Richter Kent “RK” Velasco and Kenlei Serwelas are former independent buskers from Lipa, Batangas, Philippines. As a duo, they are now known as Carwajee (pronounced kar-WA-hee).
Carwajee
While Velasco and Serwelas both lived and performed in Lipa, they had never crossed paths. That changed when their musical talents got the attention of Daniel Palacio, the filmmaker behind the award-winning films “Pailalim“, “The Brokers” and “Ang Matsing at ang Pagong”.
“Transitioning from film to music allows me to tell stories in a more intimate, immediate way,” Palacio shared. “With Carwajee, I found voices that can carry the weight of the lyrics I’ve written. They aren’t just singers; they are the protagonists of a new musical era.”
For Palacio, there is an unmistakable honesty in the voice of a busker. Among the hundreds of singers he considered, he ultimately selected Velasco and Serwelas for their exceptional chemistry both as vocalists and performers.
“Asawa“
Marking Velasco and Serwelas’s debut as Carwajee is the release of “Asawa”. They are the first artists to be launched by Imperium Entertainment, a boutique label, publishing and talent management company dedicated to the intersection of film and music.
Palacio wrote and composed not only “Asawa” but the entire catalog of Carwajee. The song is a rare entry in the original Pinoy music (OPM) industry, being one of the few Tagalog songs to feature the word “asawa” in both its lyrics and title.
For Palacio, this launch is a homecoming. Before he became a staple of the directorial roster, he was a songwriter.
“I began writing songs before moving into scriptwriting and film directing, quietly continuing to compose along the way,” the filmmaker revealed. “During the pandemic, with theatre at a standstill, music found its way back, now culminating in the launch of a new band built from years of hidden songs.”
On May 7, 2026, Imperium Entertainment officially released “Asawa”, which was executive produced by Oliver Sy. It is now available on all major streaming platforms.
Follow Carwajee on social media:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carwajeeband/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@carwajee
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carwajee/
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