POPPY'S PEOPLE: “Life must go on; I will never give up”

Wednesday 03 August 2022

With a Guernsey Street Festival zone based outside the Bailiwick Express office, we have been treated to live music drifting up through the window. One voice caught my attention and I wandered outside to see July Alvarado belting out a ballad. After a brief conversation, I was keen to learn more about the man behind the powerful voice.

Born in the Philippines, July described his upbringing as “full of struggles”. Despite his turbulent childhood, July’s positive attitude and commitment to his new home of Guernsey is both infectious and inspiring.

“There were a lot of sad times in my life and I have felt depressed and alone sometimes. My family split up and I spent time with different aunts, uncles and grandparents; life was full of struggles,” said July. 

Pictured: July has a YouTube channel where he promotes Guernsey to off-island hospitality workers. 

July continued: “Things were always very difficult, but life must go on; I will never give up. All the success I have had in life comes from things I went through in the past. One thing my family has always had though, is music. We would always have karaoke at family events, and we would all sing together. It was a way that we could all express ourselves."

July said that he has been singing for more than twenty years and it is his passion. 

“From when I was a young child I would always sing along with the radio. I started entering singing competitions at the age of 15 and I couldn’t believe when I started to win some,” he said. 

“Singing is a way that I can express myself, it is easier to sing than to use words. If I am sad, I will sing ballads or when I am very happy I will sing loud, upbeat songs. The most important thing to me is to express the words of the song so that the audience can feel the emotions I am trying to express. 

“When I was in the Philippines, I put a band together with three vocalists and I was the lead singer. We were popular and would perform at bars all around. Eventually some of the band went abroad to sing, they went to China and Bahrain and Dubai.”

Pictured: July has been performing at the Guernsey Street Festival, which began on 25 July and will run until 5 August. 

At 27, July decided to leave the Philippines after being offered a job to work for the royal family of Saudi Arabia. 

“I had a four-year degree in hotel management and I was applying for jobs outside of the Philippines because the salaries in the Philippines are not enough to live on. I was seeking greener pastures,” he said. 

“Thanks to God I was given a job working for HRH Princess Haifa bint Faisal Al Saud as a personal assistant. The royal family were very kind and generous. The Princess liked me and I was able to travel with the family to places like Spain, France and the Middle East.

“Through my degree, I had learned fruit and vegetable carving, flower arranging and how to decorate for events. The Princess loved gatherings with the royal family and she was very sensitive to decorations. She likes how I would decorate and would give me extra money as a compliment to my work. She would also send me to other palaces to decorate for her friends’ events. 

“I have worked for the King of Saudi Arabia at events where we were in very formal attire, with white gloves and gold plates. Everyone was very kind and I cannot forget everything they did for me. I stayed in Saudi Arabia for eight years and I really enjoyed it.”

Pictured: After moving away from the Philippines, July worked for the royal family of Saudi Arabia. 

It was while working in Saudi Arabia that July discovered online singing competitions.

“My life in Saudi Arabia was mostly work, eat and sleep, but I wanted to make time for singing because it is my biggest passion. I found a website online where you could make videos and post them to enter international singing competitions,” he said. 

“The first competition I entered had around 300 people audition and then I was one of 150 people chosen to go through. Each round they cut the numbers down to 70, then 50, then 25 and then a final 10; I couldn’t believe that I kept getting through each round. 

“I was in a chat room for the competition with people from all over the world including the United States, Columbia and Mexico. I was the only Asian to make it through to the final rounds. I finished in fifth place and I was so eager to continue entering competitions.”

July said that he continue to perform in online competitions and that some had cash prizes. 

“When I started winning money for my singing I couldn’t believe it. It was such an amazing feeling to be earning money from my passion,” he said. 

“I made so many online friends through singing. I even put together a group of 10 male singers called The Heartthrobs and we would all collaborate together and make amazing songs, although we were from all over the world and never met in person." 

Pictured: July performs at weddings, birthdays and corporate events locally as well as at local venues including the Thomas De La Rue and The Farmhouse.

After eight years in Saudi Arabia, July reached out to a friend in Guernsey who he had met in the Philippines.

“I was going to a party with my sister in the Philippines and they had karaoke. Of course I decided to sing and a woman called Daisy Ison [of Guernsey Pearl] heard me and she said I must come to Guernsey and that, if I did, my singing would make me famous. I will never forget her saying that; she said that I had a golden voice,” said July. 

“Daisy helped me to find employment in Guernsey and I eventually got a position at The Farmhouse. I owe a lot to Daisy and also to David Nussbaumer because he helped me with the visas and gave me a job.”

It was while working as a waiter at The Farmhouse that July’s musical talent was noticed. 

“Denis and Sheena, an acoustic duo, would perform at The Farmhouse regularly. One day, the bartender told Denis that I could sing and Denis told me to get up and sing something. Denis and Sheena were impressed and, after that, I have performed at The Farmhouse on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve and other places over the island. I also sing at weddings and birthdays and corporate events,” he said. 

“I have had lots of opportunities to perform in Guernsey and I love it. The audience always enjoy my singing and there is such a good vibe.” 

Pictured: July spent eight years working in palaces in Saudi Arabia before he moved to Guernsey. 

July said that he was saddened when a lot of his colleagues left the island due to the impact of both Brexit and the covid pandemic. 

“So many Europeans left the island and the hospitality industry was really struggling. At one point I was the only waiter and we only had one chef and one bartender. I was very sad and wondered what was happening to my country; Guernsey has become my home,” said July. 

“As well as singing, I have a passion for vlogging. It used to just be about music but, when the local hospitality industry started struggling, I decided to make videos to promote working in Guernsey to encourage other workers to apply to come here. 

“I met with Deputy Chris Blin [President of Overseas Aid & Development Commission] and I spoke to him about my vlogs and what I was trying to do. He put me in touch with a recruitment consultant and I started directing people to the gov.gg job centre website in my videos 

“So far, I have helped more than 50 staff to come to the island and there are many more applicants than that. So many people have told me that it was their dream to work in Guernsey after seeing my videos.”

Pictured: July said that singing is his passion and, given the chance, he would love to make a career from it. 

July promotes the island in his own time and does not make any money from helping to recruit hospitality staff. 

“I haven’t asked for anything because helping people is a passion. I can’t express how happy it makes me and how overwhelming it is that I have been able to help lots of Filipino people like me to find work in Guernsey,” he said. 

“I know that there is a shortage of jobs in the Philippines and there is a shortage of staff in Guernsey, so it just made sense to try and help people to find jobs here. I have made a lot of friends through the people who have come here to work and it has helped me a lot not to be alone.”

Pictured: July said he was grateful that his job with the royal family allowed him to travel to different countries with them. 

While using his free time to promote the island, July has also been dealing with difficult personal circumstances. 

“My brother passed away from cancer and he left seven children behind. I am helping to support his children financially when I can, so it is important to me to keep my focus on working and helping them,” he said. 

“In the future if there was a chance for me to become a Guernsey resident, I would love that. My heart belongs in Guernsey, and I want to grow old here on this incredible island with lovely, amazing people.”

You can watch July’s promotional videos of Guernsey HERE

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