MANILA, Philippines — Apart from love, music can be considered a universal language that goes beyond linguistic and cultural differences. It has a certain magic that draws people together and brings them into a state of euphoria. The love for music bonded festival-goers of “District M: A Marina Central Festival” last Oct. 4 and 5, turning The Lion City’s city center into a lively weekend getaway.
The music zones were each located at four interconnected malls, making it easy to catch performances from one spot to another. As someone who set foot in Singapore for the first time, getting around the area felt like solving a puzzle. Luckily, there were a lot of signs that made the festival venue easy to navigate.
Catching live performances is a perfect way to destress from a hectic week. The Deck located at Marina Square was transformed into a chill music jamming stage, filled with neon lights against the Singapore central business skyline, Marina Bay Sands, and Esplanade Theatre on the Bay as a scenic backdrop.
Homegrown indie folk pop artist jupiterkid moved the audience with his set as he offered comfort through his music. Shortly after his time, rain started to pour delaying Harrison Storm’s gig by a couple of minutes. It did not stop the evening for the “District M” crowd, along with him, as we patiently waited until the drizzle stopped.
Once Harrison made his way to the stage and his soothing voice filled the area, festival-goers were immediately glued to their spots. As the Friday night deepened, a light shower reoccurred but it did not drive away the audience from enjoying the Australian singer-songwriter’s performance. If any, it only complemented the romantic atmosphere he created by singing his original music.
YouTube sensation and Korean-Australian twins Janice and Sonia Lee, also dubbed as Jayesslee, hold their comeback show in Singapore after a decade. The acoustic duo visited the Philippines in 2012.
“I think my last name is pretty exemplary of the weather tonight. I’ve literally brought the storm with me. This is my first-ever gig in Singapore. I’m very, very happy to be here,” he said, earning laughs from the crowd before delivering his heartfelt song titled Feeling You.
One common ground when writing articles and music is that it must come from the heart. “Hugot” as we call it in Filipino. This makes the piece more relatable and relevant. Harrison, who started as a busker in the streets of Melbourne and later found himself on the “District M” stage, offered a show straight from the heart. Apart from giving feels to the audience, he also reminded the importance of taking care of one’s mental health during the interlude. He bravely shared that his music is a memoir of his experiences — both good and bad.
Ffion, KHAi, and Benny rendered alluring and laid-back sets on the second day of music festivities at the same stage.
Roarin’ good times happened at the Sound Park situated at Millenia Walk with Solid Gold: Cypher Edition ft. DJs Idee, KoFlow, Sirkid, pSyk, Shane 2Sweet, Zai, Mc Jin, along with pioneering breaking crew Radikal Forze, dominating the open space.
Each DJ had their own style that made the audience, including passersby, dance the night away. As early as 7 p.m., the crowd was grooving to the beat with the help of the flash mob, making the experience more iconic.
Artists .WAV(Y) ft. DJs PRAV and XG brought “DISTRICT M’s” Sound Park to life with their sets on Saturday.
Australian singer-songwriter Harrison Storm, who started as a busker in the streets of Melbourne and later found himself in the DISTRICT M stage, offers a show straight from the heart.
It was definitely a feel-good Friday as Tokyo-based DJ Shingo Takahashi put a twist on songs such as Maroon 5’s Sunday Morning with his dynamic 45s-only style that fuses soul, funk, hip-hop, jazz and reggae. It was a funky Japanese song that had people on their feet. Although we could not understand the lyrics, the beat was enough to make us elated while capping off the night.
The bean bags at Fountain Stage made the music zone cozier, letting music lovers unwind to their hearts’ content. Out of all the music zones, this, located at South Beach, gave the most intimate experience to the people because it made us feel that the artists were within reach. The space allowed the artists and audience to be connected.
Other artists who graced the Fountain Stage were Alicia DC, Khally for Day One. Meanwhile, Miss Lou, NyaLi, and vanako hit the stage on Day Two.
Lastly, ANNE and YAO entertained Suntec Plaza with their soulful voices on the first day. The Music Piazza brought together a huge crowd on Saturday as YouTube sensation and Korean-Australian twins Janice and Sonia Lee dubbed Jayesslee held their comeback show in Singapore after a decade. The acoustic duo visited the Philippines in 2012.
Jayesslee treated fans to their old and new covers. But it was Officially Missing You that made the “District M” crowd excited. Fans savored the moment as if it was their first time hearing Jayesslee’s version of the song.
Apart from their soulful renditions of Payphone, Hotel California, among others, it was their sincere spiels that captivated the audience. They were honest in admitting that they had their own fair share of bad days that challenged them as sisters and artists. Jayesslee became candid in acknowledging their hiatus helped them grow and rediscover their purpose in the music scene.
Tokyo-based DJ Shingo Takahashi puts a twist on hit songs with his 45s-only style that fuses soul, funk, hip-hop, jazz and reggae.
“You know, we’re human. A big part of coming back and starting to do music again is just to accept that we’re human and (we) make mistakes. Of course, being a perfectionist is not easy to let go. But this is human, this is why we make mistakes. And this is real… Singapore is real. It is good to be back,” said Janice.
It was no easy feat to take a step back and then return to the industry. Jayesslee inspired their fans to never back down with their performance of You Gotta Be, which they also dedicated to their sons who were in the audience along with their other family members. The duo left the crowd wanting to hear their voices for a longer time.
Singapore’s rising stars WHYLUCAS and Regina Song also made their marks at the Music Piazza before Jayesslee’s set. They had a relatively younger crowd that enjoyed their performances.
WHYLUCAS enchanted the girls with his singles, Where It’d Go?, Lonely People, among others. He also teased fans with his performance of a track yet to be released.
Regina Song charmed festival-goers as she gifted them some of her popular tracks, the cutest pair, leftover feelings, and her version of NewJeans’ OMG.
It was the second time The Philippine STAR scored an invite to experience the “District M” festival. Apart from enjoying the performances, it was noteworthy that the crowd showed utmost discipline and respect for fellow festival-goers during the two-day music fest.
Despite having a big crowd during Jayesslee’s set, the crowd stayed in their positions and did not try to get closer to the stage. Many were recording themselves, but no one compromised the viewing experience of others. It was a different kind of crowd to be part of, but, honestly, a refreshing encounter. This is why “District M” is really one for the books.
“District M” became a haven for artists and enthusiasts to express their passion and love for music. It was pure bliss to be able to witness a music festival that allowed audiences to share an intimate moment with their idols without breaking the bank.
“District M: A Marina Central Festival” was made possible by 19SixtyFive in collaboration with Marina Square, Millenia Singapore, South Beach and Suntec City with Esplanade Theaters on the Bay Singapore as a community partner.
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