CEBU’S Ayala Terraces last night became a virtual Koreatown as hundreds sang and danced to “Gwiyomi” as Korean singer Hari went up the stage to lead the singing of the K-Pop ditty that went viral early this year.
The 23-year-old singer arrived in the country on Wednesday to promote the single, particularly to K-Pop-crazed Filipinos.
Speaking to CDN with the help of an interpreter, Hari said: “I never expected the song to be so successful. I’m overwhelmed with the number of Filipino fans who turned up in my shows.”
Prior to her arrival in Cebu, Hari performed in Ayala malls in Metro Manila and appeared on the noontime show “Showtime” where she met stand-up comedian and TV host Vice Ganda, who was among the many Filipino personalities who made their own version of the song.
Hari’s performance in Cebu was backed up by the Knapsack dancers and K-boyz. Fans were later treated to a “meet and greet” session where the Korean singer signed autographs.
Online hit
“Gwiyomi” was released in South Korea in February and became an online hit when celebrities from all over Southeast Asia made their own version of the song’s hand gesture dance move. Aside from Vice Ganda, Filipino celebrities such as Alodia Gosiengfiao, Heart Evangelista and Yeng Constantino also uploaded their own “Gwiyomi” dance on YouTube, helping make the song become a hit in the Philippines.
Thai newspaper, the Bangkok Post and Xinhua, the official news agency of China, described “Gwiyomi” as the latest web-viral sensation that has unseated “Gangnam Style” in popularity. The Gwiyomi phenomenon began trending in several other countries in the region, including Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. /Victor Anthony Silva and Christine M. Estrella