FOR its 24th edition, Fête de la Musique will continue its tradition of producing several main performance stages on June 23, 29 and 30 as music fans around the country will be treated with some of the best acts in the local music scene.
The most sought-after bands and up-and-coming artists will perform in A-Venue’s parking lot and the Greenbelt 3 park in Makati City on June 23. The day’s performers include Ourselves The Elves, Pedicab, Orange and Lemons, Brass Pas Pas Pas Pas, Kjwan, Motherbass, BP Valenzuela and a lot more.
Meanwhile, on June 29, the Puerta Real Gardens in Intramuros will be transformed into a concert venue for Sandwich, Apartel, Ebe Dancel, Autotelic, Tom’s Story and many more.
Lady’s Symphony, one of the rising names in the European electro-pop scene, will also fly to Manila to join the June 29 festivities. Composed of DJ Liz Candy, violinist Nyna Loren and percussionist Narjess Saad, the group presents a new approach to house music that takes the audience to a magical trip full of electronic rhythms and strong melodies.
On June 30, there will also be main stages in Pagsanjan, Laguna and Baguio City with Ang Bandang Shirley and Kat Agarrado. A pre-Fête main stage will also be held in Luneta Park on June 16.
As in previous years, the organizers have collaborated with different independent production outfits to create genre-based pocket stages that cater to all tastes in music. On June 23, Makati City will be energized with more than 35 pocket stages scattered across different bars, restaurants, artistic spaces and cultural hubs.
Fête PHL app
FOLLOWING the monumental success of last year’s edition in Manila which produced over 30 stages and welcomed more than 30,000 Filipino music enthusiasts, Alliance Française de Manille (AFM) and B-Side Productions are gearing up for a bigger and better Fête de la Musique celebration this year.
To help music fans navigate the whole festival with ease, the event organizers have partnered with Bizooku to develop the Fête PH mobile app, which gathers all relevant information Fête goers need to know about annual free-for-all music festival.
The app outlines the schedule of performances in the main stages as well as the schedule of events in the pocket stages. It also features a tab with maps, detailed addresses and contact numbers of all the venues for this year’s festival.
AFM’s Executive Director Jean-Pierre Dumont said, “The annual Fête de la Musique has garnered a huge following through the years. As it gets bigger, we would like to give music fans in the Philippines the best festival experience in every way possible.”
Dumont added, “With the help of the mobile app, we are one step closer to that goal [of] keeping up with the times, when everything is searchable online.” Fête PH is now available for download on both Google Play and Apple Store.
Music fest redefined
LAUNCHED in France during the 1980s and then initiated by French cultural centers abroad, the annual day of music-making that is Fête de la Musique has since expanded to more than 800 cities and 120 countries with thousands of events worldwide.
In 1981 French Ministry of Culture’s Director of Music and Dance Maurice Fleuret applied his reflections to the musical practice and its evolution: “the music everywhere, and the concert nowhere.” When successor Jack Lang introduced the event in 1982, the objective was to bring music out into the streets, inviting all those who could play an instrument or carry a tune to perform.
Through the years, the festival has expanded into an event that promotes camaraderie, artistic collaboration and sharing of musical knowledge and experience.
In the Philippines, a unique feature of Fête de la Musique is the staging simultaneous concerts in different venues for different musical genres. From pop to hip-hop, reggae to classical and electronic to jazz, the magic of Fête de la Musique transcends across all musical tastes as it brings together people from all walks of life.
The 24th edition of Fête de la Musique is presented by AFM, in partnership with B-Side Productions and the Embassy of France to the Philippines and San Miguel Corporation as copresentor.