# World class entertainment...



## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

Looking for something to do on Saturday nights for the next five weeks?

I am currently located close to the Mall of Asia, and my wife and I happened upon a really cool sight this past Saturday. It seems that the Philippines has been hosting an international PYROMUSICAL COMPETITION for the past five years and this year, (The 6th Annual International Pyromusical Competition Event), is being conducted every Saturday night for six weekends out in Manila Bay near the Mall of Asia, with two different countries competing each Saturday night for six weeks...one country at 7:30pm and a second country at 8:30pm. (Although they were a little off by about fifteen minutes last Saturday).

Anyway, a Pyromusical Competition for those who have never experienced this type of event is a precisely calibrated and computerized fireworks show that makes the fireworks appear to be dancing to the music that is being played. Each major note or beat of the music will be precisely calibrated to the exact moment of an explosion of light and color. A very difficult and challenging situation that can be extreme for even the best of experts in this field.

You can buy front row seats at the Mall of Asia but you can also view it for free in any location near the mall and close to the Manila Bay as the fireworks are launched from a barge in the bay and the music can be heard for blocks around.

My wife and I are located a little more than one kilometer from the mall and we had a great view from the roof of our building and could easily hear the music as well.

Here is the remaining schedule if anyone is interested:

*WEEK ONE, (this past Saturday, Feb 7th)*
opening exhibition - *Philippines* at 7:30pm
Akariya of *Japan* at 8:30pm

*WEEK TWO, (Saturday, February 14th, Valentines Day)*
Martarello Group of *Italy* at 7:30pm
Vision Show of *Brazil* at 8:30pm

*WEEK THREE, (February 21st)*
Sirius Pyrotechnics of *Mexico* at 7:30pm
Royal Fireworks of *The Netherlands* at 8:30pm

*WEEK FOUR, (February 28th)*
Grupo Luso of *Portuga*l at 7:30pm
Goteborgs FyrverkeriFabrik of *Sweden* at 8:30pm

*WEEK FIVE, (March 7th)*
Royal Pyrotechnie of *Canada* at 7:30pm
Jubilee Fireworks of the *United Kingdom* at 8:30pm

*WEEK SIX, (March 14th)*
Polaris Fireworks AB of *China* at 7:30pm
Platinum Fireworks of the *Philippines* at 8:30pm

I was very surprised that the US is not involved as they have some impressive companies there that do this type of show.

Each country tries to out-do the other countries in the most impressive fireworks displays imaginable all while being played to music. The countries MUST each met a set of pre-arranged technical obligations in each display all while trying to out-do their competitors.

SO...if you find yourself in or around the Manila area on a Saturday night...hang around for some free entertainment, high in the sky over Manila Bay.


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

Well...after a slow start, the competition is finally heating up a little.

Week One...the Philippines and Japan went head to head but I was sorely disappointed with Japans aerial display. I would have bet Japan would have an awesome program but it was not a good showing in this competition. The Philippines beat them hands down.

This past Saturday, (week two), was Italy and Brazil and they had some awesome displays. Both countries this week had displays that lasted more than 40 or 50 minutes each...none stop with the biggest grand finales yet. I saw fireworks that I have never ever seen before. They are getting so creative the way they separate and package the different explosives so we see the different colors and the different effects. Some of the fireworks actually changed direction in mid flight at several different times...cool. It looked like colorful ghosts floating around in the sky, flying left and right and then left again, always changing directions and elevation until they burned out.

We will see what happens in Week Three, (the 21st), when Mexico and The Netherlands face off and go head to head in this awesome and fierce competition event at the Mall of Asia each Saturday night.

I hope some of you get a chance to see these competitive displays in you are in the area...


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

Tonight had mixed results.

First up this evening was Mexico at 7:30pm and they did an absolutely terrible job of making even a decent display but shortly after Mexico's failed attempt to WOW the competition, The Netherlands blew everyone away tonight at 8:30pm in the most technical and colorful display I have ever witnesses!

