GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
Rising stars and enduring favorites take the stage at Fete de la Musique
Another year, another Fete de la Musique. The annual musical extravaganza, a project of the French Embassy in Manila in which dozens of artists and bands put on free shows for audiences in multiple venues around the city, is a staple in local music fans’ calendars. This year’s edition, which happened last Saturday, did not disappoint.
While the main stages were located in Greenbelt in Ayala Center and the A. Venue parking lot along Makati Avenue, it seemed ground zero was Green Sun, the mixed-use venue along Pasong Tamo Extension in Makati City, where the Indie and Rock stages were located. Judging by the posts on social media, fans got their fill of pretty cool performances from some amazing artists. At one point, they stopped letting people in because apparently, the venue was bursting at the seams.
Artists who set Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat on fire included Ang Bandang Shirley, Cheats, Tom’s Story, Peryodiko, Intolerant, and Jensen and the Flips. There were plenty of other acts in a dozen other stages happening across Makati, including a Jazz stage in Makati Shangri-La, HipHop stage at M Café, Eclectic + Art Stage at the Lokal Hostel rooftop, Blues-Soul-Funk stage at H&J Sports Bar and many others. If you’re anything like me, though (*cough* older *cough*), it’s much easier to park your butt in one place than to walk or drive around to all of the other venues.
(Not to sound all Grandpa-like, but I remember when the Fete was held in one general area like El Pueblo in Pasig, Eastwood City in Quezon City, and The Fort Strip in Taguig. Those were the good ole days).
For the third year in a row, I headed over to the Acoustic stage at A Space Manila (on the fifth floor of a building across from Greenbelt 5). I found out later that production for this stage was handled by Cubism Family, led by Jmi Salcedo and her team of hardcore indie music lovers. They had a stellar lineup that included indie darling Clara Benin, Josh Villena, Julianne, and Flying Ipis. Unfortunately, they had all already performed by the time I got there at around 7 p.m.
Acoustic duo Reese and Vica were onstage just as my friend and I found a spot at the very back of the room. I first saw Reese Lansangan on this very stage last year, where I remember being thoroughly entertained by her pleasant, whimsical act, which was sort of like a cross between Regina Spektor and Imogen Heap. This time she was with her old partner Vica, and together the two serenaded the crowd with their vocal harmonies that reminded me of a younger and, um, less political Indigo Girls.
Alas Medya were four guys with honey-smooth vocals that mixed radio-friendly tunes with a fun, fresh vibe. One guy even showed off rapping skills that seemed to earn the crowd’s approval. They were definitely one of my favorite acts that evening.
Up next was a special solo acoustic set from erstwhile Urbandub frontman Gabby Alipe. The tattooed Cebuano prefaced his performance by saying he wasn’t used to playing alone, much less with an acoustic guitar, but added he was working on an EP of solo material. Similar to last year when Wolfgang’s Basti Artadi thrilled the crowd with an intimate acoustic set, Alipe captivated the audience with his unmistakable voice. He debuted a couple of new tracks, but it was when he launched into Urbandub’s “The Fight Is Over,” a modern classic if there ever was one, that the room turned into his personal chorus.
The Voice Philippines contestant Lee Grane channeled a hippie/new age vibe as she spoke of her passions and advocacies in between her songs.
The big finale was Joey Ayala, who delivered an entertaining set not only through his music, but through his banter with the audience that felt almost like a stand-up routine. When he wasn’t singing his signature songs like “Organic,” he had us in stitches with his observations about ordinary Pinoy life.
The indie folk superstar seemed to connect well with the mostly millennial audience, and although he didn’t sing perhaps his most iconic song, “Walang Hanggang Paalam” (too sad, he said), his performance was a reminder of just what makes the Fete Dela Musique so great: no matter your age, race, gender or social background, music has the power to bond and channel messages of unity and hope. Here’s hoping we’ll still be watching and listening to artists performing at the Fete for many more years to come. — BM, GMA News
Paul John Caña is a magazine writer and live music geek. He is also co-founder of libreto.org, an online collective of writers and artists. Email him at pjcana@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter and Instagram @pauljohncana.
