Congratulations to the maverick group that mounts the annual Wanderland Music and Arts Festival. Now on its seventh year, Wanderland’s two-night edition, held March 9 and 10 at the Filinvest City Events Grounds in Alabang, was a resounding success, with 14 international and eight Filipino artists in the roster of performers.
Day 1 had the Irish band Two Door Cinema Club, English electronic music duo Honne, British indie folk artist Gabrielle Aplin, American singer-songwriter JMSN (pronounced Jameson), American indie pop duo Joan, British electronic artist SG Lewis, former IV of Spades frontman Unique, Filipino singer-songwriter Reese Lansangan, Singaporean singer-songwriter Charlie Lim, Filipino rock band Autotelic, and Cebu jazz band Intertwined.
Day 2 featured British indie rock band The Kooks, Jamaica-born singer-songwriter Masego, American singer-songwriters Alina Baraz and Clairo, UK R&B quartet Prep, Filipino rock band Sandwich, Filipino singer-sonwriter Clara Benin, Korean band Adoy, and Filipino bands Dayaw, and Nathan and Mercury.
That’s what makes Wanderland truly wonderful.
Through the years with Nonoy
Meanwhile, Nonoy Zuñiga takes time off his current gig as cosmetic doctor to do a concert, “Through the Years,” on March 13 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila.
The show marks the seasoned Filipino pop singer’s 45th anniversary in the music biz.
As the concert’s title implies, “Through the Years” will take the audience on a journey back to Zuñiga’s roots as a folk singer, member of the band Family Birth Control, and fame as one of OPM’s biggest stars.
Special guests are South Border, Nyoy Volante, Mitch Valdez, and Jessel Kempis.
I saw a video of Zuñiga rehearsing a song with South Border that would surely excite the audience.
Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Calamba Doctors Medical Educational and Science Foundation and the Manila East Medical Educational and Science Foundation.
“Nonoy Zuñiga … Through the Years,” March 13, Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila
Musical highlight
The couple of times I’ve been to Marco Polo Hotel Ortigas were fine—its restaurant Cucina served a reasonably priced buffet dinner, and its 45th floor VU’s Sky Bar and Lounge had retro band Highway 54 enticing a dancing crowd, and lady DJ Jade spinning rock classics.
On Feb. 9, I was back at Marco Polo, at the grand ballroom, as a guest at the debut party of Keana Inductivo, whose father, civil engineer Christopher Inductivo, worked on the interior finishing of Ayala Land’s Seda Hotel Vertis North and BGC.
Christopher, or Pher to family and friends, loves karaoke singing and he’s pretty good, something I’ve witnessed during parties at the Inductivo residence in Quezon City.
At his daughter Keana’s debut party, Pher sang Michael Buble’s “Everything.”
The event’s musical highlight was a special performance by Keana’s uncle, South Border’s Jay Durias, who brought along daughter Kahlil, who played drums, and son Jaydee, who played guitar and sang lead vocals, with South Border’s Tabs Tabuñar on bass, and Rancis de Leon on saxophone, on Juan Karlos Labajo’s “Buwan.”
That was a fun night, with Pher’s three other children, Kurt, Kimmy and Kullen, wife Kelly, parents Hector and Carmen, and six sisters Grace Kelly, Jacqueline, Kaye, Sharon, Helene, and Charmaine (who flew in with her kids Randie, Rana and Juju from the United States) making the celebration a memorable family reunion.
Jacqueline, or Wing, credits herself for discovering South Border when the band was starting out in the early ’90s.