Cheers and thrills filled the Mubadala Arena, Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi, UEA after thousands of Filipinos and non-Filipinos filled the venue and experienced an epic weekend at the One Music X Abu Dhabi 2018 music festival held on Nov. 9.
On its second year, One Music X music festival once again left everyone with a weekend to remember as people get to enjoy variety of activities, capped with exceptional performances from world-class Filipino artists.
Now considered as a premier Filipino-produced music festival in the Middle East, One Music X was made possible by the brilliant minds from Star Music, MOR 101.9, Myx Philippines, One Music PH and The Filipino Channel (TFC).
Kicking-off the night of music was the high-energy performance from Maris Racal, who also made a debut on the One Music X stage.
She won the hearts of the crowd when she went all out in every performance, especially when she performed her original song “Ikaw Lang Sapat Na (You are Enough)” where she also showcased her talent in playing the guitar.
Gracing the One Music X stage the second time, Inigo Pascual has inspired everyone to pursue their dreams. Recalling the series of milestones in his career in 2017, he tells the crowd: “Go for your dreams, don’t ever stop. People will always tell you negative things, people will always tell you why you cannot do these or that, but if you put your heart in it, be passionate and believe in your dreams, everything is possible.”
He then performed his hit single “Dahil Sa’Yo”, which he dedicated to everyone who always believed and supported him.
Also performing for the first time on the One Music X stage was Moira dela Torre, who entered the stage with a big smile after seeing the warm welcome from the crowd.
As if sharing her personal story to everyone that night, she first performed “Tagu-Taguan” which is about someone leaving a person behind; followed by “Malaya” that is about letting go; and finally, “Tagpuan” which is about finally finding true love.
On her second time on the One Music X stage, KZ Tandingan made sure to interact with the crowd by doing a series of duet performances with some of them.
One of the crowd-members who did a duet with KZ was Adel Bagarinao, a nurse in Abu Dhabi who was so excited to watch her idol perform live but got more than she asked for. “The duet part is such a big bonus for me. Can’t explain the feeling! Sobrang saya at kilig!” said Adel on a Facebook message.
Meantime, it was one empowering set from Maja Salvador who did a special appearance that night. Channeling her character Ivy Aguas in her recent series Wildflower, she did a song and dance number performance of the songs “Power” by Little Mix, “Cheap Thrills” by Sia and her original song “Dahan-Dahan.”
As soon as the OPM band Aegis went onstage for the final set of performances, the cheers got louder, and excitement filled the air. They brought the house down by performing their hit singles like “Basang Basa sa Ulan” and “Halik”.
There was even a part of their performance where they just listened and watch in awe as the crowd sings their song in chorus, knowing every line by heart.
Meantime, some overseas Filipinos headed early to the venue to showcase their talent in singing, dancing, acting and shared their inspiring stories during the Star Hunt at One Music X Abu Dhabi 2018 auditions. If luck is on their side, we will get to see some of them be part of different ABS-CBN programs either on TV, radio and online.
With the high energy flowing the entire day at the One Music X Abu Dhabi 2018 music festival, no one was left starving or dehydrated. There were different food trucks at the venue that filled everyone’s tummy with great food and refreshing drinks that were shared among family and friends.
More than just being a music festival, One Music X Abu Dhabi 2018 was able to work its magic once again of bringing together people from different walks of life and cultures to celebrate their love for music, great entertainment, and value for family and friendships.