Rico to represent Phl at Singapore’s largest Asian music fest

MANILA, Philippines - Red Spade Entertainment, the organizer behind the annual Sundown Music Festival, has announced the international acts that will perform at the F1 Pit Building at Marina Promenade on Nov. 16 in Singapore.

The much-anticipated talent lineup for the fifth annual Sundown Festival is an unrivaled gathering of eight nations consisting of established headliners and up-and-coming acts from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines including Screw, D=OUT, AOA, Bosco Wong, Shao Yu Han, Yoga Lin, Nidji, No More Tear, Rock Steddy and Rico Blanco (photo).

Drawing fans from all across Southeast Asia, Sundown Festival turns Marina Promenade into an Asian music and cultural central for an eight-hour long celebration.

Tickets (Cat 1 at $138 and Cat 2 at $98, Early Bird Tickets at $68 are sold out) for this live music event available on SISTIC sans booking fee at www.sundownfestival.sg.

2013’s edition of the festival sees the addition of three Southeast Asian nations to the musical melee: Indonesia, Thailand and two very popular acts from the Philippines. Known for their “rockability” and mastery in alternative music, it is no wonder the likes of Nidji, No More Tear, Rock Steddy and headliner Rico Blanco are fronting these tri-nation sensations.

Continuing on the ride on the surge in popularity and demand for Japanese glam-metal rock are visual kei bands Screw and D=OUT (pronounced as “doubt”).

K-pop fanatics can expect some eye candy and sugar rush in the form of Ace of Angels (AOA), a truly unique versatile music group that interchanges between a five-member female band and a seven-member idol group. All eight members from AOA will be making their full appearance at the festival to lend their full support at Sundown Festival 2013.

This year’s line-up of musical entertainment will not be given justice without the vocal prowess of Adonia Shao Yu Han from the People’s Republic of China and an injection of familiar names the likes of Mandopop Taiwanese boy wonder Yoga Lin and Cantopop and TVB star Bosco Wong. 

For two years now, Sundown Festival has been strongly championed by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) due to its unique entertainment concept that aims to showcase the best mix of Asia’s talent and diversity in music genre, musicians and cultural identity. Festival goers can look forward not only to eight hours of non-stop entertainment but also to bona fide street food sourced from all the eight Asian countries and fringe cultural performances such as “the barong” (storytelling dance form) from Indonesia, Tinikling B-boys (a mix of traditional pre-Spanish tap dancing with bamboo poles and breakdancing) from the Philippines and muay thai exhibition from Thailand.

“Year five of Sundown Festival is a milestone,” said Samantha Chan, director of the Festival.

“We have set a simple goal: To bring the burgeoning stars in Asian rock and pop music together for the best show in the region, a show that the world can only see in Singapore. And that is exactly what we have done; these acts we have brought in this year will rock your socks off, bring pride to being Asian and prove once again, there is no place more exciting than Singapore’s Marina Promenade this coming Nov. 16,” added Chan.

Sundown Festival is an annual event that celebrates Asian music and culture, with the aims of not only showing the best and most vibrant of Asian entertainment but also to unite and bridge the cultural diversity of Asia. Each year, a new Asian country will be added to the list of performers, creating a snowball effect to the festival in order to generate hype, anticipation and captivate audience.

The festival will feature some of the most popular and up-and-coming musicians, on top of their cultural exports (such as food and other consumables) through fringe activities and stalls set up at the event grounds on the festival day itself. Sundown Festival started in 2009 with the theme “Seoul’dOut!,” focused on Korean music and culture and single-handedly caused an explosion of interest all things Korean (also known as the Hallyu wave) in Singapore.

In 2010, Japan was added to the performance line-up, giving rise to the popularity of J-rock and visual kei youth pop culture. Meanwhile, Taiwan was added to the mix in 2011, prompting new Asian entertainers and industry players to make Singapore as its maiden stop of fame.

In 2012, Hong Kong and China were fronted to set the precedence for Sundown Festival to be the go-to platform for established TVB actors, fledgling singer-songwriters and as an avenue to realize potential and spread their music wings outside of their home soil.

Today, Sundown Festival continues to play the role as the purveyor of all things Asian, turning the world’s spotlight to this part of the world and in its course hopes to unite culturally diversified Asia through music. The ultimate goal is to culminate all efforts to give rise to Sundown Festival World Tour of all 11 Asian countries, beginning at home, in Singapore.