It was a battle of the ballads, as three Filipino acts played Expo 2020 Dubai Sustainability Plaza on Saturday (19 March), for the latest in an incredible series of line ups as part of the Expo Street Music series.
The evening drew thousands of Filipinos and even audiences from other nationalities who jived to the rhythms and beats of the various genres Filipino music.
Bandang Lapis opened the show, with their rock-inspired fashion belying their heartfelt offerings. The all-male group, led by vocalist John Lester Abaño, is made up of seven long-term friends, who launched on the music scene in 2000. Their final song ‘Kabilang Buhay’ tugged the heartstrings of audiences who are moving on from the pains of losing a loved one.
Next up was Magnus Haven, a fivesome from Manilla who continued the mellow, relaxed vibe with the odd rap and guitar riff thrown in for good measure. Stopping for frequent chats with the audience, they were rewarded with a sea of phone torches waving along for their final song. Their hit song ‘Imahe’ – their best hit to date with over 102 million streams to date on Spotify was sung in unison by the audiences with a message of meeting someone who wasn’t meant for you after all and the struggles of forgetting all the good times you spent together.
This Band was the final act of the evening, picking up the pace a little, getting the crowd bobbing along. The indie and pop group, headed up by Andrea Manzano, proved to be quite the hit, especially with two of their ‘hugot’ songs ‘Di na Babalik’ and ‘Hindi na Nga’ – both of which storify the pains of breaking up with someone you wholeheartedly loved.
All three bands ended the night on stage performing This Band’s hit song ‘Kahit Ayaw Mo Na’.
