The diverse region of Southeast Asia is home to an assortment of cultures, ethnicities, and tongues, but over the weekend, its people were united by a common language — music.
Held on 10 and 11 September 2022, the third edition of the ASEAN Music Showcase Festival saw the transformation of Singapore's historic Haw Par Villa cultural park into a bustling hub where over 30 artists from across the region (as well as from selected international countries) gathered to showcase their talents and spread their music to an equally heterogenous crowd of music lovers.
Much like a food-tasting event, the first-ever in-person iteration of the festival was a means by which those in attendance could sample the unique music offerings of different Southeast Asian countries without actually having to travel to them.
Among those roaming around the park to get a taste of what each performing artist had to offer were music industry professionals such as festival founders, concert promoters, and representatives from distribution and label and artist companies. Staying true to its mission to make Southeast Asian music visible to the rest of the world, the ASEAN Music Showcase Festival also doubled as a meeting ground between musicians and these individuals.
BANDWAGON TV
A dazzling celebration of Southeast Asia, the ASEAN Music Showcase Festival 2022 was a strong testament to the importance of spotlighting artists from the region. In case you missed the festival or would like to relive it, here are four things that made this year's event so memorable.
UNUSUAL STAGES
Cambodian vocalist Sophia Kao
An 85-year-old theme park that houses statues and dioramas based on Chinese mythology, folklore, and history, Haw Par Villa may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of potential venues to host a music festival. Yet, the ingenious organisers of the ASEAN Music Showcase Festival managed to convert the famous tourist attraction into the home of this year's version of the event.
Indonesian singer-songwriter Pamungkas
To do so, they transformed three locations within the park into concert stages, each with a distinctive personality. Following its makeover, the Hua Song Carpark became a spacious outdoor venue (Stage 1) that hosted show-stopping performances by the likes of Pamungkas, kiyo, Basboi, and Sophia Kao. It was this stage that was the most similar to "traditional" performance stages that come to mind when festivals are concerned.
Myanmar's Oak Soe Khant (Credit: Henzy David)
Meanwhile, the Rise of Asia Museum (RoAM) Halls morphed into an air-conditioned, club-like space (Stage 3) where guests could have intimate encounters with acts such as Ace Banzuelo, Oak Soe Khant, and BGourd.
Singaporean rapper BGourd
Set against the backdrop of the Parents' Memorial, the Parents' Memorial Courtyard became an elevated and slightly isolated area where festival-goers jammed out to tunes from Alec Orachi, SOS, Fauxe, and more.
SOS from the Philippines
Singapore's Fauxe (Credit: Henzy David)
SPIRITED SHOWCASES
Cambodian rapper VannDa (Credit: Henzy David)
Southeast Asia is rich with talent and the ASEAN Music Showcase Festival was proof of this. Fueled by a strong desire to connect with their fans and spread their creations to new listeners, all invited performers came prepared to give nothing short of stunning displays.
Filipino singer-songwriter Ace Banzuelo, for instance, set Stage 3 on fire when he serenaded guests with songs from his repertoire and put on a breathtaking dance display while covering The Weeknd's 'Can't Feel My Face'.
Filipino singer-songwriter Ace Banzuelo (Credit: Henzy David)
On the second day of the festival, VannDa turned Stage 1 into a massive party zone during his high-octane set. A natural-born showman, the Cambodian rapper commanded the stage and drew a riotous response from the crowd as he treated them to a selection of infectious hip-hop tunes.
Zamio P and Thinlamphone from Laos perform at Stage 1 (Credit: Zamio P Facebook)
Over the two days, music transcended all barriers imaginable and was a magnet that pulled curious festival-goers towards artists, even those they were not familiar with. This was the case for artists like Zamio P and Thinlamphone. Performing with confidence and a high level of energy, the acts from Laos drew more and more festival-goers towards Stage 1 as their set progressed. It was not long before most in attendance were completely lost in the music and asking for more.
ELECTRIFYING ENERGY
(Credit: Henzy David)
Crowds are crucial parts of music festivals and the one at the ASEAN Music Showcase Festival was no different. The performers showed up with the intention of putting on unforgettable shows, and festival-goers reciprocated with the same level of enthusiasm.
There were two camps of people in the audience at each performance — those who were already familiar with the works of the artists they had turned up to see and those who were hungry for new music. While the former group helped to make the artist on stage feel comfortable by interacting with them and cheering them on, the latter group brought the location to life by bobbing their heads, swaying, dancing, and jumping.
The synergy between artists and festival-goers, who connected through music alone, was a sight to behold and perfectly captured the spirit of the two-day festival.
ARTIST SIGHTINGS
View this post on Instagram
One of the best parts about the first in-person edition of the ASEAN Music Showcase Festival was how easy it was to bump into artists.
When they were not on stage, a number of acts, including Fern., and VannDa, could be seen roaming around the park and stopping to meet fans and take photographs with them. Some were even spotted supporting other performers at the various stages.
View this post on Instagram
More than just a festival for musicians to showcase their music, the event was also a place where music lovers and artists could truly connect and strengthen their bond with each other.
Like what you read? Show our writer some love!
-