Top artists perform in 10-hour concert 'Fusion'

Fifteen artists will be featured in "Fusion 2025: Musika Natin "To," a decade of celebrating Filipino music at its finest.

- LEAH C. SALTERIO

Prepare for an electrifying night of OPM (Original Pilipino Music) as "Fusion: The Philippine Music Festival" brings together some of the biggest names in the industry on March 15 at the CCP Open Grounds.

"Looking back at the very first 'Fusion' concert in 2015, our goal was simple: to unite artists from different genres and showcase the strength of OPM," said "Fusion" event director Paul Basinillo, who previously worked at the helm of the concerts of Vice Ganda, Sarah Geronimo and JaDine (James Reid and Nadine Lustre).

"The very first "Fusion" in 2015, was the first time JaDine was featured in an open-air event," offered Jay Habitan, who is in charge of partnerships. "Boss Vic (del Rosario) urged us to include JaDine in the line-up.

"We didn't know JaDine yet at that time. The line-up was already full, but we accommodated JaDine. When they started performing, the crowd really watched.

They were very sweet as a couple at that time. 'On the Wings of Love' was aired after six months. That proved our advocacy to feature and support new artists." Today, 10 years later, "Fusion" is being taken to the next level-not just by gathering the best and biggest artists, but by redefining what it means to go to a concert.

"If we can create top-tier productions for international artists, why shouldn't we do the same - if not more - for our own?" said direk Paul. "We want to bring back the thrill of live music-to make concert-going a must-do experience again, especially for the younger generation." "Fusion 2025" is designed to be more than just a show. It's an all-day, immersive festival that goes beyond the main stage.