Musika 2026 brings OPM nostalgia to Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — This Friday, June 19, the Grand Pacific Ballroom of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino will be nostalgia-filled as five OPM acts will perform at the Musika 2026 concert: Freestyle, Side A, Neocolours, MYMP, and 40 The Band.

It's five mini-concerts rolled into one, as audiences can enjoy these artists performing their classic hits and throwback favorites that are sure to bring back memories.

Here's a refresher on the artists taking the stage at the Musika concert:

Freestyle

Hailing from Davao City, pop/R&B band Freestyle is best known for hits such as "Before I Let You Go," "Once in a Lifetime," "So Slow," and "This Time."

Formed in 1996, Freestyle has gone through several lineup changes over the years. The band is currently led by Top Suzara, who was part of the group from 1997 to 2005 before returning in 2022 and taking over as frontman from his cousin and founder, Tat Suzara, who left in 2019.

Led by Top as guitarist and chief songwriter, Freestyle now consists of keyboardist IJ Garcia, bassist Ian Tan, guitarist Bouy Manalo, and drummer Gibson Viduya, who also provides vocals.

They released seven studio albums, six of which were under Viva Records. Their newer singles, "Surrender You" and "Walang Ibang Ikaw," were released independently.

Side A

Formed in 1985, Side A was founded by brothers Rodel and Naldy Gonzales, the latter of whom has remained with the band ever since.

The pop band is best known for the hit "Forevermore," composed by its former bassist Joey Benin. They released nine studio albums, as well as a re-recorded version of its 1989 debut album in 2020. The project was helmed by the band's original members: the Gonzales brothers, Benin, Kelly Badon, Mar Dizon, and Pido Lalimarmo.

The current lineup of Side A consists of Naldy on keyboards and co-lead vocals, lead vocalist Yubs Esperat, drummer Ernie Severino, lead guitarist Leevon Cailao, and bassist Ned Edguerra.

Neocolours

The members of Neocolours are perhaps best remembered for their individual endeavors now rather than their work as a group.

Keyboardist Jimmy Antiporda crafted the recognizable theme songs of primetime news programs: GMA's "24 Oras," ABS-CBN's "TV Patrol," and TV5's "Aksyon" (now used by "Frontline Pilipinas"). Meanwhile, vocalist Ito Rapadas helped produce an APO Hiking Society tribute album and Lani Misalucha's album "In Love with Bacharach" during his time as managing director of Universal Records.

Prior to these achievements, Neocolours became known for hits such as "Tuloy Pa Rin," "Maybe," and "Say You"ll Never Go" — staples of every classic OPM playlist.

The group consists of Antiporda, Rapadas, Marvin Querido, Niño Regalado, Paku Herrera, and Josel Jimenez.

MYMP

MYMP, which stands for Make Your Momma Proud, is best known for the acoustic songs that defined an era of OPM in the 2000s.

Founder Chin Alcantara has remained the band's leader since its formation in 2003. MYMP originally started as a rock band before shifting to pop when Nina became its lead vocalist. She remained with the group for nearly two years before being replaced by Juris Fernandez, who stayed for eight years.

Many fans best remember MYMP as the duo of Alcantara and Fernandez, whose partnership made the band a household name with their hit covers of "Tell Me Where It Hurts," "Especially for You," and "Crazy for You."

Today, MYMP is known as a trio led by Alcantara and sisters Juliet and Ethyl Bahala as lead vocalists.

40 The Band

Before Bisrock and Vispop helped define Cebu's musical identity for the rest of the country, 40 The Band represented the music scene here in the late 1980s with hits such as "What I Say" and "Rain," both of which enjoyed regular radio airplay in the early '90s.

The group originally served as the house band of a pizza restaurant along General Maxilom Avenue, where they were among the venue's main attractions alongside its food offerings.

While the band has been on and off due to personal responsibilities, 40 The Band continues to perform whenever its members are available. Their 2017 reunion gigs were especially significant, as frontman Troy Degamo returned to Cebu for a vacation after being based in Canada.

The band consists of Degamo, guitarist Arnold Ang, bassist Lyndon Banzon, drummer Roy Llanes, and keyboardist Pong Chiong. They also released a studio album in 2021 titled "The Persistence."

Tickets for Musika 2026 are available for purchase at the drive-thru booth outside Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino, open daily from 1 pm to 9 p.m., as well as through the concert's official Facebook page titled “Musika.”

The concert offers six ticket tiers: Silver (P2,000), Comfort (P3,000), Premium Economy (P3,500), Gold (P4,400), Front Middle (P6,200), and Elite Front Seat Stage (P7,200).