Filipino expats playing basketball

The field recording is of a group of Filipino expats having a competitive game of basketball. Filipinos form close to 25% of the population in Dubai. Most come to Dubai for work in order to support their families back home. Many of them end up staying longer, eventually bringing their families over and settling in Dubai. One of the most common activities for Filipinos (usually men) to engage in is basketball. Every public basketball court in the city is filled with large groups of basketball enthusiasts every evening without fail. Having grown up in this city, I always enjoyed watching them play. Their games are full of laughter and energy. It is also interesting because the game was brought to the Philippines by American settlers in the early 1900s and has become an equally important part of Filipino culture - something that they now take with them wherever they go.

I always get emotionally invested in the games while watching, often clapping and cheering when there is a good moment. The players can get competitive but they always remember to have fun and laugh and not take things very seriously - perhaps a reflection of the Filipino people in general who are always smiling, friendly and easy going.

Recorded by Zubin Aroz.

Part of the Migration Sounds project, the world’s first collection of the sounds of human migration. 

For more information and to explore the project, see https://www.citiesandmemory.com/migration