Bruno Mars (Images courtesy of Daniel Ramos @spiribolt)

Contributed by Andi Requintina

Born to a Filipino mother, Bruno Mars (Peter Gene Bayot Hernandez) showed how proud he is of his roots on the first night of his full-packed concert at the Philippine Arena on June 24.

“Masaya ako na makita kayo! (I am happy to see you!) You look beautiful Philippines! We traveled a long way to come back to this place because we love this place so much!” Bruno told the enthusiastic crowd.

Coming from his successful concert in Seoul, South Korea, the 15-time Grammy Award winner teased, and entertained the crowd with Pilipino references, he sounded much like a relative who’s come to revisit his parents’ homeland.

On “Billionaire” he sang “smiling next to Oprah in the Philippines” instead of the original words “smiling next to Oprah and the Queen”.  In between musical numbers he asked, “Masaya ba kayo?” (Are you happy?)

In “Calling All My Lovies/Wake Up in the Sky” Bruno took out a mobile phone and left a lady a message on the answering machine saying he and The Hooligans (members of his band) were in Manila. He told her how much he missed her since the last time they performed here in 2018. He capped it with “Miss na kita, mahal!” (I miss you, love!).

After singing his hit “Leave the Door Open” he told the audience: “I have this fantasy in my head that when I sing that song, Filipino women will be screaming ‘I’m coming, Bruno! I’m coming!’”

Delighted female fans of course screamed with delight but Bruno who was careful of being misjudged replied, “Stop it cause I’m shy. Nahihiya ako!” (I am shy) and laughed.

What makes this half-Pinoy wunderkind endearing to fans worldwide is how he is able to meld all the great musical influences in his performances. Wearing a shimmering long-sleeved shirt, dark pants and white sneakers during the first half of the show, he was the spitting image of the late guitar great Jimi Hendrix. And rightfully so, Bruno played a mean lead guitar.

The 37-year-old singer-songwriter-producer also plays the bass, piano, keyboards, and drums, among them.

Bruno and the Hooligans’ choreographed synchronized numbers were a throwback to Soul Train. They moonwalked, did the running man, and even gave a short tutorial on how to slide and groove – all a mix of Jackson 5, The Temptations, and bit of Elvis.

Bruno’s nine-piece band with three of them doubling as back-up vocals and musicians who played the sax and the trumpet slayed. They matched Bruno’s frantic energy a concertgoer beside us quipped, “Hindi sila napapagod?” (Don’t they get tired?).

They like to party and they know how to party. You feel the energy hit the roof with each number – the concert felt like therapy where the cure is to dance your blues away. As an earlier critic described, Bruno’s concert isn’t just a show. It’s an experience.

Bruno’s music is memorable. Opening the show with “24K Magic” the stage replete with laser lights and fireworks set the mood for partying. On his second number “Finesse” Bruno asked the crowd to put down their phones and just move into the groove. From then the crowd stood and danced the night away.

Among stars and celebrities in the crowd included Maine Mendoza, Paolo Valenciano, KD Estrada, Alexa Ilacad, and Fino Herrera.

The concert featured Bruno’s string of hits “Treasure”, “That’s What I Like”, “Marry You”, “Locked Out of Heaven”, “Just the Way You Are”, “Uptown Funk” and the sultry “Versace on the Floor”, among them.

In recent years, it’s only Bruno and his wide range of musical styles that have lorded global charts with his merry mix of pop, blues, and a lot of soul.

At the concert, Bruno also managed to pull a major ‘hugot’ with the heartbreaking ballad “When I Was Your Man”. He said, “It’s the most difficult to write and most difficult to sing”.

In an earlier interview with Rolling Stone, Bruno said singing the song meant “bringing up all these old emotions again. It’s just like bleeding!” His solo performance while on the piano was so moving I saw a few ladies weep.

“Thank you each and every one for allowing us to sing. We’ve always wanted to play here. Thank you guys so much. This is beautiful. I hope we can come back real, real soon. I’ll love to see you again” Bruno said in the closing.

After Manila, Bruno flies back to the U.S. for a concert in August, then Brazil and Chile in September and Israel in October.

According to buzz, Bruno is about to wrap up his new album and is set for a world tour in 2024-2025. For a performer as fantastic as Bruno, we’ll leave the door open.

Catch Bruno Mars’ second night at the Philippine Arena on June 25. Bruno Mars Live in Manila was presented by Live Nation Philippines.