Bruno Mars works with fellow Filipino to bring concert in Manila

MANILA, Philippines — American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars has been reportedly working with fellow artist of Filipino descent, Phil Tayag of hip-hop dance group Jabbawockeez, to bring his critically-acclaimed "24k Magic in the Air" world tour in Manila.

Mars’ homecoming concert, slated on May 3, 2018 at the Mall of Asia Arena, has been announced Thursday morning on Twitter. Tickets will start to go on sale on September 7.

On November last year, Mars announced his world tour across Europe and North America. Due to its success, with over a million tickets said to be sold in a single day and with reported revenues of US$ 52.7 million and counting, the singer decided to extend the tour to Asia.

In May 2017, Mars reportedly became the first artist since Beyonce to have four straight sold out concerts at the Spark Arena in New Zealand.

Mars previously gave a sample of his dynamic live show on “Saturday Night Live,” where he performed some of his hits from his latest album, “24K Magic,” his third studio album released in 2016.

Reportedly included in the set list of “24k Magic in the Air" world tour are Mars’ hits from current and past albums. These songs include “Marry You,” “Grenade,” Locked Out of Heaven,” “Just the Way You Are,” “Treasure” and the current pop fixation, “Versace on the Floor.”

Just last July 21, Mars' “24k Magic in the Air" tour was ranked number 10 in Top 20 Global Concerts by trade publication Pollstar, based on data provided by concert promoters and venue managers.

Born Peter Gene Hernandez in Honolulu, Hawaii, Mars was raised by a family of musicians, owing to their Filipino roots and Filipinos’ innate talent and love for music.

Due to his original name, however, he was typecast as a Latino artist and was rejected a lot because of his race. To avoid stereotypes, he adopted his childhood nickname, Bruno, and has been using Mars as a surname. He, however, has been proud of his Filipino ancestry, even endorsing a Filipino clothing brand and since Filipinos are family-oriented, he has been working with his brother and sisters for various projects.

Despite rejections and criticisms, Mars received many nominations and awards, including five Grammies. He was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2011, and ranked number one on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list in 2013. Since he launched his career in 2010, he has landed seven number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, which is considered faster than any male artist since the time of Elvis Presley.

To date, Mars is said to have sold more than 115 million singles and nine million albums globally, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time and making him an ambassador for Filipino pride worldwide.