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Manila Bulletin devider Lifestyle devider Arts and Culture devider Johnnie Walker inspires collective progress at Johnnie Rhythm and Roll

Johnnie Walker inspires collective progress at Johnnie Rhythm and Roll

Collaboration with local subcultures, combining music, dance, and skates.

Published Jul 16, 2023 04:41 am
Johnnie Walker took its mission of inspiring collective progress to the streets with an extraordinary event, Johnnie Rhythm & Roll. Held on June 17, 2023 at Kondwi in Poblacion, Makati, this celebratory gathering brought together skate groups, artists, and live performers in one space to showcase their craft. Serving as a platform for local subcultures to meet and connect, the event also marked the premiere of Johnnie Walker’s captivating new documentary, “Rhythm and Roll,” starring James Reid. In "Rhythm and Roll," James Reid takes center stage as pop music blends the vibrant world of roller skating. Partnering with the Skatebomb Girls, an all-female skate squad, Reid explores Manila's flourishing roller skate community to progress a new movement in street culture. Together, they collaborated to create a never-before-seen performance that demonstrates how the streets are a canvas for artistic innovation and creativity. “Collaborations like this are a great opportunity to showcase unique aspects of Filipino subcultures which are underrepresented. I hope this project inspires artists to explore and embrace different cultural perspectives,” James shared during the event program.

Walk Beyond: Johnnie Walker’s Campaign to Moving Local Subcultures Forward

The Walk Beyond: Collab series by Johnnie Walker features episodes highlighting creative collaborations across Southeast Asia that put a spotlight on street culture. The “Walk Beyond” platform envisions bringing multi-hyphenates together to create bold acts that move local subcultures, such as roller skating, forward.

According to Steffi Lucero, who stars in the episode with James and is a member of The Skatebomb Girls, there was a surge in interest over the sport in recent years, inspired by its very welcoming community. Steffi is also one of the proponents of Everywhere We Skate PH, a local community of skaters that grew to thousands over the course of the pandemic.
“Skate culture is big on supporting others to progress in their journey in the sport,” Steffi explained. “We’ve grown to be each other’s coaches and support systems now, and I think that’s what makes people love it even more.” Several factors have led to the sport's rise in popularity, with those interested in the sport enjoying convenient access to skates through shops that were built over the course of the pandemic. Additionally, there are now new and restored rinks within and outside the metro that allows these skater groups to come together and grow in the sport. “Roller skating is a budding culture in Manila. From my experience with the girls, it’s also a creative outlet to express individuality,” James added. “But the coolest part is the community and connection they build with each other.”

Highlights from the Johnnie Rhythm & Roll Event

The Johnnie Rhythm & Roll event invited skater groups who brought the vision of blending music and skates to life as they enjoyed an afternoon skate session accompanied by tunes by guest DJs. Beginners who wanted to try the sport also received free skate lessons through official event partner, Rolyo Sk8house. Live art by artist Bea Policarpio also added a splash of color to the event as she created a Johnnie Walker Walk Beyond-inspired mural. Once skates were off at night, Johnnie Walker treated everyone to musical performances from guest acts ATEAM, Lesha, Massiah, and August Wahh. James Reid also performed his new single, So Fire, during the evening program. More DJ sets closed out the night as a Johnnie Walker highball bar opened up serving nightcaps of signature Johnnie highballs and cocktails. "We envisioned Rhythm & Roll to be the first of many acts that will embed Johnnie Walker in culture," said Merell Beltran, Marketing manager for Culture and Advocacy of Diageo Philippines. "We’re very proud to share the Rhythm & Roll series and invite everyone to stay tuned as we create more bold and fresh collaborations soon." The full Rhythm & Roll documentary is now available on the official Youtube page of Vice Asia and on the [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/JohnnieWalker/?brand_redir=169490983125565) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnniewalkerph/) pages of Johnnie Walker. Drink responsibly. Visit [DrinkiQ](https://www.drinkiq.com/en-ph/) to learn more about alcohol facts.

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