THE Rion Five K-Pop boy band is coming back to Bacolod Wednesday, November 6, to perform at the 7th Imaco International Conference, which is slated November 5-8.
The Rion Five K-Pop will perform alongside the performers from Bacolod City, China, and Korea at the Imaco Performance Night to be held at the Atrium of SM City Bacolod starting 6:30 p.m.
Rion Five had performed in a free concert, dubbed "South Korea Joins MassKara 2018," at the Bacolod City Government Center in October 2018.
The rising boy band has new members: Yousung, Yonghun, Minsung, Jungwon, and Youngjik. They will perform songs like "Tuk, Tuk, Tuk," "Haeyo Haeyo," "Love Shot," "Boy with Luv," "Really Really," "Fantastic Baby," and "Bang Bang Bang."
Special performances
Dawon "Ginny" Lee, chief of the International Cooperation Team of Imaco (International Mask Arts and Culture Organization), said the 7th Imaco International Conference will also feature two Special Guerilla Performances.
The first guerilla performance will be held on November 6 [Wednesday] starting 2 p.m. at SM City Bacolod Atrium, with Bukcheong Lion Dancers. After the performance, Andong City councilors will give necklaces to the public, Lee said.
The second guerilla performance will be on November 7 [Thursday] at 3 p.m. at the Bacolod City National High School, with the Hahoe Maskdance Team.
After the performance, Andong City Mayor Kweon Youngsae, who is also the president of Imaco, will donate school supplies to the BCNHS students.
International conference
The theme of the 7th Imaco International Conference is, "Inside and Outside of Mask Culture: Masks, Practice, and Culture."
The international conference is expected to gather more than 200 delegates from various countries across the world. Imaco is a formal organization of mask-based festivals from 24 countries.
On November 5, Mayor Evelio Leonardia will tender a welcome reception for the delegates at the Bacolod City Government Center.
On November 6 at 9:30 a.m., Imaco and Bacolod City officials will formally open the World Mask Exhibit at SM City Bacolod. It features more than 400 masks from 17 countries. The exhibit will run until December 26.
On the same day, the 7th Imaco International Conference will open at SMX Convention Center at 10 a.m., to be followed by Policy Forum at 1 p.m. and Academic Symposium at 3 p.m., also at SMX.
The Imaco Performance Night will be held in the evening at the Atrium of SM City Bacolod starting 6:30 p.m., where the Rion Five K-Pop will have a mini-concert.
On November 7, a General Assembly will be held at the Bacolod City Government Center at 10 a.m., press conference at 11:30 a.m., and city tour of delegates at 1 p.m.
The delegates will then go back for a farewell reception at the L' Fisher Hotel at 6 p.m.
On November 8, the city tour of international delegates will start at 10 a.m.
Mask culture
Imaco was established in Andong, South Korea to promote and preserve the mask culture.
Imaco is holding the International Conference biennially (every two years) to interact with mask-based organizations, and provide an opportunity from representatives all over the world to unite and share various cultural values.
In 2017, at the 6th Imaco International Conference in Vientiane, Laos, Bacolod was chosen to host the 2019 conference.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia, accompanied by then councilor Em Ang, signed a memorandum of agreement for Bacolod to host the next international conference, which is slated this year. (PR)