What is a Filipino celebration without karaoke? It is a common stereotype, but the Philippines is regarded as home to many amazing singers.
There is a huge karaoke culture in the country and it speaks volumes to the amount of talent and cultural significance of singing among Filipinos.
As a trivia, the karaoke machine was invented by Filipino inventor Roberto del Rosario in 1975 and it was called Sing-Along System. Since then, on every special occasion, Pinoys will have karaoke to sum up the fun.
As karaoke is present in each Filipino gathering, Hot Shot Cafe & Restaurant celebrated Philippine Independence Day 2023 with a karaoke entertainment and lunch buffet, free of charge to Filipinos in Qatar.
Being a frequent traveller to the Philippines and close to the Filipino community, Abdullah Alhaddad, the restaurant’s CEO can attest to the love of Pinoys in singing.
"There are many Filipinos coming to Doha but they don’t have a space to celebrate while expressing their passion for singing. We felt the need to do something about it. Now, we have this place where you can experience the Philippines in Doha, through Filipino cuisine and karaoke entertainment,” Alhaddad said.
"This is the first time that we organised a special Philippine Independence Day celebration with free food and karaoke for all our kabayans in Qatar. We aim to make it an annual event as our way of giving back to the community,” added Rowena Jamora, the restaurant’s partner in providing all-Filipino staff for its operations.
What started out as a billiard club, Hot Shot had its expansion in 2021 – introducing a cafe and a restaurant, which mainly serves Filipino food and catering services.
The place has also been a hot spot for Kabayans who are in search of the best karaoke hub in town with different room packages that can accommodate from small to large groups. The restaurant plans to expand with more branches to serve more Filipinos and cater to customers’ demand.