‘I went to the GRAMMYs!’

MANILA, Philippines – For Marga Abejo, The GRAMMYs is a big deal. After all, she’s a musician by profession (she is part of an all-girl classical guitar group called Triple Fret). Sure, she hasn’t won her own golden gramophone yet, but she did get the next best thing: last week, Colours, the first local lifestyle channel in HD as seen on Cignal, flew Marga to Los Angeles to watch The 57th GRAMMY ceremonies (with the complete experience from the pre-show/red carpet to the awards/show proper) LIVE!

Ed Sheeran, John Legend, Taylor Swift and more – Marga got to see them all live (cue envious gushing here). Below, she shares more of her favorite moments from the trip.

She brought her own glam team – her BFF:

GETTING READY. Sari Campos (left) was Marga’s lucky companion for the trip. Photo courtesy of Marga Abejo

“When I won the contest, of course, one of the first questions I thought of was ‘What am I going to wear?’ Honestly, my friend and I didn’t have much time to go around to look for a red-carpet-worthy outfit but we did our best. But of course I prioritized make-up and hair products. My friend and I were lucky enough to have some products from Benefit Cosmetics as a travel gift from Colours. My best friend, Sari Campos, is also an amazing makeup artist who regularly does editorials and ads. When she did my makeup, I can comfortably and confidently say I’ve never seen myself so pretty in my life (haha).

Her glam #ootd motto was “never say no to bacon:”

ALL GLAMMED UP. Sari and Marga in their red carpet #OOTDs. Photo courtesy of MargaAbejo.

“My outfit was a semi-short white asymmetrical dress with a black cloth draping on the sleeve with a pair of heels. It was tight and my shoes were high. I regret eating two whole plates of American breakfast food (well, not really) but I had to suck in the whole time. It was supposedly comfortable, but it was my choice to make it a bit difficult. I can’t say no to hotel breakfast buffet and bacon.”

She met Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys…

I BET YOU LOOK GOOD ON THE RED CARPET. Marga meets the Artic Monkeys’ Alex Turner. Photo courtesy of Marga Abejo

“I was so overwhelmed with the amazing musicians around me. I was so thankful I attended the preshow because that was when I saw so many artists. First, Sari and I got our picture taken with the GRAMMY sign with a random stranger who volunteered to take a snap. Later on, Sari and I found out that he was Jesse Mueller who won a GRAMMY for Best Musical Theater Album for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (facepalm). Neil Patrick Harris was walking around but I was too nervous and shy to chase him down in my heels. I saw the Arctic Monkeys and told Alex Turner that I’ve been listening to them while I was growing up. I was sitting beside the French guys who directed Pharell’s ‘Happy’ music video. A Great Big World was sitting a few rows in front of us. I saw Chick Corea and Jason Vieaux win awards and give speeches. I was in heaven!!! They were just everywhere and they all had this overwhelming presence and effortless swag (sorry for the term, but swag defines what I saw on point).”

… And almost met John Legend too:

IS THAT JOHN LEGEND? Yes it was. Photo courtesy of Marga Abejo

“On our way to the telecast show in Staples, if Sari didn’t move out of the road and got hit by a random golf cart, we would’ve had a conversation with John Legend, but thankfully that didn’t happen.”

And yes, she can give a five-page review of all the performances:

BEST NIGHT EVER. Marga inside the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of Marga Abejo

“As a musician, I cannot stop saying how crazy this is for me. The performances during the show, all the amazing talent in one room, and the production – it was all so overwhelming.

It was the best concert in the world. Paul McCartney, Kanye, and Rihanna on a stage together was mind blowing. Ed Sheeran with John Mayer on guitar singing ‘Thinking Out Loud?!’. Seeing Chris Martin and Beck together made me emotional. Hozier and Annie Lennox being so soulful and sultry! AC/DC playing ‘Highway to Hell’ in front of me!!! Pharell and Lang Lang performing ‘Happy in the Key of A Minor’ (oh the irony). Lady Gaga singing cheek to cheek with Tony Bennett was like the smoothest butter spread on a perfect piece of toast. Seeing T Swizzle’s head bounce non-stop during performances. And of course, Sam Smith’s performance of ‘Stay With Me’ with Mary J Blige was also very moving. Oh my golly. I could do another 5 pages just talking about each of the performances in depth. That was it for me. I really love The GRAMMY Awards because they don’t care too much about what’s hot and what sells. The GRAMMYs produce the best quality performances to share the depth of music to fellow musicians. The stars of the show were also the audience and I believe these are the best ears on earth.

ROLE MODEL. Marga with award-winning classical guitarist Jason Vieaux. Photo courtesy of Marga Abejo

The whole experience was memorable. Not only did I get to attend ‘Music’s Biggest Night’ but I also got to meet up with my best friends and some family members.

If I would rate this experience from 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, I would rate this experience as a 1,000,000. Right now I actually feel like I just woke up from the most epic dream. I can’t express how thankful I am to Colours and Cignal for choosing me!” – Rappler.com

COLOURS, as seen on Cignal Channel 27 (SD) and 101 (HD), is airing regular replays of The GRAMMYs until March 1. View the complete schedule here.

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