It was a full-circle moment for rising Filipino-Australian R&B artist RINI as he held his first ever concert in the Philippines last July 19, 2023 at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura! #RINIinManila was the second stop in the Asia leg of the singer-songwriter-producer’s ‘Past the Naked Eye Tour.’ 

Aside from being his first show in his homeland, the night was special because it was also the first time RINI’s family saw him perform on stage. He made sure to greet his mom, uncle, and aunt during his opening message, and at one point even came down from the stage to hug his grandmother who was in the audience. Talk about a sweet reunion!

RINI serenaded the crowd with his soulful voice over a packed setlist that included both newer tracks and fan favorites, such as ‘My Luv,’ ‘Out of the Blue,’ ‘Strawberry Blossom,’ ‘My Favorite Clothes,’ and ‘Meet Me In Amsterdam.’ It was amazing to see him command the stage, with fans singing along to almost every song!

But perhaps the highlight of the night was when he surprised the crowd with a Manila-exclusive cover of JK Labajo’s ‘Buwan’; the crowd went absolutely crazy! We hope to hear more Filipino covers (maybe even originals!) from our favorite Aussie “thrilla from Manila” in the future.

Huge thanks to Live Nation Philippines for making this possible!