Katrina Velarde puts a fresh spin on male hits at 'SIKAT V.3'

It was one of those Manila afternoons when everything seemed to run on “bahala na,” with the city buzzing with the usual traffic and chaos.

- By LENDL FABELLA

On Oct. 11 at 3 p.m., I left the house to pick up my friend, Ishvi, who had just arrived with me from Japan. We were both excited to see Katrina Velarde’s anticipated “SIKAT V.3” concert.

Everything seemed to be on track—until I received a text from him at 3:24 p.m.: “Don’t forget our tickets!”

The tickets. I’d completely forgotten. In a frantic rush, I called home and arranged for someone to send them via a delivery service app, knowing we only had until 4:30 p.m. to validate them for our SVIP benefits. With traffic moving from Mandaluyong at its usual snail’s pace, I wasn’t sure if we’d make it, but somehow luck was on our side, so we arrived at the New Frontier Theater just in time.

Beginning the evening with a passionate performance of Basil Valdez’s Ngayon, Katrina captivated the audience with her ability to channel raw emotion into every note. She then sang Hajji Alejandro’s Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika, honoring the rich legacy of Filipino music.

The concert also featured a video Q&A session, allowing fans to interact directly with her.

When asked about the concept of her concert, she said, “Kung kaya ng lalaki, kaya rin ng mga babae,” stressing that women can also excel in music just as much as men. Thus, her repertoire is composed of songs originally sung by male artists.

Things took a playful turn when she launched into a medley of boy band hits, effortlessly transitioning from U2’s With or Without You to Backstreet Boys’ As Long As You Love Me, and Westlife’s