A day after Valentine's, alt-pop singer-songwriter Migz Haleco and OPM band Agsunta serenaded us with songs from their latest albums during their back-to-back concert entitled "Valentimes 2 with Migz Haleco and Agsunta" at Teatrino in San Juan, Greenhills. Migz opened the show with "Tanga sa Pag-ibig" and by the time he emerged on to the stage, Teatrino was fit to burst. The girls in the audience wooed over his distinct husky voice and matching unbuttoned long-sleeves. Migz prepared spiels after each song that definitely hit all our emotions. He talked about the cycle of love through his songs, from being strangers, to best of friends, to falling in love, to experiencing hardships, to breaking up and back to being strangers again. Aside from the hugots, he also demonstrated his versatile vocals by singing his version of "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol and "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran. Immediately after, he introduced his co-Jambayan member Inigo Pascual and jammed to Niall Horan's song "Slow Hands."



Subsequent to Inigo's solo performance of "Despacito", Migz once again came out of the stage in his red coat and strong appeal. Watching him perform took me back to the days he was just doing covers on Soundcloud and making videos on Youtube. Fast forward to 2018, who would have thought that he will come this far in the music industry? I've watched him perform in some of his regular gigs, and I can say that he has been consistent in exceeding everyone's expectation from his quality songs, to guitar riffs and to his overall performance. He knows how to connect with the audience and that's something not all artist can achieve. Dubbed as John Mayer of the Philippines, most of Migz Haleco's songs in the album allowed his emphatic guitar work to the center stage. I've always been impressed by his dexterity and how his strumming fingers can move independently to create the harmonics and keep the rhythm. It was shown when he performed two of his original compositions "Pare Tama Na" and "Pag Ika'y Nagmahal" to cap off the night. That part was an awe-striking moment indeed that I almost got teary-eyed. As someone with a humble personality and astounding talent, it is without a doubt Migz Haleco's career will skyrocket in no time. His album THIS is now available on all digital stores worldwide: iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon.

You can follow Migz Haleco on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to know more about his gig schedules, new updates and more!

The first time I heard about Agsunta was when they performed "Kundiman" by Silent Sanctuary on Wish FM. From there, I knew they were going to make a name in the industry and true enough, they did. With their self-titled debut album "AGSUNTA", they just proved that they are not just another cover band. The group, composed of Jireh Singson, Stephen Arevalo, Mikel Arevalo and Josh Planas showcased their original works during their concert at Teatrino. After Migz Haleco's performance it was Agsunta's turn to take on the stage.




What I admire most about this band is that they have the ability to capture people's heart immediately. Like Migz, they know how to engage and connect well with the audience through their music. Aside from Agsunta's original compositions, they also performed their own rendition of "Ikaw Lang Ang Aking Mahal" by VST and co. and "Hayaan Mo Sila" by Ex-Batallion. The highlight of the night, for me, was when they introduced one of their special guests Zhalia and performed my all-time favorite OPM song "Dati" by Sam Concepcion, Tippy Dos Santos and Quest. After Zhalia and Agsunta's heart-stopping performance, Jireh Singson the band's front man along with Ylona Garcia sang a duet of "Migraine" by Moonstar88.


After their astounding performance and inspiring spiels in between, the band finally concluded the night with their latest single "Di Ba Halata." In hindsight, Agsunta's love and appreciation for OPM (Original Pinoy Music) really brought out their patriotic spirit and it really stood out. Each member of the band balance each other and their energy throughout the show was consistently high from start to finish. On top of that, their original compositions were well-crafted and built on good fundamentals for their Filipino listeners. I'm looking forward to see what's coming next for this OPM band! Agsunta's self-titled debut album is out now on all digital stores: iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon. Check it out!

Get to know more about Agsunta by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

New year, new me? Nah... just a better me. 2017 was one rocky year, as a matter of fact, I am actually struggling to put into words to describe the year. For one, it started off in a really bad note and ever since, it just caused a domino effect. One bad thing led to another and it continued on going for most parts of the year. But I've got to say, no matter how terrible my year went in general I still had my share of good days. I became a Flight Attendant, got to travel to Bali and Hong kong with my family, bonded more with my friends and special someone, and a lot more (surprisingly!) which I won't elaborate much. Anyway, despite the bad things that happened this year I'm happy to say some good came out of it and those are the lessons I gained.

