Singer and songwriter TJ Monterde is returning to the UAE with his popular Sarili Nating Mundo Tour. The Filipino star will perform at 321 Sports arena on Abu Dhabi's Hudayriyat Island on December 2. Monterde's wife, singer and rapper KZ Tandingan, will be a special guest at the show.
The tour, inspired by his 2024 album Sariling Mundo, travelled to Dubai in July, when he sold-out the 17,000-capacity Coca-Cola Arena. The singer has also gone to Canada, Singapore and Taiwan, and is currently touring Australia.
A former radio and television presenter, Monterde is known for his heartfelt OPM or Original Pilipino Music songs. He first found fame in the early 2011s through viral YouTube videos. In 2023, his song Palagi, dedicated to Tandingan, went viral and topped the Billboard chart in the Philippines. He released a duet version of the song, featuring his wife in September last year, which also went on to dominate the charts. An ode to never-dying love, Palagi was named the song of 2024 by Billboard Philippines after it spent 17 consecutive weeks in the Top 10.
“This is no simple feat, as Monterde and Tandingan beat out major songs that also defined 2024, both local and international,” Billboard Philippines said.
Early this year, Monterde was named the most-streamed OPM artist on Spotify, surpassing one billion streams.
His UAE show at the 8,000-capacity Abu Dhabi arena will be the final leg of the tour, organisers told The National, and will mark one of the biggest Filipino events in the UAE capital. It will culminate in a firework display as part of UAE Eid Al Etihad celebrations, while a National Day Bazaar will open earlier in the day for concertgoers.
Tickets start at Dh299 and go up to Dh799, which includes soundcheck access and a meet-and-greet with the pop star.
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