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traveler, and Malasimbo Music Festival
is one of them. It has breathed new life
into the island and given me a reason
to come back every year.
Malasimbo takes place before
summer officially makes its grand
entrance, and long after the rain and
typhoons have gone. In the festival
grounds, the wind howls and soothes,
but does not get chilly. The concert
lights explode and play with the
shadows, or shower the coconut trees
with pink and purple hues. Along the
way, you can see artworks ranging
from the bizarre to the sublime. There
are giant caterpillar-like pieces crawling
along the grass; a sculpture of a
pregnant woman arising from the earth;
and a tribal
dap-ay
(
a circular place of
gathering) transported from Sagada
that gives you magnificent views of the
concert area. Arriving in Malasimbo
in the middle of the night shocks the
senses and unleashes creativity. I feel
like a child who wants to roll over the
groves and play hide-and-seek.
There’s plenty of music to be
enjoyed: from indie bands like
Flippin’ Soul Stompers, who kicked
and swayed their own brand of soul
and Motown in the boondocks, to
up-and-coming artists like Quest
who serenaded the night with his
heart-wrenching urban ballads. And
then there was Joss Stone, with her
sultry voice and seductive moves that
could make any man’s heart melt in
an instant. But I could not forget the
G R O O V E N A T I O N
legendary Jimmy Cliff, who for one
night brought wave after wave of peace
and love to a place already brimming
with good vibes. I could not ask for a
better place to hear him sing.
Malasimbo is magical because it is
raw and fresh. Since it started only in
2011,
there is still room to experiment.
It’s not bound by any set of rules
imposed by long-held traditions, so
disparate genres easily blend together
—
hip hop paired with soulful ballads,
ska and reggae with world music — in
the future, maybe it will be electronica
paired with alternative rock.
Likewise, there are no boundaries
separating the music and art lovers
from the crowd. No snobbish bouncers,
no VIP section. You can sit anywhere,
or lie down if you feel like it. Get lost
in the coconut groves or sway with the
groove. Eat if you are hungry, drink and
get more drinks. Play like lovers among
the sculptures, steal a kiss, or sleep if
the music lulls you. Everyone is there
to enjoy the music and be free like the
wind. Even when almost 3,000 people
showed up on one occasion, the place
did not feel cramped or restricted.
If there is one thing that Malasimbo
has shown, it is that music festivals
don’t always have to be crowded with
long lines, in a dusty open space in the
middle of the city. It works just as well
—
if not better — up in the mountains,
on an island famed for its white-sand
beaches.
Cebu Pacific flies to Manila from across
the network.
Clockwise from
top left: The
Grace Nono-Bob
Aves Group and
Quest, featuring
Abby Asistio
and Julianne,
entertain the crowd
at Malasimbo;
revellers take a
nap at the festival
grounds, and throng
the stage-front area
