Full moon to shine on ’16 Malasimbo music festival
Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival audience at the foot of Mount Malasimbo, Puerto Galera.PHOTO BY RENATO VALENZUELA
SAN FRANCISCO—A highly anticipated music festival at the seaside paradise of Puerto Galera, Philippines, is brimming with world-class talents, collaborating musical virtuosos from different genres, while promising to bridge generational gaps across the continents.
The 2016 Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival will be staged from March 4 to 6, a full moon weekend in Puerto Galera. Named after a popular mountain that overlooks the Puerto Galera beach, the location boasts a grass-terraced amphitheatre at the foot of Mount Malasimbo.
Jacob Collier from. MALASIMBO MUSIC FESTIVAL ’16
Malasimbo presents the acclaimed UK musician Jacob Collier. The 20-year-old Collier is a musical prodigy backed by noted American record producer and composer Quincy Jones (who worked as conductor and arranger with Frank Sinatra and co-produced Michael Jackson’s multi-platinum solo albums).
Collier, who will launch his debut album this year, is hailed for his stunning ability to create “a digital one-man band using contemporary technology: multitrack recording, looping pedals and a strange Vocoder-like program that enables him to sing audacious harmonies through a Novation keyboard,” says The Guardian of the UK.
Highly renowned GongMyoung of South Korea returns after five years to the Malasimbo stage to electrify the audience. The “ambassadors” of Korean traditional music are favorites at numerous international festivals. GongMyoung is known for its harmonious mix of traditional Korean and Western percussion and wind instruments, creating crowd-stirring musical pieces guaranteed to leave the crowd raring for an encore.
Australian beatboxer Tom Thum also returns. His voice captures a vast repertoire of musical and animal sounds, which he refers to as the “orchestra in my mouth.” Thum will be performing with members of one of Asia’s oldest musical ensembles, the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) under the guidance of Brisbane composer Gordon Hamilton.
Brat Pack blues band. MALASIMBO MUSIC FESTIVAL ’16
Watch for the Brat Pack, the only blues band from Asia to ever reach the finals of the prestigious International Blues Competition in Memphis, Tennessee. First-time performers on the Malasimbo stage are the well-loved Tacloban-based Beatles’ cover band Reo Brothers, and the talented classical-contemporary guitar trio Triple Fret, who won first prize in the 27th Guitar Ensemble Festival in Shinagawa, Tokyo last year.
Lachlan Mitchell, one of Australia’s best composers and jazz guitarists, will collaborate on musical numbers with local artists of the Malasimbo Collective.
Among the Malasimbo favorites: the funky Golden Sound and Peter G from Australia; the spirited Filipino percussion band Brigada with its rousing Afro-Brazilian beats; soul band SINOSIKAT?.
All come onstage along with a vast array of up-and-coming artists that Malasimbo will showcase, in collaboration with Radio Republic, as part of their commitment to unearth new talent. Some of them include Crwn, Reese Lansangan, Lustbass, RH Xanders, Moophs, Paolo Mallari, Asch, Soul_Brk.
Headliners of past Malasimbo Music and Arts Festivals have included James Brown’s renowned trombone player Fred Wesley; Rock ’n’ Roll Hall-of-Famer Jimmy Cliff; UK soul jazz artist Omar, MBE; Grammy Award winner Robert Glasper; the godfather of Neo-Soul and one of most sampled artists in the world, Roy Ayers; the king of Latin soul, Afro-Filipino Joe Bataan; Japan’s leading Taiko performers Gocoo; Swedish musician Jose Gonzalez; last year’s performers, Bobby McFerrin’s son, Taylor McFerrin, from New York; and reggae artist KyMani Marley, son of legendary Bob Marley.
Lights And Dance Festival, March 24 to 26
This year’s Malasimbo Lights and Dance Festival promises to be bigger and more magical. The concept was tried and tested at last year’s Malasimbo festival, it proved to be a worthy undertaking. In replicating the event, the organizers quoted the famous line of freedom fighter and Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela, “It is music and dancing that make me at peace with the world.”
Returning from his highly acclaimed performance at Malasimbo 2015, DJ Kentaro will wow his audience once again with his brilliant mix of techno, hip hop, electro drum and bass, blended with all-familiar good old ‘80s dance hits. CONTRIBUTED
From March 24 to 26, international and local DJs renowned for their contributions to the funk, house, hip hop, drum and bass, and electronic music genres converge on the Malasimbo stage. Keep your ears open (and your minds) to the talents of Wolf Squared, Afro x Chrizo, Aries and Diamond Heights.
Among the international DJs making their debut on the Malasimbo stage are English record producer Lapalux with his brilliant, eclectic mix of R&B and house, French hip hop beatmaker Onra, and house and techno DJ San Soda from Belgium. Returning to Malasimbo are British drum ’n’ bass guru Goldie, MBE; and Japanese hip hop DJ Kentaro. All are guaranteed to get dance aficionados in the groove. Malasimbo.com is your source for the latest updates on the official lineup of acts and performance schedules for the Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival and the Malasimbo Lights and Dance Festival.
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