SCENE + HERD: Party in the mountains

MANILA, Philippines - Malasimbo Music & Arts Festival quietly crept in through the back door and announced its presence to an unwitting local music scene last year. Then, no one really knew what to make of it. While some suggested it was a local Coachella of sorts, the M Cafe-friendly soul and DJ-heavy lineup disproved that. And then there was the “& Arts” appended to its name. Aside from music, apparently art was also a main focus. How would that be addressed? More importantly, who would travel all the way to Puerto Galera to watch acts that aren’t exactly marquee names?

But in its second year, Malasimbo got bigger, better, faster, stronger. It came into its own. Last year was a modest success in that the fledging festival was able to draw a fair number of people to a festival they didn’t really know anything about. This year though, it’s become that rarest of creatures in a flailing local industry—a movement.

Double bill: Music and art were Malasimbo’s star attractions.

Making the festival run a day longer (it used to be a two-day fest), they brought in double the number of artists plus a strapping boat to get your party on. Amid the coconut trees and muddy hillsides of the region, Malasimbo rounded up local acts like Radioactive Sago Project, Sinosikat, Up Dharma Down, Pasta Groove, and Caliph8, as well as artists like Kawayan de Guia and Olivia D’Aboville, last Friday to Sunday, for a weekend of music, art, and hillside romps.

Glossary of Malasimbo puns

Malasimbrats: Spoiled Manila brats who “just can’t deal” with their star-less accommodations.

Malasimbeer: The Manila Beer (an event sponsor) served in Malasimbo.

Drums and dudes: Brigada rocked the house... Err, mountain.

Malasimbooze: For the Malasimbar’s other spiked concoctions.

Malasingbo: What happens when you drink too much Malasimbeer.

Malasimbros: Boys in Malasimbo getting their Jersey Shore on.

Malasimbabes: Hot chicks in Malasimbo, usually clad in crop tops and really short shorts.

Sound of summer: Hip-hop was alive and well in Puerto Galera

Malasimbecks: Non-hipster gay guys who go to Malasimbo to check out the Malasimbros.

Malasimbooking: What happens when the Malasimbecks get the Malasimbro drunk enough to Malasimbang.

Malasimbody: A tanned, toned version of the root word “body”; what you use to bring the boys to the yard

Malasimbored: The general mood of those who found the festival underwhelming.

Malasimbahan: Because “music is a religion,” cried one obviously inebriated festival-goer.

Malasimbang gabi: Honestly? I have no idea.