TJ Monterde’s ‘Sarili Nating Mundo’: A concert for the ages

Historic. Star-studded. Inspiring. Tear-jerking. Romantic. Heartfelt. Inspirational. TJ Monterde’s 3-day sold-out “Sarili Nating Mundo” concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last February 1, 2, and 3 has become a lot of things for those who experienced it. But if there’s only going to be one takeaway from the concert, it’s that it has cemented TJ Monterde as the biggest male recording and concert artist in the country today. Part of the thrill of TJ’s concert is that the special guests were kept secret so the concertgoers only found out who they were the moment they stepped up on stage. On Day 1, young music stars Adie and Maki joined TJ. Adie came in during the chorus of “Mahika” and sang his own song shortly after, also titled “Mahika.” TJ sang “Kailan” with Maki after having mentioned that Maki’s inspiration for “Kailan” is TJ’s “Dating Tayo.”

On Day 2, TJ chose to sing “Puhon” with BINI Colet – allowing the BINI member to shine on her own given that it was her first solo gig. Then Champ Lui Pio of Hale (who is TJ’s second cousin) came on stage during TJ’s rendition of the Hale classic “Kung Wala Ka.” TJ revealed that growing up, he idolized Champ and wanted to be just like him. 

On Day 3, fellow Cagayan De Oro native Arthur Nery sang “Mahika” with TJ – a performance they previously did for TJ’s 2024 concert at the New Frontier Theater. And to the delight of K-Drama fans, South Korean singer-songwriter and the mind behind the theme songs of popular Korean shows such as “Queen of Tears,” “Hotel De Luna,” and “Crash Landing On You,” 10CM, returned as a special guest as well, after having also guested for TJ’s 2024 concert. This time around, 10CM and TJ performed “Spring Snow” from the “Lovely Runner” OST. They also performed an original and unreleased collaboration song titled “Silver” which was an exclusive for Day 3 concertgoers. 10CM closed his special guest appearance with a medley of some of his theme songs and a humorous short song about TJ funnily titled “TJ Monterde.”