Maki

Ralph William Datoon (born November 27, 1999), professionally known as Maki, is a Filipino singer and songwriter from Quezon City. He first gained attention with his viral songs "Saan?" and "Bakit?" from his debut extended play (EP) Tanong, released on September 22, 2023, both of which saw significant success on Spotify.

In 2024, Maki reached mainstream popularity with his single "Dilaw", which charted on the global Spotify chart, making it the third Filipino song to do so. The song also became the first number-one track on Billboard Philippines ' relaunched Philippines Hot 100 chart. In 2021, he was signed to Tarsier Records.

Life and career

1999–2017: Early life and The Voice Teens Ralph William Datoon was born in Quezon City on November 27, 1999. He began writing R&B songs during his high school years and independently auditioned at various recording companies. He completed a bachelor's degree in communications at New Era University. He is the sixth of seven siblings.

Datoon initially posted videos of himself singing on social media, As he was about to graduate from college, he planned to step back from his musical career.

2021–2024: Tarsier Records, Tanong and breakthrough with "Dilaw" In 2021, a friend discovered a demo tape he had recorded, which eventually reached an A&R representative at Tarsier Records and caught the label's attention. He also performed at gigs and busking events to promote his music. His debut single, "Halaga", was released on December 17, 2021.

In 2023, Maki released a song "Saan?", a song dedicated to people struggling to express feelings of separation anxiety. He initially teased the song on TikTok by posting a series of snippets, which went viral and garnered over 500,000 views. Maki released his debut EP, Tanong, on September 22, 2023, which featured the tracks "Saan?" and "Bakit?" He described the songs as questions directed at people who were no longer in his life, missed opportunities, and reflections on himself. Titled Maki-Concert, the performance was extended to two days, after tickets for the first day sold out within four hours of release. The tickets for the second day also sold out. On August 30, he issued the single "Namumula". On October 12, he appeared as a guest performer at a concert by the American pop rock group LANY at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. On November 25, Tarsier Records announced the inclusion of Johnoy Danao, Ebe Dancel, Angela Ken, Cesca, Sitti, and Nameless Kids as guest performers at the concert. A new song, "Bughaw", was released on December 1. A regional tour was also held in Cebu City, Baguio, and Cagayan de Oro in February and May 2025.

In December, "Dilaw" was recognized as the No. 4 music video of 2024 on YouTube in the Philippines. It was also named Spotify's No. 2 song in the Philippines for 2024 and Google's tenth most-searched song in the country that year.

2025–present: Kolorcoaster

In January 2025, Maki was announced as a guest performer in the Biniverse World Tour 2025 concert by Bini at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan on February 15. He was also a guest performer at Cup of Joe's Silakbo concert, on February 8 and 9, at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. He also joined Silent Sanctuary in a joint tour of the United States on June and July 2025, organized by US-based promotions and production company Toggleswitch, with stops in Seattle, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York City, and Fairfax, Virginia. Another joint tour, this time with James Reid, was held in Canada in July 2025, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto, Calgary, and Edmonton.

At the inauguration of the Official Philippines Chart on February 19, Maki was recognized as its Top 8 Local Artist of the Year, while "Dilaw" was named the Top 2 Local Song of the Year. In March, Maki announced that "Dilaw", "Namumula", and "Bughaw" were part of his upcoming debut full-length album, titled Kolorcoaster. A new single, "Kahel na Langit", was released in June. For the 2025 Philippine general election in May, Maki was cast with other musicians in a rendition of "Ako Ang Simula", ABS-CBN's election theme song.

While performing at the Alagang Suki Fest 2025 concert at the Araneta Coliseum on July 31, Maki announced that Kolorcoaster would come out on September 19, 2025. In August, he stated that he would hold another concert, also titled Kolorcoaster, at the Araneta Coliseum, on November 7, 2025, in which he would also serve as a musical director. An overseas concert tour under the same name was also announced for later in November, with stops in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar and with Yeng Constantino as a guest performer.

On November 7, the same day as his scheduled concert at the Araneta Coliseum, which included guest performances by his siblings Haro and Clare as well as Jolianne, Yeng Constantino, Angela Ken, and Maloi, a new version of the single "Turning Green" was released, featuring a collaboration with the American music duo Joan. In December, Tarsier Records announced a repeat of the Kolorcoaster concert, subtitled "One More Ride", which was held on February 21, 2026, once more at the Araneta Coliseum. Later in December, Maki was included among Billboard Philippines list of leading artists of 2025, ranking in tenth place. Three of his songs, ("Dilaw", "Kahel na Langit", and "Namumula") were also recognized by Apple Music Philippines among its Top OPM Songs of 2025, placing third, eighth, and ninth, respectively.

Following the "One More Ride" concert, another international Kolorcoaster leg was announced for later in June, with stops in Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia. In May 2026, a new single, "Habangbuhay Pansamantala", was released. It was followed in July with "Luck", a collaboration single with James Reid.

Political and social views During the September 2025 Philippine protests, Maki made a brief statement against corruption while performing at the San Miguel Oktoberfest at the Okada Manila, stating, "...I am a Filipino first and foremost. Let's put an end to corruption! There must be accountability. People must be jailed".

On November 30, 2025, Maki joined the second edition of the Trillion Peso March against corruption at the People Power Monument in Quezon City, in which he performed a modified version of "Namumula". Later that day, he expressed support for the normalization of sex education during a celebration of World AIDS Day at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Influences Maki has cited musical influences such as Mariah Carey, the 1975, Michael Buble, Beabadoobee, Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift.

Discography

Studio albums Kolorcoaster (2025)

EPs Tanong (2023)

Filmography Film YearTitleDirector(s)2023TanongKashka Gaddi

Television

Accolades

Listicles

Concerts and tours Headlining tours

Guest appearances

Music festivals