URAGON NIGHT 4: PAG-ATUM

You’d be surprised not only by the number of Bicolano musicians who are currently both paving the way and carrying the torch for modern music, but by the variety of musical genres and proficiency they have in creating original music in those very veins. 

And what began five years ago in 2018 as a simple reunion/get-together of Bicolano musicians has truly transformed into a much-awaited annual get-together that gets increasingly larger by the year. Aimed at bringing musikang Bikolnon to mainstream consciousness, the collective scouts for deserving musicians from all parts of the Bicol region and showcases their talent in popular venues in Manila. And because the personalities behind Uragon Night believes that Bicolano musicians have something unique and special to be offered, they create the opportunity to be seen and heard.

This year’s festivities was truly their biggest yet, with performances from PLAGPUL, THE ERICSONS, MEI TEVES, THE CHOPPING BOARD, AMYGDALA, DWTA, KUNYAN, SAVE THE YOUTH and the evening’s headliners CHEATS. 

“This year’s Uragon Night 4: Pag-Atum was a big step forward because it was held in the biggest venue so far, compared to the first three, and we were able to get talent from almost all of the provinces in Bicol,” says James Estrada, one of the driving forces behind Bicol’s music scene and one of the core members behind the institution that is Uragon Night. “These bands travelled for more than ten hours just to share their music, and it was such an honor that people from all over shared their time and resources to support our advocacy in forming a community through music that’s uniquely ours.”

“You can definitely expect us to continue making events like this – bigger and better – in Metro Manila,” says Eduardo Moll, de facto leader of the core group and himself, a musician. “It was a big thing we were able to get Cheats to play (vocalist Candy Gamos is a fellow Bicolano who speaks the dialect well.), and we had so much fun with the crowd – both old and new, so we’re definitely planning to branch out to bigger activities and hopefully do future collaborations, still with our original goal to spread Bicolano music.” PULP