‘Yukbo’ free concert returns after 19 years

Lemuel Felisario, led the presscon of Yukbo on Monday, Feb. 12. CDN Digital photo | Niña Mae Oliverio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — After 19 years, the free concert Yukbo that started in 1986 will be back on the 25th of this month at the Plaza sa Katawhan in the South Road Properties in Cebu City.

Yukbo, which will feature 22 bands, is set to be revived and will be called, ‘Yukbo: The Revival.’

This was announced by Yukbo’s executive director Lemuel Felisario in a press conference on Monday, Feb. 12, at the Cebu City Hall.

To those who did not know Yukbo, Felistario said that the creation of Yukbo can be traced back after the EDSA People Power Revolution.

READ: Filipinos spending more on concerts, flying overseas to see fave artists

Felisario said that after the revolution ‘toppled down the Marcos dictatorship,’ the people in Cebu celebrated with the People’s Feast in Fuente Osmeña, while the musicians led by lawyer Mel Libre organized ‘Yukbo Alang sa Pilipino.’

Moreover, Felisario said that Yukbo is a free concert that featured some of the popular as well as upcoming artists that included Salome Oro and Sharon Magdayao, more popularly known as Via Morales, back then.

“From then on, it became an annual gathering of some of the best musicians of Cebu to be renamed YUKBO: Ang Konsiyerto,” he added.

Felisario also revealed that the venues changed from time to time from Fuente Osmeña to the Capitol Grounds, to the Plaza Independencia, then to the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).

Why Yukbo ended

The last Yukbo took place at the CCSC in February 2005 attended by students from most of the colleges and universities in Cebu making human formations dubbed as DIBUTAW (or Dibuho sa Tawo) in between music performances.

But the music event halted after Libre migrated to New Zealand in November 2005.

“No one took over the mantle of the gargantuan task of putting together the annual event, thus, Yukbo came to an end,” Felisario said.

He added that when the Office of the Mayor contacted Libre for the revival of Yukbo in 2024, the latter did not hesitate to give his consent.

What to expect

Meanwhile, Libre, who attended the presscon virtually, said that Yukbo is primarily in celebration of the 87th Charter Day, but it is also their way to commemorate the EDSA People Power Revolution which will mark its 38th anniversary on Feb. 25.

Felisario said that they are eyeing some 2,000 attendees to witness the event’s revival.

Performing in ‘Yukbo: The Revival’ will be BTU 2.0, PG18, Ledger Line, Emperor, Abyss, Aggressive Audio, Kadangyan, and New Era, among the 22 others.

Official poster of Yukbo: The Revival | Courtesy of Cebu City PIO

He said that most Filipinos who thrive in the music industry are coming from Luzon.

“We aim to cultivate our local Cebuano talents…We really would like to inspire young Cebuano artists not just in Cebu City, in Cebu Province, but in the entire region of Visayas and Mindanao. We can see a lot of potential from us Filipinos,” Felisario said.

READ: CCP brings music to the countryside