Twenty-third of a series Summer’s here, and with it the tautening grip of Fernweh — the German “farsickness” that describes a bone-deep yearning for exploring places elsewhere. Unfortunately, the war triggered by the US-Israel attack on Iran has stranded many of us at the “weh” station: that uniquely Filipino intersection of disbelief and skepticism and,...
Category: Music
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BTS is so back!
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that BTS is officially back after nearly four years of absence from the public eye. Their long-awaited return is nothing short of monumental, marked by the release of a new album and a world tour that will run until March 2027. “Arirang,” the group’s 10th...
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Portraits in Jazz: One Night with the Lisa Sung Trio
Twenty-second of a series It was a night unlike many others in the city’s jazz haven at Tago. Headlining the Valentine weekend was a visiting Korean American pianist—a slight gentlewoman who brimmed more with the energy of a college senior than a mother of six. The Lisa Sung Trio—featuring Lisa on keys, Andrew Bishop on...
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When Cup of Joe came home
BAGUIO CITY—In the intimate venue of University of Baguio’s multipurpose hall early this month, I joined the youthful crowd in watching Cup of Joe, a local act and homegrown favorite. A technical delay tested our patience but when the five members of the band—Gian Bernardino, Rapha Ridao, CJ Fernandez, Gabriel Fernandez, and Xen Gareza—finally appeared,...
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Portraits in Jazz: Michael Mark Guevarra keeps it real
(Twenty-first of a series) If the end of the pandemic lockdown had a face, it was—at least for me—that of Michael Mark “Pikong” Guevarra. It was April 2022, the first night Tago Jazz Café opened its doors after nearly two years of silence. Setting up on stage that night were guitarist Riki Gonzales and Balooze,...
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When our all-Filipino choir sang Christmas carols at Martin Place
SYDNEY, Australia—Our all-Filipino choir, Himig Sandiwa, was invited by the City of Sydney Council to perform at Martin Place for its annual Christmas event, “Choirs in the City.” This is the first year the choir has sung at the event, and, according to the organizer, we are the first Filipino choir to be part of...
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‘Big Bang doesn’t make sense’: Deciphering Dionela and his musical universe
I feel woozy, coming out of Dionela’s “Grace Tour” concert in the New Frontier Theater, plus a good dose of ethanol from Cubao Expo, in Quezon City. Before I head home on a vertiginous Friday night, I ask myself: How do I make sense of what I’d just witnessed—and the meteoric success of this singer-songwriter...
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Argerich, Arendt, Akiko-san: Reflections on Hiroshima and Gaza
HIROSHIMA, Japan — It was a great joy to finally witness a performance by the legendary pianist Martha Argerich. My brother and I grew up listening to her renditions of the masters — Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin most especially — and I tried, but failed, to watch her in Berlin back in 2023, when she...
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‘Matutunaw Din Lahat ng Nyebe’: SB19 and the Filipino Dream
BANGKOK—I am inside a performance hall here in Central World, one of Bangkok’s biggest malls, together with mostly-Filipino fans who are waiting for SB19 to begin their concert. Most of the fans, who call themselves “A’TIN” (pronounced “eighteen”), seem to feel at home in the venue, singing along to every song even without the lyrics...
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Portraits in Jazz: Riki Gonzales returns to the blues
(Twentieth of a series) On a dreary November evening last year, I sent a message to composer-guitarist Riki Gonzales, who was then performing aboard a cruise ship. I asked him to send me a short video clip of wherever he was at that moment, hoping that a glimpse of the world beyond my walls—whether night...