Rico Blanco to perform at Singapore's Sundown Festival

Singer Rico Blanco is set to perform "Galactik Fiestamatik" and other hits at the Sundown Festival in Singapore on Nov. 16 as the chosen representative of the Philippines along with band Rocksteady.

"I'll play all my original compositions both as a solo artist at as Rivermaya," he told the media. "It's the first time that I will be on stage with my Galactik Fiestamatik setup. It's the kind of show that I've been doing in the country for a little over the year."

"Galactik Fiestamatik" is the singer's second studio album. It features a fusion of musical influences—and Blanco's Ati-Atihan-inspired costume when performing it.

"I fused my Western influences—new wave, Beatles, Western classical music—with our Filipino flavor: Ati-Atihan with a little bit of folk. It's a show, it's not just a gig, I can't call it a gig because we prepared and we don't just go up on and perform," he said.

"We're doing that for a little bit over a year in the Philippines and it's the first time I'm showcasing, I'm sharing that experience outside the country."



'Non-Filipinos to see part of our culture'

Blanco has been performing Galactik Fiestamatik locally for almost a year; this will be his first time to perform the setup abroad.

"I had a choice. We could do that safe rock band setup but I've done that a couple of times outside the country—this is the first time we're in Ati-Atihan costumes [and] war paint. We want the non-Filipinos to see a part of our culture," Blanco said. "I envisioned that show over a year ago. I really, really wanted to play in festivals and share that kasi 'yon ang Pinoy, e."

Fellow rock luminary and Sandwich frontman Raimund Marasigan lauded Blanco's set, saying his daughter enjoyed the performance.

"Nakasabay ko si Raimund for an event in Iloilo. Afterwards, he came up to me and said, 'Thank you. It's my kid's first time to experience Ati-Atihan, she loved it,'" said Blanco.

Blanco said it gives him a "thrill" to perform Galactik Fiestamatik.

"Some cool people would find it stupid, that’s fine. I’m introducing the ati-atihan to a generation that probably hasn’t experienced it," he said. "Honestly, it just gives me a thrill when I'm doing it on stage, it's something that I really enjoy and it took me 20 years to figure it out. But now that I found that combination, I'm just really enjoying it."

Appreciation for local music

Blanco believes in supporting music for the sake of the music.

"Music kasi sa akin, gusto ko ma-enjoy ng tao bilang music," he said. "I like to say support local artists and support local industry whether sa clothing yan or sa bigas or whatever—pero ayaw kong i-support ang music dahil lang sa lahi mo."

"Pwede mo dapat i-appreciate ang Filipino music dahil maganda, dahil gusto mo at hindi dahil Filipino. So, in the same way, kung may mga non-Filipinos, gusto ko ma-enjoy nila 'yong music dahil nae-enjoy nila," the singer added.

"Siguro, maisip lang nila 'yong kumanta non, ah, Filipino ba siya? Good. Kahit papaano siguro ma-maintain yong magandang impression nila [ng mga Pilipino] bilang magagaling na performers, worldwide," Blanco said. "Gusto ko lang i-support ang local music natin, 'yon nga, [hindi] dahil lahi ang inuuna, gusto hindi muna Pinoy tapos secondary tayo—dapat pareho lang."

Performing in festivals

Blanco said he enjoys performing in festivals because fans get to listen to music of different genres. He also appreciates the country's attempt to start local musical events.

"I'm a big fan of festivals because you get to appreciate music, period. Kasi when you get to watch different artists doing their own thing, then you see how people appreciate different artists doing different kinds of music parang it liberates you from that mentality of what's uso," he said.

"With festivals you validate na what's important is that they're passionate about the music their doing and when you see different performers doing kinds of music, different flavors—and they all believe in that vision, it works. It doesn't matter what kind of music it is or what language, nakaka-relate 'yong tao kung naniniwala 'yong tao na nasa entablado," he stressed.

Blanco will fly to Singapore this week to perform alongside fellow artists from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Sundown Festival is an annual event that celebrates Asian music and culture, with the aim of not only showing the best of Asian entertainment but also to unite and bridge the cultural diversity of Asia. — BM, GMA News