What better way to open a BINI concert in Cebu than exclaiming ‘What’s up, mananap!’
CEBU, Philippines – The BINIverse had arrived sa islang pantropiko (in a tropic island) – literally.
BINI brought their first solo concert BINIverse to Cebu, the island province famed for its beaches, on July 14, marking the first time for the P-pop phenomenon to perform in the Visayas.
While it was not entirely different from the first leg at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City, the Cebu stop was filled with youthful shenanigans that made it a special night for fans’ books.
Bring on the Bisaya
“Ako diay si Stacey, ambot sa imong tanan (My name is Stacey, I don’t know with you all),” BINI member Stacey exclaimed during the group’s introductory spiel, sending the entire Pacific Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino laughing and cheering out loud.
“What’s up mananap!” member Mikha greeted, but not without confirming with the audience what it meant. (“Mananap” literally means beast, but in this context it only serves as a playful rhyme.)
The members clearly prepared some Bisaya up their sleeves to delight their Bisaya fans, no doubt with the help of Bisaya members Colet and Aiah. “Malibak na gyud nato sila kay mag-Bisaya man ta (We can finally talk about the members behind their backs since we’ll use Bisaya),” Colet said in jest.
BINI even managed to incorporate Bisaya into their performance, too.
In Salamin, Salamin, after chanting the iconic “Ayokong maniwala, eyyy!” with the audience, member Sheena suddenly brought the performance to a pause and cried, “Dili mo mutuo? Ngano man, ngano man? (You won’t believe me? Why?)”
Bring on the budots, too
You may have encountered budots, the trippy music and dance that dominate Bisaya-speaking regions in the country.
So, it was no surprise that the Bisaya crowd would challenge their fellow Bisaya Colet to dance it onstage after her solo performance. At first they were met by the member’s insistent denial (“Dili lang sa…. Paghilom (Not now, shut up)”), but they were then supported by the concert DJ, who played the viral electronic dance music towards Colet’s eventual surrender.
The other members were much more game with it, on the contrary.
During a group segment, the audience once again chanted the challenge, leading to budots music blaring up the speakers once more and sending no less than Master Jhoanna to the floor.
Aiah’s homecoming
Every performance – whether group or solo – earned the joyful screams of CEBlooms, but the crowd was particularly loud for Aiah.
It was enough to send the Cebuana native teary-eyed after her solo performance.
“I’m very happy that I’m back here, because I’m filled with so much of your love and support,” she told the audience.
Aside from the heartwarming moment, Aiah also touched on her roots during one of the concert’s popular segments, where the BINI members would enumerate their childhood dreams. Most of the time, it would take a detour towards the group’s signature comedic chops, like this time with Aiah, who cited a situation that’s all too familiar to the audience.
“Noon pangarap kong makapunta ng Manila, pero noong nandoon na ‘ko, pauli ta oy, kapoya sig Tinagalog oy (It used to be my dream to go to Manila, but when I got there, I just wanted to go home. I just wanted to speak Bisaya again)!”
There were many other notable moments during the concert – the fans singing “Happy Birthday” to recent celebrant Stacey and the group performing their latest single Cherry on Top after its release – but they were altogether treasurable for the fans.
Such was the case for Ashing and Mykee, two friends who traveled all the way from Cagayan de Oro just to see the BINI girls live.
“They were the reason I was able to bounce back [from] the lowest point in my life,” said Ashing, a 25-year-old incoming medicine student. “Their songs are very uplifting – not just the sound but the lyrics, too. The messages they impart, I was able to use as true-to-life advice.”
“I heard ‘Na Na Nandito Lang’ during the lowest point of my life, too. So thank you, BINI,” shared 29-year-old government worker Mykee.
For Anthonet Desalet, who also traveled from Capiz, the talent and heart of the P-pop group serve as a great representation of the Philippines to the world.
“BINI is a victory for us Bisaya, and a victory for our country,” the 22-year-old said. – Rappler.com
All quotes were translated in English for brevity.