Sundown Festival 2012 unites Asians in terms of music, cultures

MANILA, Philippines - Last Dec. 1, Asian pop and rock music stalwart nations of Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Japan and Korea were gathered on the stage of Sundown Festival 2012, much to the delight of thousands of fans who braved the unpredictable year-end weather to support their favorite acts.

Keeping true to the tradition of showcasing only the best of Asian music — given its ability to unify people and culture even in diversity — Sundown Festival this year spotlighted Japanese visual kei band Alice Nine; the scream-inducers from South Korea, Born To Beat (BTOB); Taiwanese pop prince, Anthony Neely; China’s power vocalist Liu Li Yang; and Hong Kong’s popular TV star, Raymond Lam. In return for their steadfast support, fans were treated not only to a tight performance by Alice Nine and heart-throbbing dance moves by BTOB but also renditions of their most popular tracks by Neely, Liu and Lam.

“The unwavering support of our fans, sponsors and industry partners have been amazing and provided not just inspiration to us but also to the artistes who have told us over and over how much they love their fans here in Singapore,” said Samantha Chan, director of Red Spade Entertainment. “On that note, rest assured we will be back next year with an even bigger Sundown Festival 2013 line-up. With that conviction, we hope to see everyone back here again next year!”

Rounding off the concert experience were fringe cultural activities that offered festival goers much comfort and reprieve from the wet weather, including the sale of limited edition Alice Nine merchandise, Asian street-fare comprising beverages and snacks by Share Tea, Old Chang Kee, Manna Restaurant, Eight Degree, Yoguru and Dongdaemun.

The festival saw nearly 6,000 attendees descending on to Marina Promenade grounds. The inaugural Sundown Festival was held in 2009 at Fort Canning Park.