Ben&Ben promised that their Kuwaderno online concert would be unlike anything they have ever done before.
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Ever since they rose to fame, Ben&Ben has consistently broken records, topped charts, and helped bring OPM to a new generation. But even with all the barriers the nine-member band has broken throughout the years, their upcoming headline online concert, Kuwaderno, may just be their most ambitious project yet. Not just a simple online performance, Ben&Ben promises that their online concert will be something that you won’t forget. We recently caught up with the band to talk about what viewers can expect from the biggest headline show of their career.
IT WILL BE A VISUAL EXPERIENCE
In Kuwaderno, Ben&Ben is aiming to give something truly unforgettable. While the band is known to be great performers, never have they in their entire careers done something quite like Kuwaderno. They feel that telling the story of Pebble House won’t be complete if it’s just going to be them on stage singing the songs. The group is planning to make the whole show a unique visual experience. Not only are you going to hear them sing the songs, but you will see those songs come to life through different art forms. They meticulously went through the set and production design of the concert, making sure to take advantage of the medium of the online concert by showing the audience what they want to see. A fusion of different art forms will be present on stage to tell this story, from dance, theater, ballet, and more.
“Movement and dance and the entire visual narrative of it all woven into our music brought our songs to life,” said the band. “The talented dancers we’ve worked with, headed by choreographer Gio Gahol, are from different dance groups as well. It is amazing to see how they seem to get along and dance so passionately with each other easily.” The whole production team isn’t sparing any expense to make the show as grand as it is. They are pushing the envelope and using every space they can of the Araneta Coliseum to tell the best story they can. Of course, the awe-inspiring creativity and ambition that Kuwaderno hopes to achieve, wouldn’t be possible without the help of talented collaborators. The concert is directed by Paolo Valenciano and co-directed by Maribel Legarda of the Philippine Theater Association (PETA).
OUT OF BEN&BEN’S COMFORT ZONE
Ben&Ben aren’t strangers to performing on stage, both locally and internationally. But for Kuwaderno: A Ben&Ben Online Concert, the group is planning to showcase things they haven’t done before. They expressed how the concert will push them out of their comfort zone. Specifically, they mentioned that dancing and movement will be a key part of the show and in line with this, they have been taking workshops with PETA to help them get out of their shells.
One thing new they promised to do on stage was to hold a live and spontaneous jamming session, a kind that the nine of them would have at home randomly. And it’s not just the new songs from their new album that you can expect to hear. They also will be giving new and fresh takes on their old songs, ones that fans haven’t heard before. Their concert will show a whole new side of Ben&Ben you haven’t seen before.
AN EMBODIMENT OF THE ALBUM
The inspiration for Kuwaderno is their latest album, Pebble House. As such, Ben&Ben envisioned the concert to be like a representation of the album and wanted to capture the message of the album through the concert. Every song from Pebble House will be performed in the concert, most of them for the first time. Each stage has its own purpose, its own symbolism, and visual elements. Even the lighting has its own significance. “We want our listeners to know that each piece of the puzzle was thoughtfully included, and we’re excited to see them piece everything together when they watch the full show.” The band hopes to bring Pebble House to life through this audio-visual experience.
MAKE IT FEEL SPECIAL FOR THE FANS
When thinking of the concept for their online concert, Ben&Ben wanted their fans, Liwanag, to feel like they are part of the event as well. This is why they chose the Araneta Coliseum as the venue, because Ben&Ben wanted to give something special to the fans. In line with this, each song they sing has a story to tell and in fact, the whole concert has a storyline. Ben&Ben expressed that this concert is not just about them, it’s about their fans, too. True to its name, they want Kuwaderno to feel like a journal, so viewers can get their own takeaways.
Liwanag isn’t just going to get another online show, they’ll be getting a show where they will feel like they are right there at the venue, even if they can’t be there physically. Given how we are still in a pandemic, Ben&Ben also hopes that Kuwaderno will also help cheer up those who are having a hard time. “Having the opportunity to do so during the pandemic, we also felt such a huge responsibility to be able to inspire more people with stories of humanity and hope. We’ve received a lot of messages from Liwanag telling us how the band has helped them get through the tough times. Hopefully, through this concert, we’ll be able to use our platform in making them feel that they’re not alone in this fight.”
EXPECT MANY COLLABS
Given how there are over six collaborations on Pebble House alone, expect to see quite a few guest stars appear in the show. Ben&Ben said that they already had rehearsals with the special guests appearing in the show and expressed how it felt like doing a class project. While they didn’t say who exactly they will be performing with, it’s not hard to imagine seeing KZ Tandingan or SB19 rock out with the group. And with the whole visual element of the show, it will be interesting to see who they will be incorporated into that.
ALL-OUT EFFORT
If it hasn’t been made clear yet, this is Ben&Ben’s most ambitious and hardest project they have worked on to date. The nine-piece collective is pushing the boundaries of music shows in the new normal setting by integrating disciplines such as drama, dance, orchestra, and technology with a live performance.
As such, they, and everyone on their team, are going all out to make sure that it’s the best that it can be. “We can’t deny the fact that it’s the biggest project we’ve undertaken so far, and I think you just somehow know that it’s a leap of faith when the streams of guidance and providence lead you to the right people who believe in the same vision you have: To bring the music and the messages they carry to life,” they said. They have been preparing for months and admit that the whole process can get tiring. But at the end of the day, Ben&Ben wants to make sure that fans enjoy the concert and just have fun.
Kuwaderno: A Ben&Ben Online Concert will be staged at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. It will be on December 5, 2021, from 8 PM to 11 PM live-streamed via KTX.ph. You can get your tickets now via KTX and act fast before tickets are sold out.
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