By Carla Mortel Baricaua / Photos by Marose Loperez
HORDES of K-pop fans trooped to the SM Mall of Asia Arena on March 7 to catch the performances of local and Korean artists in a concert aimed to commemorate the 70-year old diplomatic ties between the Philippines and South Korea.
In an effort to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries, the 2019 K-pop Friendship Concert in Manila gave Filipino rock band Silent Sanctuary the chance to share the stage with young Korean K-pop groups NOIR, April and NCT Dream. The free concert was presented by Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST).
After a formal official opening segment, hosts Ryan Bang and Kring Elenzano-Kim called on stage Silent Sanctuary, the sole Philippine representative and the first act to perform. The rock band dished out hits such as “Bumalik Ka Na Sa’Kin,” “Pasensya Ka Na,” “Sa’yo,”and “Ikaw Lamang.” The predominantly young K-pop fans met their set with loud cheers, and those who knew the songs and sang along with the band.
K-pop craze continues
AFTERWARDS, the loudness of the crowd went a several decibels higher when the K-pop groups took over the stage. Fresh from their last visit in December, rookie boy group NOIR delivered energetic song and dance routines as they performed Airplane Mode and Gangsta. They followed it up with mellow track As a Star, then hyped the crowd anew with a cover of BTS’s hit Boys in Luv.
Girl group April brought on their cutesy dance moves as they charmed their way through the performances to get the audience’s attention. In their first appearance in Manila, the six members entertained the crowd with songs Oh! My Mistake, Take My Hand, Tinker Bell and April Story.
After debuting in 2015, April was adjudged the Female Rookie of the Year in the 2016 Korean Entertainment Arts Award.
Then, K-pop fans, majority of whom are NCTzens who wielded their neon green light sticks, went extra wild when NCT Dream was called upon and conquered a Manila stage for the first time. The five-member boy group opened their set with Chewing Gum and was followed by the track My First and Last. During the break, Renjun, Chenle, Jaemin, Jeno and Jisung introduced themselves to the crowd. (Another group member, Haechan, was absent since he is still recovering from an injury.) NCT Dream then performed Go and We Go Up to wrap up the concert. The boy group promised a comeback show in Manila.
Hallyu recognized
BEFORE the stage performances, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines Han Dong-man gave his speech in the vernacular, to the delight of the audience, as he underscored the diplomatic relationship and the growing interest in cultural exchange of both countries.
In response, National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Commissioner and National Archives of the Philippines Executive Director Victorino Mapa Manalo marked the warm appreciation of Filipinos to the Korean culture that introduced the hallyu wave and brought in K-drama, K-pop, Korean food as well as cosmetics into the country.
Vice Minister of the MCST Kim Yong-sam also gave a speech and joined Han, Manalo and a group of children on stage to lead the symbolic gesture of throwing paper planes to mark the start of the “Year of Mutual Exchange” between Korea and the Philippines while promoting the celebration through K-pop music.
In addition to the free concert, MCST will organise and stage several cultural events in the country, such as the Taekwondo Cultural Festival, The Korean Culture and Tourism Exhibition and the Korean-Philippines Film Festival, while the NCCA will hold the Days of Philippine Culture event in Korea.
Image credits: Marose Loperez