Fresh songs

Sounds too early yet, but yep I’m already rooting for praise-and-worship music director Danny Gokey of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 21-year-old mom Alexis Grace from Memphis, Tennessee; stage actor Adam Lambert of Los Angeles, California; and college student Anoop Desai from Chapel Hill, North Carolina in American Idol’s Season 8.

Gokey, in last week’s performance, succeeded in giving Mariah Carey’s “Hero” a rock-ish flava that I do admire. As for Alexis, she’s such a darling with a fresh face; so much promise in there, sultry, and confident in Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)”. Adam delivered Cher ’s “Believe” as if he’s doing “Wicked”, of which he’s been part of the main cast for some time. And despite criticisms for coming underdressed during the audition, Anoop Dogg (he wants it to sound like Snoop Dogg) maintained his soul-ish composure just like his Angel-of-Mine-by-Monica piece that had the nods stretching from Chapel Hill to Hollywood with that to-die-for golden ticket. 

As there’s songwriter Kara DioGuardi as fourth judge this season, pray to high heavens that aside from major improvements such as pacing to getting over William Hung-like characters in AI, the finalists would be allowed to write their own songs (please…please…please) and play their instruments (more please). That’s the only way we can truly spot a talent. Of course, that is not an assurance that the talent would transpire into the grand winner as votes from 50 states and one Caribbean territory would factor in the decision, but that would produce fresh songs and probably, a new music genre/sub-genre. 

Simon Cowell, for example, complained last week of a finalist having a hard time going after the riffs in his piece, another one ending up confused with his horrendous “Rock with You” version done ala R & B. I was laughing at my mother who had a hard time recognizing the song when she is a big Michael Jackson fan. The black and “sane-ier” MJ, I mean. 

Also, Cowell complained of a finalist sounding “karaoke”. It will happen every time if AI continues to allow them to perform covers. My question is why don’t they allow the finalists to create their own song, arrange their pieces, and from there judge on how they have fared well in terms of rhythm, melody, instruments, what-have-they?

Speaking of fresh songs, my next project after completing my six-month classes-type meetings with the SineBuano group will deal on this. Yep! SineBuano is back to the basics in writing, camera work, lighting and editing with creative director Denis Judilla passing on the notes to us, new members, as we familiarize ourselves with the ropes in independent filmmaking a la Bisdak.

DJ, a co-fellow in the 25th Faigao Creative Writers Workshop last year, organized our first meeting this year for the registration and orientation of new members in preparation for the challenges of 2009. The meeting last February 1 opened with a review on the goals of SineBuano, an independent filmmaking outfit based here in the city, dedicated to promote the Cebuano/Visayan multi-faceted culture and identity through film.

With the strong conviction that it can help in the resuscitation of the Cebuano/Visayan film industry by “re-crafting” both the methods of production and the business plan that go with it, the classes-type meetings officially started last February 8 at an informal setting – the Secret Hole Billiards Hall along Ramos Street owned by a senior SineBuano member, Mr. Frank Calmita, with Film Appreciation and Analysis as the first topic. Then across three Sundays, discussions moved on to the challenges in short film production here in Cebu, a dissection of Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire” as to why it clicked (watch out for the live feed of the Oscars today); and how to go about with screenplay tackled yesterday. Whew!

By the way, SineBuano chooses to embrace independent filmmaking in introducing the process of reviving Bisdak films. In indie production, members are not required to adhere to the redundant formulas of mainstream cinema; indie is more venturesome in its selection of stories and in the manner it tells those stories.

In line with this advocacy, we considered tapping Bisdak bands to write songs for our short film projects in the second half of this year. However, because we are all volunteers, we cannot promise paychecks. But we assure those interested that we can feed despite the economic meltdown as we will come up with ways to raise funds. The collaboration would entail coming up with a songwriting workshop which another Faigao fellow, composer Jude Thaddeus Gitamondoc, is willing to facilitate. This way we would be able to come up with fresh songs. Interested songwriters willing to flush their egos down the drain before joining us, may express interest by writing to me through this column.

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