I was hooked by the third and final night of the Lights and Dance Festival. Planet Zips Luminaries wowed the audience with their fire-dancing, bringing a whole new dimension to the event. It didn’t hurt that the legendary Goldie took the Malasimbo Amphitheater to a crazed dancing mood.
Sparks fly, literally, during Planet Zips Luminaries’s performance
Planet Zips Luminaries make playing with fire so easy and so inviting
Goldie, MBE turning up the party
The crowd was really getting into it during Goldie’s set
However, my absolute favorite would be the performance preceding Goldie’s, that of veteran DJ Shortkut. His set was the closest thing to my kind of music. It was funky, a bit retro, and light-hearted. If I’d ever envisioned the music of the Malasimbo Lights and Dance Festival, Shortkut would’ve been at the helm of that sound machine.
Shortkut (in black shirt) with Kristian Hernandez
Another reason why I love Shortkut’s set was because that was the moment the rest of the media crew and I started dancing without inhibition, and with the full intention of letting loose and relishing being part of something so diverse and unexpected. Shoes were taken off, arms were thrown in the air, moves and grooves were busted.
Members of the media and PR taking a break from work and enjoying the party
Days after the festival, I can still hear the distinct beat of Malasimbo. I still think the entire event is elitist, but now I see it’s only on the surface.
The Malasimbo Lights and Dance Festival, I discovered, is not exclusive in essence, but rather delights and thrives in inclusiveness. This fact is greatly exhibited in Malasimbo’s advocacies and the host of artists it showcases. It defies the notion that the Philippines is too conservative for music and arts festivals, that Filipinos have a unidimensional taste in music and an almost absent appreciation for arts – ultimately proving these wrong. Malasimbo, in all its kitschy and eclectic glory, makes it easier – almost effortless – to inspire appreciation even from its most jaded attendees. I dare say it is an eye-opener; an event that improved, if not altogether transformed, my perception of music, arts, and partying.
