Recap of Valentine’s concerts in Cebu by Nina, Ogie, Odette & Belle
A concert that felt like an intimate bar gig. A trip down memory lane through music. And a fun-meet of a Kapamilya actress with her fans. This is how I would describe the three concerts in Cebu City that I had the privilege of attending in February.
The first concert, taking place February 9, was “Only Nina in Cebu” with Diamond Soul Siren Nina who brought her sold-out SM Aura concert last November to Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, which also happened to fall on Chinese New Year.
Taking place the day before Valentine’s was “Love, Q&A” headlined by Ogie Alcasid and Odette Quesada at the NUSTAR Convention Center – the first stop before their Newport Performing Arts Theater concerts on February 14 and 15 in Manila.
On February 17 was Belle Mariano’s fan meet dubbed “Be My
Belle”, organized by Dunkin’ Donuts, also at Waterfront Lahug.
The other half of the popular DonBelle loveteam performed for her fans, played games, and shared snippets of her life as an artist and behind the cameras.
I am not usually a Valentine’s kind of person, but the fact that these concerts take place within the month of love surely reminds me of how special the season is for those who attend, regardless of relationship status.
Only Nina in Cebu
There was something beautiful with how Nina was able to turn the entire ballroom into an intimate bar gig. For some, her powerful and stable vocals are enough to move them. For others, it’s the familiar hits she performed such as her rendition of “Love Moves in Mysterious Ways” where she asked the crowd to turn on their mobile phone lights and wave. But it was her interaction with the crowd that made it a very intimate experience that even if you are seated all the way back, you feel like she is still talking to you.
This was evident in the middle of the concert where she accommodated a few song requests. She also brought out the concert’s director and then-birthday boy John Prats, for an impromptu TikTok dance number at her request, much to the amusement of the audience.
It’s these improvised moments that show Nina’s strength as an entertainer: she knows how to please a crowd. If you get the chance to be in BGC, be sure to drop by District One, a bar where Nina would be seen performing every month which is usually sold out according to the organizers.
Love, Q&A
There are several meanings behind the title of Ogie Alcasid and Odette Quesada’s concert “Love, Q&A”. Obviously, it was Valentine’s season and it was a play on their surnames. But the concert was also a question and answer session as the setlist was mostly composed of songs that are “responses” to the pre-recorded questions left by their special guests.
Some of the guests include Alcasid’s wife Regine Velasquez who asked the performers about their “ultimate favorite love song”, and Robi Domingo who asked Quesada about the song from Regine she would like to perform.
But the biggest highlight of the concert was during encore where several in the crowd suddenly went in front of the stage to take photos with the singers while they performed songs not part of the setlist.
Even if the songs in this concert may be more familiar to an older crowd, it was nonetheless an enjoyable experience as they shared how much they love making music and reflected on their legacies in the OPM scene.
Of course, a concert featuring Alcasid wouldn’t be complete without him being playful, such as jokingly answering that the event would answer why Bea Alonzo and Dominic Roque called off their engagement, as well as exchanging banters with Quesada whom he idolizes.
Be My Belle
One thing about fan meets is that these are not exactly a full-on concert. These events also contain games and activities that fans and the artist can participate in together.
When five lucky fans of Belle were randomly selected to participate in a game of charades at the “Be My Belle” fanmeet, the singer-actress was more than happy to interact with them.
Fanmeets are also a way for followers to get to know more about their favorite celebrities. Belle was able to answer questions such as how she balances her career and her personal life.
“Honestly, juggling them all together is hard. We can’t deny that. It’s important to be with the right people who are our source of strength,” Belle responded. While she didn’t drop names on who exactly her “source of strength” is, excited fans assumed that her onscreen tandem Donny Pangilinan is one of them.
The “Can’t Buy Me Love” star also shared how much she wanted to explore Cebu, having visited the city for a Sinulog mall show just this January.
“I heard the beaches are so nice and I mentioned that I had never been to Basilica [Minore del Santo Niño],” she said to the question about which city she would like to visit in the Philippines. There was a resounding yes from her excited fans when the emcee asked if they were willing to give Belle a tour.
As expected, Belle sang a few of her hits such as “Bugambilya.” In her ‘Barbie vibe’ ensembles, she also gave an energetic performance of Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night Away.”
If the response from her DonBelle fans in Cebu is an indicator, it’s clear her followers would want to see Belle perform in a full concert.