Fete de la Musique begins 30th year in the Philippines on high note
Kristofer Purnell - Philstar.com
June 22, 2024 | 12:12pm
MANILA, Philippines — Fluctuating weather did not stop Filipinos from enjoying the kick-off of Fete de la Musique Philippines 2024 on Friday, the event's 30th anniversary of marking World Music Day.
Fete de la Musique first began in France in 1982, and it eventually found its way to Philippine shores 12 years later.
In its early years in the Philippines, the event was held in Remedios Circle with just three bands and around 40 attendees. Over the years, it moved to Malate and then grew in popularity when it was held in El Pueblo in Ortigas.
The event has found a home at the iconic Greenbelt 3 Park, where the main stage returned yesterday, June 21, the exact date when World Music Day is celebrated globally.
Following a 30-minute delay because of a sudden downpour — a canopy was set after a similar mishap occured last year — the main stage began with performances by Shanni and Jason Dhakal, the latter backed by Lustbass.
Band Sinosikat supported jazz singer Jose Miguel for three of his songs before completing a set on their own, then they were followed by Bicolana singer-songwriter Dwta.
Deputy Chief of Mission of the French Embassy to the Philippines Rémy Tirouttouvarayane and Fete de la Musique 2024 project managers Sana Schifferer, Noe Fuentes and Ziera de Veyra thanked the crowd for their attendance to this year's event.
After a quick photo op and an invitation to more than 40 free nationwide pocket stages on June 28, the Jewelmer Jazz Band — composed of student musicians — took over the stage.
The Greenbelt 3 Park crowd grew with an upbeat hour-long set by French DJ duo Pfel & Greem of C2C, who have done Fete de la Musique in their home country.
The energy of the crowd was sustained as Autotelic, Morobeats, and Dilaw performed in succession.
The crowd sang along to Autotelic hits like "Languyin" and "Laro," then participated in Morobeats' many hip-hop tracks that further hyped the entire area.
Dilaw was the clear highlight for many in attendance with its energetic vocalist, Leonard "Dilaw" Obrero, dancing onstage, wading into the audience, and endlessly quipping throughout the band's set.
Capping off the performances was Any Name’s Okay, the band's first time on the Fete de la Musique main stage after doing numerous pocket stages the past seven years.
Most of the pocket stages are in Makati's Poblacion area and will coincide with the district's fiesta celebrations.
This year, there are also 70 destination stages, the most in Fete de la Musique to date, across Luzon (El Nido, Naga, Baguio, Pampanga, Puerto Galera, Baler, Los Banos, Albay, Zambales, Laguna, Masbate, Cavite); Visayas (Cebu, Siquijor) and Mindanao (Siargao, South Cotobato, Davao, Cagayan de Oro).