I cannot even imagine how even the most talented explosives experts can do what I personally witnessed tonight. Precisely calibrated explosive packets, packaged together to create some truly inspirational images and colors. I have seen a few simple shapes before...a smiley face or a heart...and I have seen a few bright vivid colors as well BUT NOTHING like I saw tonight!

Colors - Blues, Purples, yellow, green, red, white, pink, orange, changing colors, etc.

Unbelievable 3 dimensional shapes - A three dimensional tri-colored Mushroom, faces of famous people, words displayed across the sky such as song lyrics, an almost perfect representation of the planets, including Saturn with a three dimensional center planet and a multi-colored set of rings all emitted from a single explosive charge, etc.

I have never seen such a magnificent display as I witnessed this evening with The Netherlands...BRAVO!!!!!


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Cebu Citizen said:


> Tonight had mixed results.
> 
> First up this evening was Mexico at 7:30pm and they did an absolutely terrible job of making even a decent display but shortly after Mexico's failed attempt to WOW the competition, The Netherlands blew everyone away tonight at 8:30pm in the most technical and colorful display I have ever witnesses!
> 
> ...


Lol....bravo


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

Cebu Thanks for updates. YOU Must've been a news entertainment writer in a prior life!...very descriptive. Look forward or hope that comp continues future years when I'm living there, although my usual fireworks attention span to burnout, no pun intended, is about 30 mins!.


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## cvgtpc1 (Jul 28, 2012)

Nickleback99 said:


> although my usual fireworks attention span to burnout, no pun intended, is about 30 mins!.


Same here but sounds like I've been watching amateurs all these years!


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

For me, the most impressive was the three dimensional Mushroom! AWESOME!!!!!

There were three separate charges that went off in one fireworks that created the three elements that made up the mushroom shape:

One charge was a half sphere that represented the top "head" of the mushroom. simultaneously a second charge went off that created a web on the flat portion of the half sphere that made the bottom part of the mushroom head...and then the third charge created a long tube from the center of the bottom of the mushroom head that made the stem.

When all was said and done, there was a very colorful and very large and unmistakable three dimensional mushroom glowing in the sky! And they did it several times with perfection...Bravo to The Netherlands for this very expert and innovative display.


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Cebu Citizen said:


> For me, the most impressive was the three dimensional Mushroom! AWESOME!!!!!
> 
> There were three separate charges that went off in one fireworks that created the three elements that made up the mushroom shape:
> 
> ...


Now;if it only had 3 dimensional steak. Thanks a lot CC now I'm hungry


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

Some of the competition sections are a little boring because each country must complete several technical requirements but when they get to the aerial displays, they have been awesome, (Japan and Mexico were the worst), (The Netherlands and the Philippines were the best so far), (Italy and Brazil were good but not awesome). I also have had a lower attention span when it comes to typical fireworks displays but these competition shows have easily held mine and my wife's attention each Saturday evening for the past three weeks. Only three more weeks to go until the results are in.

I am curious to know who might win the event...

NEXT SATURDAY - Portugal and Sweden.


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

lefties43332 said:


> Now;if it only had 3 dimensional steak. Thanks a lot CC now I'm hungry




Hahaha! Maybe this next week...Portugal has some big cattle ranches...maybe they will throw out a nice steak and some sweet onions to go with the mushrooms! Now just need something to wash the steak down...


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Cebu Citizen said:


> Hahaha! Maybe this next week...Portugal has some big cattle ranches...maybe they will throw out a nice steak and some sweet onions to go with the mushrooms! Now just need something to wash the steak down...


U must be bored......


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

Not really bored...it's early Sunday morning and the wife is still sleeping...lol!

Usually I have so many tasks to complete but today its just reading through the Forum and killing some time. It's nice to just sit back every now and then...


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Cebu Citizen said:


> Not really bored...it's early Sunday morning and the wife is still sleeping...lol!
> 
> Usually I have so many tasks to complete but today its just reading through the Forum and killing some time. It's nice to just sit back every now and then...


