Back in the days when cassette tapes and CDs were in, I grew up listening on my Walkman and Discman to songs from OPM bands in the 90s until the year 2000, during my college days and the early days of my working life. The bands I listened to were Barbie's Cradle, Moonstar88, Mojofly, Session Road, and Imago.
Fast forward to the year 2025, I had the opportunity to watch and cover "Tanaw: The Repeat Concert," which was held on February 9, 2025, at the Newport Performing Arts Theatre.
The sold-out concert brought together six iconic female rock artists, including Acel Bisa, Aia de Leon, Hannah Romawac, Kitchie Nadal, Barbie Almalbis, and Lougee Basabas.
This is my first time watching a show at the Newport Performing Arts Theatre, and I would like to thank GNN Productions for inviting me and providing a media pass.
The four-hour concert started at 8 PM with a solo set for each artist and ended with a group performance as Tanaw Collective.
AIA DE LEON
The first artist to perform was Aia de Leon, the former vocalist of Imago. She started the show with a bang, performing classic hits including “Idlip,” “Tao Lang,” “Taralets,” “Sundo,” “Taning,” and “Akap.”
HANNAH ROMAWAC
It was followed by another amazing set, making the fans sing along when Hannah performed classic Session Road hits including “Sana Naman,” “Kailan,” “Suntok Sa Buwan,” “Leaving You,” and “Cool Off.”
ACEL BISA
With her angelic voice, Acel, the first vocalist of Moonstar88, performed songs from her previous band, including "Ang Pag-Ibig kong ito" and "Sulat."
Acel also performed a cover of Jewel's "You Were Meant for Me," her original song "Hello to Heaven," and lastly, the iconic song "Torete."
I was lucky to have watched Acel again, as she will be migrating to the Netherlands later this February with her family.
Just to share, I started watching Moonstar88 gigs back in 2002 or 2003 when I was in college, and I am happy that I watched Acel perform live again.
LOUGEE BASABAS with MOJOFLY and Princess Ybanez
Excited when Lougee showed up onstage, as I have been a fan since she became the vocalist of Mojofly. I also remember attending one of their gigs back in early 2006.
Together with Mojofly, Lougee performed their chart-topping songs, including “Minamalas,” “Tumatakbo,” “Mula Noon,” “Mamahalin Mo Ba Ako,” “Close to the End,” and “Mata.”
She also performed with her daughter while her son played the drums with Ali, which was also a highlight of the night.
KITCHIE NADAL
Returning from Spain is the iconic Kitchie Nadal, who is also the first vocalist of Mojofly. I can remember watching her once at a gig with Sponge Cola in the mid-2000s in Laguna.
I got goosebumps when she performed her original songs “Fire,” “Same Ground,” “Huwag na Huwag Mong Sasabihin,” and “Bulong.”
BARBIE ALMALBIS
The last set of the solo performance is from another music icon in the Philippines, Barbie Almalbis. She is also the frontwoman of the bands Hungry Young Poets and Barbie's Cradle, which gained popularity in the 1990s and 2000s.
Barbie performed "Tabing Ilog," "Ayoko ng Torpe," "Just a Smile," "Homeostasis," and a song from her new album, "Not That Girl."
She also showcased her guitar skills, performing Metallica’s “Master of Puppets.”
Lastly, everyone returned to the stage to perform as a group (Tanaw Collective). They performed Acel’s song “Buhangin,” a cover of “Zombie” by The Cranberries, “Talinghaga,” and their new single, “Landslide.”
Overall, it was a surreal and nostalgic experience, and I didn’t notice that the show ended at around 12:30 AM. I hope there will be a part three soon, as I will never tire of watching them perform.
I also received this as a memento, as I had some items signed by the members.
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Photos taken using Canon EOS R8 for Concerts in Town PH
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