JERRY OLEA
Pangungunahan ng mga bandang Ben&Ben at December Avenue, at solo artists na sina Zack Zabudlo at Maki ang Fusion 10: The Philippine Music Festival sa Marso 15, 2025 sa CCP Open Grounds.
“Musika Natin ‘To!” ang tema ng ten-hour Fusion 2025 musicfest kung saan tampok din ang The Itchyworms, Alamat, KAIA, ALLMO$T, Barbie Almalbis, Jan Francis, at iba pa.
“Noong 2015 namin sinimulan ang Fusion musicfest,” pahayag ng founder ng Fusion na si Ms. Gladys Basinillo nitong Enero 30, Huwebes, sa Via Mare restaurant, Morato Avenue, Quezon City.
“And then we stopped siyempre because of the pandemic. Bumalik kami ng 2023. We were testing the market.
“Now, andami masyadong international act — which we’re saying okay — but sadly, wala masyado na music festival na local na yung set-up, pang-international.
“Yun yung ina-advocate namin because we’re from advertising industry.”
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PRIORITIZING OPM ARTISTS
Adhikain nilang iangat ang local performers.
“Local talaga pero bongga ang stage, bongga ang set-up, experience. Because right now, medyo buhay na buhay ang music,” pagmamatwid ni Ms. Gladys.
“So ngayon, andaming mga bago na nadi-discover. And we want, lalo na the young market, to really get to know and support OPM [Original Pilipino Music].
“So, yun ang ina-advocate namin. Na what we’re saying is — hindi kaya ng mga estudyante yung mataas na ticket price.
“So, since we’re advertising, we’re hoping for the corporate, you know, the advertisers, and we’re lucky.
“Nestle is sponsoring us. Fudgee Barr, local company Rebisco. Hapee, Nestea, Nescafé, Bear Brand Sterilized, Dazz. So, kailangan parehas, e.
“Kasi otherwise, sobrang mamahal ang tickets. Lalong hindi na pupunta sa music festival.
“Pag naman purely sponsored, hindi rin naman kaya ng advertisers. So that’s why we’re doing this para tulung-tulong tayo, and really support the music scene na OPM.”
Ang primary target audience ng Fusion musicfest ay college students at millennials, edad 16 hanggang 29. Target nilang bilang ng audience ay 10,000 hanggang 15,000.
“Cut across naman yung maa-attract nating concert-goers,” pakli ni Ms. Gladys.
Ang halaga ng tiket ay P3000 (gold), P2000 (silver), at P1000 (bronze). Available ang mga ito sa TicketMelon.
Kabilang sa perks ng gold ticket ang tote bag, LED wristband, sticker pack, bandana, loots, keychain, complimentary drinks, at artist photocards.
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GORGY RULA
Bakit Fusion ang taguri sa musicfest na ito?
Tugon ni Ms. Gladys Basinillo, “We know naman na very talented ang Filipino. Iba-ibang genre. May hip-hop tayo, may P-pop. May rock, so kumpleto siya.
“So, yun ang experience na we want by March 15.”
3:00 P.M. mag-o-open ang gate.
4:00 P.M. mag-uumpisa ang pre-show.
Bandang 7:00 PM ang main show, diretso hanggang 12:00 MN.
Pagkatapos niyon ay mga DJ naman.
Paano nila maa-assure ang security, lalo na kung umabot sa 15,000 ang dumalo sa Fusion 2025?
“Well, us kasi as a group, we’re really advocating music marketing. So, kami rin yung behind sa Tanduay First Five,” lahad ni Ms. Gladys.
“As in nagtu-tour kami ng Tanduay dati mula Luzon hanggang Mindanao. Number one sa amin ang security.
“So we talk to the LGU, we talk to Pasay. We follow the protocol ng security. One police is to every 100, OK, ganun.
“As in fencing lahat yan because we carry brands, e. We’re very careful on the security. Mahigpit talaga kami.”
Madalas na maraming mga bawal ipasok sa concert venue, halimbawa’y payong, tablets, laser pointers, pets, laptops, two-way radio, at flammable liquids. Bawal siyempre ang weapons at illegal sibstances.
“Yes, yung iba nga, pati mga belt, kundi’y papaiwan sa yo. Ina-announce namin ahead sa social media para hindi sila ma-hassle,” sambit ni Ms. Gladys.
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FUSION 2025 HEADLINERS
Nakatrabaho na ba niya before ang headliners ng Fusion 2025, partikular ang Ben&Ben, December Avenue, at si Zack Tabudlo?
Mabilis na sagot ni Ms. Gladys, “Yes, because nga our agency does a lot of music marketing… maliit lang din ang industry natin, e.
“And we wanna encourage the brands because after the pandemic, siyempre wait-and-see.
“We wanna encourage the brands to support music marketing. Kasi, the more na nagsu-support ang mga corporate, better din for us.
“Kasi ang Korea, kaya naman ganyan lumaki yan, dahil sa support ng government nila, e. ‘80s pa lang, e, di ba? Sa atin kasi, wala masyado.
“So I guess, advocacy-wise, medyo yun yung tina-try namin. That’s why these artists, nagsa-sign up with us. Alam mo yon, we have that credibility, and yung trust din nila with us.
“Kasi mahirap din silang makuha in one event, e. And they’re not really charging us, you know, their normal rate. Kasi mabigat ang production cost.”
Kumusta iyong pagkuha nila sa Ben&Ben, December Avenue, at kay Zack Tabudlo? Kumusta ang pakikipag-deal sa kani-kanilang management?
“Madali naman. Kasi lalo na kung Fusion, very supportive sila. Because we’ve worked with them in the past,” pagtatapat ni Ms. Gladys.
“They know we take care of them, alam mo yon. And then nagko-co-offer kami, kung ano ang mga suggestions nila, namin. Para yung experience, kakaiba.
“We look for ways na may mga special silang makikita na collaborations. Yung dun mo lang makikita sa Fusion.
“Yun ang inaayos ngayon nina Direk Paul Basinillo [event director] kung may possibility ng collab, production numbers, all of these.”
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NOEL FERRER
May ibang musicfest na dalawa o tatlo ang entablado na nag-o-overlap ang performances. Isang stage lang sa Fusion 2025.
“Dati nagawa na rin namin yung more than one stage, kaya lang ang experience namin, naaano, e,” saad ni Ms. Gladys.
“Yung experience, hindi nabi-build up. So dapat, pare-parehas kayo ng sinasabi. Pare-parehas kayo ng kinakanta.”
Ano ang purpose ng Fusion musicfest? Ano ang gusto nilang ma-prove?
“From the time we started in 2015, I think wala namang nabago, you know, sa ina-advocate namin,” sabi ni Ms. Gladys.
“But really, it’s really OPM. Marami kasing music festival. There’s Waterbomb, di ba? Lahat ng padating. And we welcome that.
“But the very fact that we named our event Fusion: The Philippine Music Festival, that’s really the dream.
“So starting 2023, nagtu-tour na rin kami sa probinsiya. Na dati wala, Metro Manila lang. So we’ve been to La Union, Iloilo, Cebu.
“This year we’ll go back to La Union, Cebu, and Iloilo also. Pero ano na rin siya, in a way, kumbaga, franchise.
“Because pag may nag-request na sponsor — kasi normally, the sponsors carry 70 percent of the cost, e. Hindi talaga kaya ng ticket sales.
“So, marami rin kaming tickets na binibigay sa mga partner namin na student organizations. So, talagang it’s really a celebration.
“But we have to make sure na available din kami to the others na walang access sa mga partners. Kaya may ticket selling tayo.”
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