Yukbo revived to mark people power revolution

CEBU, Philippines — After 19 years of hiatus, a music festival featuring classic Cebuano songs in celebration of the bloodless Edsa People Power Revolution is coming back on February 25, 2024 at the Plaza sa Katawhan in Cebu City.

The free concert titled Yukbo will showcase classic Cebuano music from 22 bands.

Yukbo started in 1986 as people’s feast at Fuente Osmeña after the popular Edsa People Power Revolution ousted then president Ferdinand Marcos. It was lawyer Mel Libre who organized the Yukbo alang sa Pilipino, a free concert featuring some of the popular and upcoming Cebuano artists at that time.

Among the artists who performed during that time were Salome Oro and Sharon Magdayao or popularly known as Vina Morales.

Yukbo became an annual gathering of some of the best musicians of Cebu to commemorate the Edsa People Power Revolution. It was later renamed “Yukbo: Ang Konsiyerto”.

However, the annual free concert stopped when Libre migrated to New Zealand in November 2005. The last staging of Yukbo was in February 2005 at the Cebu City Sports Center with students from most of the colleges and universities in Cebu making human formations dubbed as DIBUTAW (or Dibuho sa Tawo) in between music performances.

Yukbo executive director Lemuel Felisario said the revival of Yukbo after 19 years will be an avenue for the new generation to get to know the Cebuano music representations back then.

“I believe only few would have, or will be able to relate, that Yukbo is more integrated or connected to the People Power revolution,” said Felisario.

Felisario said the revival of Yukbo also aims to cultivate the local Cebuano talents.

“We would really like to inspire young Cebuano artist, not just in Cebu City, not just in Province but the entire region of Visayas and Mindanao. We could see a lot of potential,” he said. — (FREEMAN)