?" But you really have to limit it. It’s all about options and distractions.

What can we expect from Halina in the future? Are you planning to release more music soon? Are there any plans for a full-length album, perhaps?

I have an upcoming song to be released in May! And I have a music video coming out for that song. I intend to release an album in June or July — it depends on how perfectionist I will be in the coming months. But the goal is this year.

If you haven’t listened to Halina, you’re certainly missing out. You can listen to his music on Spotify and YouTube. You may also follow Halina on Facebook and Instagram for updates about upcoming performances and new music.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

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