For many of us retirement holds more activities than working


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

lefties43332 said:


> For many of us retirement holds more activities than working


Man you got that right! I thought the golden Years were for relaxing and taking it easy. I must have read the wrong book :noidea::doh:


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

*Week Four* of this competition had some mixed results! After a really slow start *Portugal* final made some headway but not enough to stop *Sweden*. WOW! *Sweden* has literally blown away every competitor thus far. I am not sure how they come up with this stuff. After years and years of seeing a variety of fireworks displays all over the world, (including the awesome displays put on by Disney World in Florida each Christmas), (and some of the Olympic Events), I thought I had seen everything. This fireworks competition however has proven me wrong. WOW! I have seen things with my own eyes that I would never have imagined were possible or that they could accomplish with explosives...the vivid colors and the wild shapes!

In the past, the shapes seemed to be so limited to the typical round sphere as the explosive charge goes off and the colored balls of light are all projected at an equal distance from the center of the charge...forming a round globe or sphere. Or maybe the occasional appearance of a falling star or a cascading waterfall of light showering down. But now, it seems common place for these competition explosive experts to make some very intricate and awesome *shape charges* that result in some very imaginative three dimensional shapes and emitting colors I had never before seen in fireworks before.

Sweden capitalized on this expertise last night with the most colorful and imaginative display to date in this competition. 42 minutes of non stop colorful brilliant images dancing across the sky over Manila Bay to some of the most popular music from both the past and present by today's top music artists. Including a huge three dimensional field of blooming flowers. As each flower seemed to fade away two or three more would appear until the entire sky over the bay was filled with dozens of huge colorful flowers. I can't understand how the newly discharged explosive charges do not interfere with the existing shapes floating in the air. One would think the explosions would alter the trajectory of the flowering images...but this was not the case and the images stayed true to their form.

Sweden had no less than 18 different colors that we could distinguish...EIGHTEEN! Amazing! As well as some fireworks that burned and floated in mid air for more than three minutes straight...never seeming to fall towards the earth and never burning out...I have never seen fireworks burn so long as that before or float so effortlessly for such a long time.

There are only two more weekends remaining in this six week competition and I can't even imagine what the remaining countries will attempt in an effort to try to secure the top spot in this event. Next week is *Canada* and *the United Kingdom*...followed by *China* and then closing the event will be *the Philippines*.

I am anxious to see who will win this pyrotechnical event but thus far in my opinion, *Sweden* has clearly swept the competition with their awesome display last night. But I am neither a judge nor a technical expert in these matters...we will wait and see who wins.


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

THE COMPETITION is finally over and the last two countries, (China and the Philippines), competed last night, (March 14th, 2015). We are still waiting for the judges to release the official results of this *International Pyromusical Competition*.

If anyone is interested is seeing a very short highlight video of each of the twelve displays, you can see a five minute highlight clip of each participating country on the event producers Facebook Page, (https://www.facebook.com/PyroPhilippines). Once you view the first few videos, just keep scrolling down and down until you can view all ten posted highlights over the past six weeks of the competition. The two most recent competitors from last night are not yet posted but their videos should be available soon along with the official results and the announcement of the winner(s) of the competition.

Of all the available music in the entire world, I was surprised that most all of the selected music used by each country for this event was from the United States and a lot of the selected music was good ol' rock and roll songs from classic artists and bands...COOL!

Anyway, for those of you who were not able to see this cultural competition and want to at least see some of the brief highlights, check out the event Facebook Page, (https://www.facebook.com/PyroPhilippines), to see who your favorite might be and we will patiently await for the judges to announce the winner(s).

KEEP IN MIND THAT EACH DISPLAY FROM EVERY COUNTRY WAS MORE THAN 45 MINUTES EACH and these highlight clips are limited to only 5 minutes of the display. Enjoy...


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