
Imagine driving on the empty, well lit streets of Mandaue, blasting 80s jams, and contemplating about the love you have for this city—this exact cinematic moment gave birth to Mandaue Nights.
Mandaue Nights is a 80s synth-pop group based in Cebu composed of Karl Lucente—a filmmaker and singer-songwriter—and Gino Rosales—a music producer and arranger. Gino Rosales is your typical good guy ensemble with a dash of rock and roll. Aside from playing the keyboard, he plays the guitar, and is also the bassist of a local band, Shuffled. Meanwhile, Karl Lucente, a filmmaker by heart and a musician by passion, is also the future teenager from both Honeydrop and Hey, It’s Your Birthday.
Cebu’s local music scene is booming. Artists from different bands dive into collaborations and create something new or different out of their common interests. Gino Rosales and Karl Lucente were both into 80s music. They began with one song, titled You and I, which was a huge hit.
Aside from collaborating with artists like Sepia Times and Eskina Jones, Mandaue Nights’ first single, You and I, was also selected as the original soundtrack for a locally-produced film, Magbuwag ta Kay, which was released in cinemas nationwide. They also reached out to Cebu’s film community and produced music videos for their songs, You and I, and First Kiss.
What makes them different from other bands and artists in Cebu is the 80s vibe they continue to write, show, and sing. Mandaue Nights will make you nostalgic. It’ll make you think about the 80s, which is something we know but never actually experienced as millennials. We’ve heard a lot about it, seen films about it, and continue to listen to songs from it, which make us feel as if we’ve been there personally.
Life happens too fast for us to actually see what’s going on. Mandaue Nights has certainly done a great deal of incorporating that into their lyrics and melody. Their songs support our language, inspire others, and have lyrics that have words most people are afraid to say. Gino Rosales and Karl Lucente’s collaboration started out as a spark – a spark that lit the interest of many Cebuanos.
Mandaue Nights even flew to Manila and played gigs, basically representing Cebu in the face of local music. They were widely accepted despite the difference in language. Fans cheered them on even when they weren’t in their home court.
They gave Cebu another chance to shine in the music scene. After all, Cebu is rich in artists—not just the music scene, but also the people who have produced, written, directed, and published their music videos. A lot of people support imported brands, even imported artists—why not support local?
The next time you think of driving late at night unto empty streets, blast their songs into your stereo, and seize. the. moment.
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