Event Geek

Cebu, get ready for the sights and sounds of Fete de la Musique 2011! Now on its 4th year in the Queen City of the South, the event promises to bring Cebuanos closer to how France and over a hundred countries all over the world experience World Music Day, also known as Fete de la Musique.

Drawing from the success of last year’s multi-stage set up at Ayala Center Cebu, the music kicks off at 1pm at Level 1 in front of Beauty Bar and at 2pm across Oh Georg. The Activity Center Stage fires up at 3pm, and by 5:30pm, the action takes place at The Terraces, where more musicians are set to share their talents and artistry all the way until midnight.

Expect smashing musical performances brought to you by Cebuano performers such as Happy Days and Bambu Spliff, new talents Undercover Grasshoppers, Wonggoys, and Carlo Pez, SUCH from Iligan, and American pop music producer Ben Patton. Highlights of the evening include classical interpretations by the Peace Philharmonic Youth Ensemble, super percussion group Grand Slam Tambulan, the internationally acclaimed UV Choir, and ska sensation Island Joe. With their catchy pop hooks, a special guest performance by the highly successful and multi-awarded OPM group Callalily is guaranteed to entertain crowds of all ages and musical preferences.

From old school to new school, classical, experimental and everything else in between, Fete de la Musique 2011 takes you on a musical journey that you only experience once a year. And as always, it is absolutely FREE! Fete de la Musique 2011 is proudly presented by Alliance Francaise de Cebu and The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu in cooperation with ABS CBN, ML Kwarta Padala, Sledgers, Kickers and Delsey, with the generous support of Major Sponsors, Studio 23, Maayong Buntag Kapamilya, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu and DYLS FM 97.1. It would not be possible with out Minor Sponsors, Yehey dot com, Kate’s, Soundballoon, Bioderm, Casino Ethyl Alcohol Femme and Crossover 90.7 Cebu.

Fete de la Musique 2011 performer/s profile and line up (in alphabetical order):

560th Airbase Wing Band
If you have no connections with the Philippine Airforce, then you have very slim chances of catching the 560th Airbase Wing Band performing live. Fortunately, this is their 3rd year to indulge Fete de la Musique audiences, with movie soundtracks in 2009 & Abba classics in 2010. What marching band arrangements have they got in store for 2011? All shall be revealed at The Terraces on June 18.

Bambu Spliff
Time and time again, Bambu Spliff sets the stage and proceeds to burn it down with their original material that breathes the smoke of reggae. Bambu Spliff’s music defies precise categorization, touching on jazz, soul, hip-hop, rock, blues—with reggae as the backbone of every song. Still fresh from their stint in Manila, Bambu Spliff is here to bridge the gap of our ever so classified musical genres. They have energetic and keep-you-moving performances with artistic transitions from song to song that will leave your body moving all night long in a positive way.

Ben Patton
Ben Patton is an American songwriter whose diverse tastes and talents span the breadth of pop music, from rock to musical theater. He is also cofounder of Muller and Patton Productions, a pop music production company, with collaborator Jaye Muller. They have worked with local celebrities, having composed two songs for KC Conception’s new album & a song for Nikki Gil. In addition to writing songs for dozens of international artists, Ben has performed his own rock material on five solo albums, five "Muller and Patton" duo albums, and two live concert DVD's, and penned a comic operetta entitled "Simply Wonderful".

Bethany
In the summer of 2008, three brothers decided that instead of giving out Christmas gifts to their friends that year, they’d pool time, talent and treasure to come up with a full-length album. By December 23, their first “digital” album “At Last! Our First” was made available for free at their official Multiply site. They have since added a friend to their line up and proceeded to make a name for themselves in the Metro Cebu scene, playing at album launches and music festivals. The name of their band is Bethany.

Budoy & Coolie Dread
In 2005, Budoy exploded into national consciousness with “Ako Si M-16” by his band Jr. Kilat, followed by a stint in Pinoy Big Brother’s Celebrity Edition. On tv, radio or onstage, Budoy the endorser-performer-celebrity whirls, twirls, talks, jumps, jokes and keeps his audience hostage.
In stark contrast, Coolie Dread’s cool and calm composure belies his mastery of rhythms, beats, melodies and sound in general, chilling behind the deck for his main band CDMC and other acts. Together, they represented the Philippines at the World Expo in Shanghai 2010, where they captivated audiences with their experiments on sound & music.

Callalily
With their brand of pop-injected alternative rock, Callalily has been a presence in the Philippine music scene since their breakthrough in 2006. They had been paying their dues as musicians by playing in small productions and fronting for then bigger artists like 6CycleMind. Now with 3 major label albums under their belt, Callalily continues to play music which never fails to stir up the emotions, music that is filled with catchy pop hooks and lyrics that they feel speaks directly to their audience.

Carlopez
Carl packed up his life in Manila and brought his guitar to Cebu in 2009. Since then, he has been performing regularly at The Outpost in Lahug; most of the time, after the scheduled musicians have finished their sets, in between sets, and during the open-mic evenings. To date, he has performed in various events and at different venues, and still continues to pop up whenever and wherever the stage is empty. He is currently recording songs for his first album, The Disappearing Act.

