The eight members of the Filipina girl group Bini learned they were playing Coachella the same way their fans did: from people freaking out on social media when the lineup dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were at an event in the Philippines, and then I found out from a fan on X,\u201d Bini member Stacey said. \u201cI was shocked. At first, I didn\u2019t believe it, because I thought it was just a joke. But when I messaged our group chat, we found out that it\u2019s true, we are performing for Coachella. It was a surprise from the management. I think history was made.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bini will indeed make history when its members take the Mojave stage on Friday at 4:15 p.m., becoming the first group from their country to perform at the world\u2019s most influential music festival. Bini \u2014 already stadium-sized superstars in Asia \u2014 is the latest emissary in Coachella\u2019s reach for new sounds from around the globe. Now that K-pop is a fixture on the fest\u2019s biggest stages, Bini could make a major impression as an ambassador for a country that is a great crossroads for music.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not the first time that a Filipino act has been able to step on a global stage,\u201d the band\u2019s Aiah said. \u201cBut we do feel that sense of responsibility as well, especially for Coachella.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great responsibility for us,\u201d Colet added. \u201cBecause we want to open the door to more Filipino art.\u201d<\/p>\n
Five days before showtime, it was bright and early at a blacked-out soundstage near the Burbank airport when Bini rolled in for rehearsals. The band (Gwen, Jhoanna, Maloi, Colet, Aiah, Mikha, Stacey and Sheena) were still in street clothes \u2014 bootlegged Sonic Youth T-shirts, massive bomber jackets \u2014 and fighting some lingering jet lag. But the group and its half a dozen dancers, already performing perilous splits before breakfast, were prepping to run through the steps of the big intro to their set.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrowing up hearing things about Coachella, I believed it\u2019s a festival for people who really love music, and want to discover new music,\u201d Maloi said. \u201cFor us, performing there is such a big deal, it\u2019s nerve-racking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bini \u2014 first formed under the Philippine media giant ABS-CBN series \u201cStar Hunt Academy\u201d \u2014 released its debut album in 2021. The global prominence of K-pop provided a model for training and a ready fanbase for its zingy, powerfully sung forays through pop, club and hip-hop.<\/p>\n
By 2024, the band had a breezy Latin-infused TikTok hit in \u201cPantropiko\u201d and debuted at KCON in Los Angeles, the first Filipino act to play that elite showcase. The next year, it played the Peacock Theater, soon to be the home of the Oscars. L.A.\u2019s massive Filipino community turned out in droves.<\/p>\n
The Philippines \u2014 with a long, if fraught colonial relationship to American pop culture \u2014 punches above its weight in music. Veteran Pinoy rock bands like Eraserheads and current acts like Cup of Joe and Lola Amour are cutting-edge, virtuosic and exquisitely emotive. The karaoke culture is, of course, legendary.<\/p>\n