Parokya ni Edgar, a multi-awarded band from the Philippines, took to the stage at Expo 2020 Dubai’s Jubilee Park on Friday evening (18 March) before a largely Filipino audience who were raring to see their favourite musicians dish out the songs they grew up with.
“Thank you so much for being here! We were not expecting this big a crowd – it’s been two years since we last performed in front of a crowd like this,” said lead vocalist Chito Miranda in his native tongue, following their opening song, to the delight of the screaming fans.
Expressing enthusiasm to finally be back on stage, Miranda added that he was “sincerely touched” to learn fans had started gathering at the site from early afternoon, excited to see the group, whose performance wasn’t scheduled to start until 2030.
Dressed casually in a black t-shirt and cap, Miranda and his band kept the focus firmly on their music, dipping into their large back catalogue, and starting off with ballads, before building into livelier pop songs and rock.
Asked before the show what has kept the band going through the years, Miranda said: “I think our love and respect for our individuality, respect even though we have our differences at times.”
The band, who are often referred to as ‘The National Band of the Philippines’, finished the night with the popular Halaga (Importance), a song about a girl who fails to see her own value.
Parokya ni Edgar translates to ‘Edgar’s Parish’ in English – despite the fact no one in the band is named Edgar. Aside from Miranda, current members are Darius Semaña on lead guitar; Gab Chee Kee on rhythm and vocals; and Dindin Moreno on the drums.
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