By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net
SURREAL yet real.
The misty atmosphere in the auditorium welcomed the audience to a seeming dreamland of entertainment. But when the strings, drums, keyboard, and voices began to mingle, it woke the audience to the reality of Pinoy music at its best.
Sugarfree and Up Dharma Down rocked the house as lights danced with the music.
Here’s Sugarfree singing “Hari ng Sablay.”
And here’s Up Dharma Down.
It wasn’t only rock music which made the audience sing and groove, but also the melodious music and symphony from the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra with international violinist Lucia Micarelli.
Here’s Micarelli with the MPO.
And here’s an interview I conducted with Micarelli.
It was also amazing to hear the orchestra play rock music like “Alleluia,” which was sung by Bamboo.
When the legendary members of the Juan dela Cruz band — Joey “Pepe” Smith, Mike Hanopol and Wally Gonzalez — walked on stage, time seemed to warp back to the 70s. The audience was thrilled as strings were strummed and the microphones were held.
But just as the time machine was about to bring back the rock revolution, technical problems cut the excitement for awhile.
Nonetheless, the show went on as Joey “Pepe” Smith became an impromptu stand-up comedian.
After a few minutes, the show went on as Juan dela Cruz played their legendary songs, some of which have been revived by today’s generation of musicians.
The show ended with a spectacular finale as Juan dela Cruz band performed “Ang Himig Natin,” with the MPO, Sugarfree’s vocalist Ebe Dancel, Up Dharma Down’s vocalist Armi Millare, and violinist Micarelli on stage.
Here’s a video of Millare talking about how it felt to perform with the Pinoy rock icons.
And here’s Joey “Pepe” Smith sharing how it felt to perform with today’s generation of Pinoy bands.
Indeed, Fiesta ng Musikang Filipino was a feast for the eyes and ears.
Editor’s note: Interviews conducted by INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Izah Morales. Video of interviews taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia. Photos and video of Joey “Pepe” Smith impromptu stand-up comedy act taken by Morales.