Cuarenta
As performers, they trace their history to the band scene of the 80s, and two of the band’s original band members remain: Anot Ang on electric guitar and Lyndon Banzon on bass guitar. Together with Henri Tradio and Randy Pages on guitar, Juel Zuleta on drums and Kay Luna Tradio on vocals, this band is phenomenal. Their usual repertoire includes classic rock and blues covers of Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, AC/DC, Jimmy Hendrix and Led Zepellin. It doesn’t matter that they’re better known as “40” The Band from way back, these days, they are called Cuarenta.

Drop Out Club
They say they sound like a group of people getting drunk and making loud noises that makes you dance and party. It’s true. Every gig by Drop Out Club is like a loud, crazy, rock-infused college party with lots of devil-may-care fun. Actual booze and hang-overs optional. This is the band parents warn their kids about (but this band is really all about clean good fun). That’s Dee-Oh-Cee baby.

Grae
He is a humble public servant by day, a fixture in the Palace of Justice at Capitol. He is a lawyer by profession, with a black belt in aikido, and a passion for rock music. He is simply known as “Grae” in local music circles and is best known for his repertoire of 70’s rock, blues, and folk covers. Grae is a fixture on Open Mic Nights at The Outpost and this will be his second time to perform for Fete de la Musique. He is supported on guitars by Cuarenta’s Anot Ang, and arguably Cebu’s best bassist, John Blanco Cinco.

Grand Slam Tambulan
This power group is made up of individuals from five different bands and influences. Their collective years in the music industry explains why a band so new is able to produce beats and rhythms that are felt with the heart and soul. They are fast gaining popularity by captivating audiences in Subic, Baguio, Puerto Galera, and now Cebu.

Happy Days
Happy Days started as a four piece indie outfit who were engineering students from the University of San Carlos. The idea was to make original music, as they were tired of listening to other bands playing cover songs. That was over 10 years ago, well before the words “indie” and “DIY” were used to describe the music scene. Happy Days became known for their raw geek rock sound, who wrote lots of new songs and played every show they could get. They are currently a 3-man band who list shoegaze, punk, ska, noise rock and disco as their musical influences.

Island Joe
Few bands in Cebu have staying power like reggae-ska band Island Joe. Their originals are flaming hot and their audiences are always looking to sing and dance along wherever they find the band performing. This despite not playing regular gigs, not having major studio albums, and without any of their songs playing over the radio. Island Joe is THAT good. Their tight musical arrangements and onstage presence are enough to make viewers remember who they are and keep an eye out for when they are next performing.

Juress
Juress the band was formed in 2005 with its first gig at the old Handuraw on MJ Cuenco. Their music is a blend of alternative, pop, jazz, blues, and rock, and is influenced by acts such as Heather Nova, Liza Phair, Jewel, Sade, and Frank! Their sound is familiar yet uncommon, and it’s hard to find another band in Cebu to compare them with. Their solid musical skills are fronted by a voice as unique as the name the band carries.

Peace Philharmonic Philippines Youth Ensemble
The PPP Youth Ensemble are part of a larger group of musicians known as the Peace Philharmonic Philippines Orchestra, which is recognized by the government as the official orchestra for southern Philippines. They are supported by the Sala Foundation, are veterans of countless public and private performances. They have been literally and figuratively instrumental in bringing classical music to many audiences.

SUCH
The band SUCH was molded from the idea of clashing musical diets. In 2009, this Iligan City rock outfit released their self-titled debut EP which channelled collective strengths in song-writing and musical arrangement, resulting in a disc full of fairly memorable tracks such as "Nothing", "Out in the Open" and "Far". After a flurry of line up changes, SUCH managed to release a music video for the song "Far" before going on hiatus. SUCH is now back and working on new materials for their upcoming full length album slated for release this year.

UV Chorale
Composed of high school and college students from the University of the Visayas, the multi-awarded UV Chorale has been the pride of Cebu in the arena of chorale competitions. They have performed in Australia thrice and have reaped awards on a national level, as well as in Busan South Korea and Sulawesi, Indonesia. They continue to bring Cebuano-stamped music to the international stage by releasing a debut album containing classic Visayan recordings such as “Usahay,” “Bulan” and many more.

Undercover Grasshoppers
The Undercover Grasshoppers emerged into the Cebu music scene in 2009 as a 4-piece indie rock group. Their sound is heavily influenced by 60's rock, post-punk sounds, nu wave music, and other sounds in between. Their music depicts their understanding of their day-to-day existence through the religion called Rock & Roll. “Frantic Static” and “Finding Marvin” are the two singles they have released so far, and a full length album is in the works under 22 Tango Records.

Womb
As an act they are only about 2 years old, but as individual musicians, they have been performing in and around Cebu for the last couple of years, playing pop, alternative and world music. As Womb, they experiment with music in the trip-hop genre, and the result of their experimentations is what you will hear at FDM. Womb is composed of Chai Fonacier, Fender Figueroa, Anthony Uy and Doogie Pagaduan.

Wonggoys
The Wonggoys is the name of the band of 3 guitar-playing brothers. Their 2-syllable, single-word name belies their proclivity for multi-word song and album titles such as “Chase The Girl Or Rule The World” and “I’m Not Sure What To Say But I’ll Say It Anyway.” Their lyrics are infused with their wicked sense of humor, set against guitar-driven backdrops and tight insider jokes, the way only brothers can achieve.