Malasimbo Time!

March 9, 2016 Update: MALASIMBOOO! Transformative Music, Art & Magic @MalasimboFest 2016 

Malasimbo is an underground, three-day music and art festival in Mt. Malasimbo, Puerto Galera.

People who attend it rave about it, leaving the uninformed curious as to what Malasimbo is about.

Here’s a glimpse of the awesome Malasimbo experience…

 

Play this first before reading the post –> Malasimbo Mood (Main Stage) by MissBadKiss

How to Get to Malasimbo: From Manila –> Take SLEX-STAR Tollway-Batangas Port (60-90 mins) –> Ride a boat from Batangas to White Beach (60-75 mins) –> Take a Jeep shuttle up to Mt. Malasimbo (15mins)

The Music Festival Party usually runs from 8pm until 4am.

There’s a lot of drama as you hike down the grassy hills to the…

…natural outdoor amphitheater where the festival stage is located.

That night, the music was interspersed with Installation Art that looked a bit creepy.

The rain poured the entire time, which made our first Malasimbo experience surreal.

It had traces of the Burning Man drama.

The smell and the vibe resembled the Woodstock fun of the ’70s.

It was nice to see familiar faces like Carlos Celdran who hosted the third day and knows who is “in” with the cult following of Malasimbo.

We loved the inspiring art and the focus on sharing the culture of the Mangyan tribes.

Joe Bataan, the King of Latin Soul was the highlight of the festival. It was his first time to perform in the Philippines. His father is Filipino and his mother is African-American.

Another highlight was DJ Kentaro from Japan, one of the first ever Asians to win the DMC World DJ Finals. He performed on the last day of the festival.

(Check out the DJ Kentaro @ Malasimbo Video)

After it all, you go back home with the Malasimbo music and art inside of you.

Malasimbo is like an inside joke or a shared moment that is only understood by the people who had first-hand experience with it. The “outsiders'” curiosity builds for over a year and only gets satisfied when the next Malasimbo fest comes around.

My wife started with the question, “Why should we go to Malasimbo? Are there people going to Puerto Galera for this?” and ended with the agreement, “Let’s go to the entire three days of the Malasimbo Festival next year!“

See you next year, Malasimbo!

Malasimbo Music & Arts Festival
Villa Malasimbo, Balatero, Puerto Galera, Mindoro
Official Website: www.MalasimboFestival.com
Facebook:  Malasimbo Music & Arts Festival
Twitter: @malasimbofest
Ticket Prices: 3 Day Pass  – P2,500, 1 Day Pass – P1,000

Live an Awesome Life,

 
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Contact me: anton@diaz.ph 

Full Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. We paid for our tickets. We are not connected in any way with the organizers or promoters of Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival.

P.S. Thanks to Gene Paolo del Mundo for sharing with us the Malasimbo experience! 🙂

P.P.S. The only thing I didn’t like about the Malasimbo Festival was the traces of greed when they hiked up the prices of food from P100 to P150, and the small mineral water was priced at P50, 3x the price of water from White Beach. People already pay P1,000 per day, travel all the way to Puerto Galera, and hike up the mountain to attend this. Why milk the festival-goers up to the last possible peso possible?

Tip: What to bring to Malasimbo Festival?

1. Mineral Water
2. Food and Snacks
3. Picnic Mat
4. Rain Coat/Umbrella
5. Waterproof bag
6. Video and Digital Camera
7. Extra Shirt and Towel
8. Good company who enjoy music and art
9. Your signature Malasimbo Indie look
10. An open mind 🙂