According to Ebe Dancel, there are two reasons why he decided to start another “Sa Wakas” concert, which took place last Friday, March 31 at 123 Block in Mandaluyong. The first one is due to popular demand, as Ebe received many messages from friends and fans. Most of them were not able to make it to the first show, so they were asking him to have another one.
The second reason, as Ebe deemed it, was “unannounced.” He shared that they are raising funds for a friend who is currently beating cancer.
“Although we are not announcing it,” he said. “We are raising funds for a very good friend of mine who needs a job because he has cancer and we wanna keep him safe and comfortable.”
Ebe did not name his friend, but in his own words, Ebe described, “Kilala siya ng buong industriya kasi kapag mayroong bagong lumalabas na kanta, siya ‘yung nag-she-share ng mga kanta.”
Asked what motivated him to start a fundraiser for his friend, he simply answered that he wants to help his friend. “Gusto ko lang siyang tulungan in whatever capacity because this person is so good to me,” said Ebe.
“I feel it’s my responsibility to give back,” he added. “This is just my way of [saying]… I want him to be safe. His fight just began, so gusto kong maramdaman niya na kasama niya ako every single step of the way.”
He shared one memory he cherished with his friend, and that was when he went to La Union and found the friend there. They got to bike around and sit by the beach, spending their time together and creating memories.
Soundstrip asked him if he had any message to tell his friend who is fighting for their life against cancer. Ebe, in tears, said, “I love you. We’re gonna fight together. Mas matindi ‘yung laban mo pero… lagi ko naman pinapaalala sa’yo na hindi ka namin pababayaan.
He tried to fight back his tears, saying “Naiiyak ako.”
After a while, he repeated to tell his friend, “Hindi ka namin pababayaan.”
Sa Wakas Part 2
The second time around of “Sa Wakas,” Ebe promised, is going to be different—better—than the first one. They originally had 17 songs played, and the show took place at 123 Block, Mandala Park.
READ: REVISITING THE PAST |Ebe Dancel excited to perform alongside Sugarfree drummer Mitch
This time, Ebe promised 22 songs and a much bigger, sprawling area in the same venue to accommodate more audience. He announced, “It’s gonna be 22 then there’s gonna be more space.”
Ebe admitted to having no expectations. He said, “Wala akong expectations. I just want people to have a good time kasi sila ‘yung humingi nito [kaya] baka sila ‘yung may expectations—ako wala.
“Ine-enjoy ko lang [ang] bawat saglit na kaya ko pang tumugtug kasi you’ll never know eh, you’ll never know kung hanggang kailan pwede kong gawin ito,” he added.
Ebe hints, “It’s a longer set, the line is different…. So there’s gonna be comedy, there’s gonna be music and then there’s gonna be me which is a mix of comedy and music.”
Ebe said he wanted an intimate show. He said, “While it’s a concert, we also want to treat fans with something very intimate, kahit gaano pa karami o konti ‘yung manonood parang ‘yon naman yata yung strength ng music na ginawa ko. It’s gonna be intimate however big or small the venue is.”
Image credits: Kris Rocha/GNN Productions