The Age of Aquarius - The 4th Baguio Music Festival

For the fourth straight year, the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, in cooperation with the Office of the Hon. Richard Cariño, Councilor, Baguio City, and this year's major sponsors InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Cordillera Today will be presenting“Open Spaces – The 4th Baguio Music Festival.” First staged during the month-long Panagbenga celebration in 2011, this musical collaboration between home-grown and visiting artists advocates the protection, preservation and enhancement of Baguio’s remaining open spaces.

The theme for this year is “The Age of Aquarius,” and will highlight the music of the revolutionary era that is the 60’s. The festival will be launched with a gathering of the participating artists and a performance by Sonny Zandueta and his band on February 24, 2014 at 4:00pm at Ili Likha, Kidlat Tahimik’s newest art space at 32 Assumption Road.

The following day, February 25 at 4:00pm, the festival moves to the Igorot Garden with an open-air concert featuring guest prog rock band Fuseboxx and a collaborative effort of local musicians performing covers of classic rock pieces by The Beatles, The Doors, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, as well as excerpts from the musicales Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair. Among the featured musicians in this performance hosted by veteran radio jock Señor Blues and led by festival musical director Ethan Andrew Ventura are Bubut Olarte, Sumitra Gutierrez, Ric Maniquis, Chris Donaal, Bakulaw, Bong Dailo, Ian Paolo Acosta, Luis Asejo, Jeff Coronado, Lloyd Celzo, Jerky Afaga, Josef Ventura, Eunice Caburao, Ryle Danganan, Emerald Ventura and Gemma Gonzalez.

The festival closes with an encore of highlights of the performances at the Main Stage of Session Road in Bloom on February 26, 6:00-9:00pm. The final night closes with a performance by The Baguio Boys.

As in all the previous staging of this event, all performances are free and open to the public.  

Also sponsored by the University of Baguio, the Rural Bank of Itogon and Alabanza Meat Store, this year’s Baguio Music Festival, according to Executive Director Karlo Marko Altomonte, forwards the need for a major paradigm shift towards a more environment and human-friendly city as Baguio progresses on in the 21st century. 

Festival organizers, Open Space, a Baguio-based artist collective, pose with members of the prog rock band, Fuseboxx and festival chair, The Hon. Richard Carino (top row, 2nd from left), Councilor-Baguio City.