Top artists perform in 10-hour concert ‘Fusion’

 

Ben&Ben leads the line-up of 15 performers at ‘Fusion 2025: Musika Natin ‘To.’

Leah Salterio - The Philippine Star 

February 9, 2025 | 12:00am

Fifteen artists will be featured in “Fusion 2025: Musika Natin ‘To,” a decade of celebrating Filipino music at its finest.

Prepare for an electrifying night of OPM (Original Pilipino Music) as “Fusion: The Philippine Music Festival” brings together some of the biggest names in the industry on March 15 at the CCP Open Grounds.

“Looking back at the very first ‘Fusion’ concert in 2015, our goal was simple: to unite artists from different genres and showcase the strength of OPM,” said “Fusion” event director Paul Basinillo, who previously worked at the helm of the concerts of Vice Ganda, Sarah Geronimo and JaDine (James Reid and Nadine Lustre).

Jay Habitan is in charge of partnerships while Pauline Linsangan is in charge of artists.

 “The very first “Fusion” in 2015, was the first time JaDine was featured in an open-air event,” offered Jay Habitan, who is in charge of partnerships. “Boss Vic (del Rosario) urged us to include JaDine in the line-up.

“We didn’t know JaDine yet at that time. The line-up was already full, but we accommodated JaDine. When they started performing, the crowd really watched. They were very sweet as a couple at that time. ‘On the Wings of Love’ was aired after six months. That proved our advocacy to feature and support new artists.”

Today, 10 years later, “Fusion” is being taken to the next level — not just by gathering the best and biggest artists, but by redefining what it means to go to a concert.

“If we can create top-tier productions for international artists, why shouldn’t we do the same — if not more — for our own?” said direk Paul. “We want to bring back the thrill of live music — to make concert-going a must-

“Fusion 2025” is designed to be more than just a show. It’s an all-day, immersive festival that goes beyond the main stage.

“Fusion 2025” carries the powerful theme “Musika Natin ‘To!” —  a call to embrace and uplift OPM with pride.

Gladys Basinillo, founder of ‘Fusion’ music festival.

Headlined by Ben&Ben, December Avenue and Zack Tabudlo, “Fusion” promises an unforgettable experience with powerhouse acts like The Itchyworms, Barbie Almalbis, Alamat, Kaia, Maki, Jan Francis and AllMost, alongside an exciting lineup of rising stars and dynamic DJs.

Founded in 2015 as the “first-ever Philippine Music Festival,” “Fusion” was created with a vision: to unite all forms of OPM across genres, generations and managements into one grand celebration.

From the start, it stood as a testament to OPM’s power, bringing the nation together while delivering top-tier production value to showcase and support Filipino talent.

More than just a festival, “Fusion” serves as a platform that elevates homegrown talent, uniting legacy icons, global Filipino musicians, and emerging artists in a one-of-a-kind OPM experience.

“Now is the time to put OPM in the spotlight,” said Gladys Basinillo, founder of “Fusion.” “While international acts continuously fill arenas and festivals across the country, our own artists and music deserve the same level of support. ‘Fusion’ is here to make that happen — to give Filipino music the recognition it deserves.”

Pauline Linsangan is in charge of the artists featured in “Fusion.” Jay Habitan is in charge of partnerships.

“Fusion” started in 2015, a decade ago when they began mounting the first-ever Philippine music festival. Since then, they’ve been mounting the concert annually until the pandemic happened.

They returned to the scene in 2023. In 2024, they staged “Fusion” is Cebu, the biggest concert, so far. Then last summer, they also went to La Union and staged a successful concert there. To date, “Fusion” has presented eight successful concerts.

The forthcoming concert on March 15 will bring “Fusion” back to Manila at the CCP Open Grounds. “It will be a 10-hour concert,” informed Jay. “We bring three Manila artists who perform with three regional artists. They usually have a back-to-back collaboration.

“Fusion 10: Musika Natin ‘To” is like the battlecry of all the bands. “Even if it’s a different genre or groups, with different fan base communities, we look at them as one, OPM (Original Pilipino Music),” said Jay. “Musika natin lahat ito. Panghawakan natin. Suportahan natin.”

There will be a pre-show featuring up and coming artists. Then games and the mini-show will be around 7 p.m. to midnight. At 12 p.m. onwards, there will be a block party, with DJs.

“Today’s market they love partying after the festival,” said Jay. “So, there will be a night market after the concert.”

There will be legs of performances after the Manila concert. “We will also do Iloilo, Cebu, La Union,” said Pauline. “Even if the artists cannot perform in ‘Fusion’ Manila, they can still participate in the provinces.”

The Manila artists can perform back-to-back with the local artists in the province. “Personally, it’s really seeing how all the bands and artists play as one,” Jay allowed. “I love music and OPM. Whenever we do an event like this, we see media partners, brands, organizations and institutions.”