The United States Air Force (USAF) Band of the Pacific held a series of musical performances including a live concert in Manila, Pampanga, and Nueva Ecija last week to celebrate the robust friendship between the Philippines and America, the US Embassy said on Tuesday, April 15.
In a statement, the US Embassy said the USAF Band of the Pacific joined forces with the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) Marching Band and String Ensemble as they performed at the SM Mall of Asia Sky Amphitheatre on April 6.
They delighted mallgoers with their renditions of of rock classics such as “Yellow Submarine” by The Beatles and “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses, as well as Filipino favorites like “Sumayaw Sumunod” by The Boyfriends.
The airmen musicians also provided entertainment during the Cope Thunder exercises in Pampanga, and performed for children at the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth at SM City Clark, the US Embassy noted.
They also traveled to Nueva Ecija, where they performed at SM City Cabanatuan and participated in Central Luzon State University's week-long 118th Foundation Anniversary celebration.
“We are here to affirm the friendship of our two countries. We want to emphasize—through music—that this friendship is strong and enduring,” said Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Hansen, commander of the Band of the Pacific, in his remarks delivered in Filipino.
According to the US Embassy, some of the members of the band have a deep connection to the Philippines even if it is based at the historic Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Oahu, Hawaii.
For one, the band’s guitarist Master Sergeant Daniel Santos hails from Bulacan, while drummer Senior Airman Brennan Tolman lived in Pangasinan for two years.
The band members who visited the Philippines are part of the Small Kine ensemble, an electrifying four-member rock band, the US Embassy said.
“Thanks to the U.S. Embassy team, we were able to deliver the Pacific Air Forces' message of peace, security, and friendship to the people of the Philippines. As a Philippine-born U.S. Airman, I felt blessed that I had this opportunity to link our two nations through my love of music and my belief in service for greater good and peace,” Santos said.
The US Embassy said the USAF Band of the Pacific is one of the military musical units in the Indo-Pacific, comprised of musical groups that perform throughout a large and diverse area of responsibility, including locations such as Singapore, Australia, Wake Island, Papua New Guinea, American Samoa, Beijing, New Zealand, Guam, and the Kwajalein Atoll.