[PHILIPPINES] From Kaibigan to Chingu: APRIL, NOIR and NCT Dream Grace the Stage of the 2019 KPOP Friendship Concert in Manila

It was a thrilling night for Filipino Hallyu fans as KPOP idol groupsAPRIL, NOIR and NCT Dream graced the stage of the 2019 KPOP Friendship Concert in Manila on March 7th at the Mall of Asia Arena. NCTzens, Lumieres, and Fineapples filled the venue, waving their lightsticks and chanting their idols’ names as they await the kick-off of the free concert that night.

2019 was declared the ‘Year of Mutual Exchange Between South Korea and the Philippines.’ In commemoration of the 70th year of the strong diplomatic ties between the two countries, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines organized this free event deemed as “a cultural celebration through music shared by the two nations.”

And it was a cultural celebration indeed. The concert began roughly around 6PM and was hosted by Philippine noontime show It’s Showtime’s host Ryan Bang and Key Elements Creative Media president and resident K-culture spazzer Kring Kim. Ryan, who is a Korean national, wore a Filipino traditional clothing worn by men called “barong” while Kring, a Filipino citizen, wore Korean traditional clothing called “hanbok.” The pair’s hilarious emceeing hyped up the crowd throughout the night.

EXO’s Imagine Your Korea commercial video officially opened the concert and was followed by the entrance of the night’s VIPs: Filipino and Korean officials from the concert’s organizing departments. A video showcasing the longstanding relations between the Philippines and South Korea was also played.

The first act to conquer the arena with their music was the well-knownOPM band Silent Sanctuary. The band tugged the audience’s heartstrings with the renditions of their hit songs ‘Bumalik Kana Sa’kin’ (Come Back To Me), ‘Pasensya Kana’ (I’m Sorry), and ‘Sayo’ (Yours). They swayed the crowd one last time by singing and allowing the audience to sing to their beloved love song ‘Ikaw Lamang’ (You Alone). Silent Sanctuary later tweeted how thrilling the feeling was to be “oppas” for a night.

The band’s performance was followed by speeches from His Excellency Ambassador Han Dong Man, First Vice Minister Kim Young Sam and Commissioner Victorino Manalo who alluded to the importance of the occasion. Commissioner Manalo called for all Hallyu fans in the venue to show support not just to the KPOP and OPM industries but also the other aspects of the friendship between the two countries.

Finally, it’s showtime! Shouts filled the arena asNOIR took to the stage for their performances. This nine-member boy group debuted just last year under LUK Factory and has since then gathered loving attentions both from locals and international ‘Lumieres’, their fandom name.

Known for their powerful and charismatic auras, members Seunghoon, Yeonkuk, Junyong, Yunsung, Siheon, Hoyeon, Siha, Minhyuk, and Daewon gave off angsty and rocker vibes as they sang and danced to their hit songs ‘Gangsta’ and ‘Airplane Mode.’

NOIR had previously been in the Philippines for their first fan meeting in Manila held at the Manila Hotel on December 21st last year. This was why during their small talk segment, they were greeted with loud cheers from fans who are happy to be breathing the same air as them.

As their final treat to the crowd, NOIR danced their rendition of BTS’ ‘Boy In Luv’, NOIR style.

Beauty, power, and grace: girl group APRIL showed the crowd how it’s done as they opened their stage with their hit song‘Oh! My Mistake’. The venue was filled with a burst of pink and a lot of hearts as the fans cheered them on.

APRIL debuted in 2015 under DSP Media with their debut mini album ‘Dreaming’ and its title track ‘Dream Candy. Members Chaekyung, Chaewon, Naeun, Yena, Rachel, and Jinsol greeted their Filipino Fineapples with “Mabuhay! Kamusta ka?” (Hello! How are you?) during their small talk segment in between performances.

The girls expressed their desire to experience Filipino culture and said they wanted to try out Filipino street foods. Finally, APRIL performed classy stages of their hit songs ‘Tinkerbell’ and ‘April Story’ before bidding their fans goodbye. They left the stage shouting “Salamat po! Mahal kita!” (Thank you! I love you!).

They always save the best for last.NCTzens, as well as the whole venue, hyped themselves up as MOA Arena awaited the performances of NCT Dream. Huang Renjun, Lee Jeno, Na Jaemin, Zhong Chenle, and Park Jisung kicked off the night’s highlight performance singing and dancing to their debut song ‘Chewing Gum.’ This was followed by a powerful performance of their angsty and more mature hit song ‘Go.’

In their first talk segment, the Dreamies greeted the audience with their famous group greeting “To the world! This is NCT.” Renjun took note of the good weather in the Philippines while Jisung and Chenle talked about how honored they were to be part of the cultural celebration. NCT Dream then performed their dreamy song ‘My First and Last’.

Before their last performance, the boys took time to talk one last time with their fans who were cheering on them throughout the night. At one point, Jaemin suddenly shouted “I love you too!” because of the immense love and support being shown by the crowd. Jeno then announced they will definitely come back to the Philippines to meet their Filipino NCTzens again.

To close the concert, NCT Dream raised up the bar even higher as they gave their all performing to their latest comeback song ‘We Go Up.’

This year’s celebration of mutual ties between South Korea and the Philippines had been a real treat for all chingus and kaibigans at MOA Arena that night. The 2019 KPOP Friendship Concert in Manila had been a night of cheers, bonding and laughter, all in the name of music and the Filipino and K-cultures. Here’s to more years in this friendship!

We would like to thank PULP LIVE WORLD for the media invite. Click HERE for more photos.

Written by: Amira
Photos by: Claud

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