HEDONE dedicates prelims win to their late founder
CEBU, Philippines — It took 10 years for Cebuano K-pop dance cover group HEDONE to finally be declared champions at a preliminary round of the Changwon K-pop World Festival.
At the Cebu preliminaries held June 27 at Ayala Malls Central Bloc, the eight-member group from Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova wowed the judges and crowd at the mall's Activity Center with an explosive performance of ATEEZ's "Bouncy," wearing reversible white-and-red vests over black graphic shirts emblazoned with the song's title.
A regular at the Changwon Cebu preliminaries, HEDONE bested 32 acts in this year's competition, including 27 dance groups and five singing acts.
The group is composed of Ariela Rose Menguito, Delina Cabunag, Princess Racal, Natasha Natividad, Faith Cabajar, Sisley Malinao, Shaine Tumulak, and Meaka Maquilang.
Explaining why they chose the ATEEZ song, Cabunag told media backstage: "We usually do girl group covers, but we wanted to do a boy group dance this time because we wanted to explore something new."
This was the fourth time HEDONE had publicly performed the song, with each performance serving as preparation for their eventual winning moment. Cabunag said she was grateful to her fellow members for making time to rehearse despite their busy schedules outside the group.
More than anything, the group considers the triumph a tribute to their late manager, Adien Dungog. Cabunag said, "This is our offering to our late founder who died two years ago. He always dreamed of us being champions of Changwon for once, and we are so thankful for him."
The group echoed the same sentiment in a Facebook post celebrating their victory, writing, "[He] is now watching over us from heaven. This is also for you, Appa. Your goal and dream for HEDONE."
Joining HEDONE in the top three were first runner-up THE GLITZ, also from Lapu-Lapu City, and second runner-up ALPHA from Manila.
THE GLITZ and ALPHA emerged as top contenders with their respective performances of KATSEYE's "Debut" and NMIXX's "O.O.," capturing the spirit of the original songs and choreography while adding their own distinct flair as cover groups.
Organizers told The FREEMAN that ALPHA flew to Cebu to compete because they wanted to participate in a Changwon preliminary, as none is being held in Manila this year.
In a Facebook post the day after the competition, ALPHA said competing outside its home city, where the group has become a familiar winner in K-pop dance cover competitions, was especially fulfilling because it allowed its members to connect with local K-pop communities beyond the capital.
"One great thing we like about competing outside our city is meeting other talented performers and learning about their local K-pop community. We are very happy to have met a lot of new friends in Cebu, and thank you very much for the warm welcome," they said.
Aside from receiving cash prizes of up to P20,000, the top three will be considered for representation of the Philippines at the global finals of the K-pop World Festival in Changwon, South Korea, this October.
The organizers of the Cebu preliminary are hopeful that at least one of the three groups will be selected to represent the country, citing this year's strong lineup.
When asked why HEDONE deserves to represent the Philippines in South Korea this October, Cabunag said, "We know that we are committed, hardworking, and we put effort into our performances. That's why we deserve to represent the Philippines in South Korea at the K-pop World Festival."
The Cebu preliminaries of this year’s Changwon K-Pop World Festival were presented by the Consulate of the Republic of Korea and Y101 FM's HALLYU IL. — (FREEMAN)
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