1. Health is wealth. Literally!!! If there's anything this year taught me, it is to never neglect my health and sadly, I only realized it when it was already too late. I underwent a medium surgery last September, and not only was it an agitating experience for me but also to my parents who spent a great deal of money just to had something toxic removed from my body. So, save yourself (and your family) the hassle and drink plenty of water everyday. Staying hydrated is always important.

2. Not everything is sunshine and daisies. 2017 was like a big dice game for me. One day I'm elated, the next day I'm frustrated. The whirlwind of sleep deprivation, mood swings and breakdowns I had to endure last year made me realize that "not everything is sunshine and daisies". But that doesn't mean we can't make the best out of every situation.

3. Negative mind, will never give you a positive life. There were days that I was very pessimistic about life. I can tell you that honestly. The result? Worries, fears and a lot of overthinking. This 2018, I will definitely leave all the negativity behind and start anew.

4. Never give up on your dreams. Clichè I know, but it's true - DREAMS DO COME TRUE. 2017 was the year I achieved one of my biggest dream in life and that is to become a Flight Attendant. I didn't get it with one snap of a finger though; there were compromises, hard work and sacrifices done along the way but that's what makes it fulfilling.

5. Always be punctual, presentable and professional. It’s time we stop celebrating and accepting "Filipino Time" as part of our culture. Ever since I started working in an airline industry, I learned to give importance to other people's time and improve my time management skills. Things have changed a great deal, ever since. I've accomplished more with less effort and time and it enabled me to do the right things at the right time.

6. Music is the best stress-reliever. Listening to music can help relieve stress in many ways and can be even more effective than tablets. It has a tremendous relaxing effect and I'm sure a lot of you will agree. This year, I've gotten to one of the lowest points in my life but with the help of music (and a little push from my family and friends) I was able to surpass it. I will probably be sharing more of that in my next post...

7. Appreciate everything and everyone around you. Despite the setbacks I experienced in the past year, I still feel blessed and lucky to be surrounded by people who continuously support and love me. Whenever I'm going through some tough times, they always remind me that no matter what, things will eventually get better. With that being said, I learned to be more grateful to the people around me and to not take things for granted because not everyone is as privileged enough.

Drinking water religiously has always been an issue for me. Since I was younger, I'm not the type to drink 8-10 glasses of water everyday, my parents would often remind me to always hydrate myself and they would even explain how our body is made up of 75% water. I never listened. At first I find it "cool" that I can last a day without any fluid intake, I would even brag it to my friends. However, just recently I realized the danger of not drinking enough water when I underwent major operation. The anxiety before and after surgery, add up to the painstaking recovery process is something that could have been avoided if I only listened to my parents and drank water regularly.

Bullying/Cyberbullying is very prevalent and dangerous these days. I know, because I have been a victim of it many times. This is a serious problem that shouldn't be taken lightly - it has caused anxiety, depression and even deaths to people, especially teenagers over the years.

Back in 2009 when I was a new student in high school, I have been bullied by some of my batch mates. It was honestly one of my toughest times. These bullies have literally pushed me around to the point where I almost fell off the stairs. I can still remember when we lost our house from fire that same year, one student randomly came up to me and said, "Buti nga nangyari sayo yun". Could you imagine her audacity to say that to my face when I was still grieving? I was so furious that I wanted to slap her, but since I was a new student then I didn't want to make an action that would cause me a bad record and disappoint my parents. But the fact that the idea of physically hurting somebody came into my mind, only means that I already had enough. That time, I couldn't do anything but to run to the nearest comfort room and cry. These are things that I only see happen in movies and never did I imagine it'd happen to me.

For months, I felt like I was their bait, until one day I decided to stand up for myself. I opened it up to my parents who was very supportive throughout the ordeal, they wrote to school authorities and informed them that they were ready to take matters to the court if these bullies don't stop. They were serious about it.

To you, rooftops might not mean too much. To me, it’s a little slice of heaven on earth.
This is the place where I usually go to when I want get away from the expectations, the conversations, the noise, the (social) media, and the pressure. A place where I get to unwind, meditate and conceive new ideas for the blog or even songs. Whenever I'm up there it's as if nothing else exists and my mind is freed to simply take the moment in. There is nothing wrong with moving away from anything that distracts you from contemplating on life once in a while. It can be through reading a book, going for a long walk, taking a dip in the pool or eating a hearty meal. Trust me, carving out a little solitude can make a world of difference.

So, what does your slice of heaven look like? Tweet me!