A display of Filipino creativity

This is one event that should provide a wonderful boost for Original Pilipino Music (OPM). Great musical minds from all over the country will gather together in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental on May 13 to 16 for Himig ng Bayan. Organized by Alt+Enter Productions, this is a music festival that aims to bring Filipino creativity to the fore via a series of activities featuring well-known artists and undiscovered talents and which will be held in one of the country’s most beautiful spots.

Among the scheduled events are jamming sessions where visiting artists will display their skill with notes and music instruments; workshops on guitar, piano and voice for aspiring musicians to be conducted by leading names in music; recitals where unknown talents will get the chance to perform in competition before music industry insiders; concerts which will be held nightly and will feature Bamboo and The Dawn in the grand closing ceremony that will be held at the Lamberto Macias Sports Center. Tickets for the concerts at the minimal price will be sold with proceeds going to the Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino and the local government of Dumaguete.

Those who want to join the contest or who wish to know how they can be part of Himig ng Bayan can go to the official website of the event. The address is www.hnb.com.ph. The site has the capability to store thousands of mp3 files and videos so all that you have to do is upload samples of your work. For all you know you might be among those who will be chosen to be in the competition. The merely curious or those who simply want to spend a music-filled break in scenic Dumaguete can also check the site. Find out what’s going on and what to do to be there for the event.

Medwin, DJ Brian collaborate in World Rushing In

Medwin Marfil of True Faith, composer of hits Perfect and Ikaw by Sarah Geronimo, and DJ Brian Cua recently collaborated in a fabulous dance track titled World Rushing In. Medwin wrote and performed the song. Brian did the rest and then he sent to the Defected Records’ Producer Competition. Of course, we want these Pinoys to win that contest and we can make sure they do by sending in our votes for their entry.

All you have to do is go to the Defected Records website, www.defected.com, then register and rate the track-five stars. This could mean a big deal for Pinoys in the international dance scene, which you have to admit has remained untapped by local talents.

Saving OPM 3

Here are more reactions to the recent column about Saving OPM.:

From WebReader: I am pretty sure that there are hundreds, if not thousands out there who are willing to support OPM by buying original copies of OPM albums. Perhaps we can request the record companies to stop the practice of releasing those so-called “special editions” of albums.

For example, artist would release album. The artist and record company would go on an aggressive marketing campaign to make us buy the album as soon as it is released. Fast forward to a couple of months and the record company would release a special edition of album, which is basically the album plus three or four additional tracks.

This is something that I also do not approve of. But remember these are hard times and even foreign labels are guilty of this practice.

From mushymushroom: I would have to say that if you check out the underground scene, you will definitely not think that OPM is in any way dying. The underground artists especially the bands perform their own songs and mind you, they’re really good. But if your basis is the mainstream scene, well... I guess the underground artists need support and that one big shot to be heard.

I think that this next message has the right answer to mushymushroom. It is from kEnshinxXxhiMuRa: Agree ako na madami pang mga magagaling na Filipinos in terms of composing songs pero ang problema nga yung marketability nung kanta. Have you seen the video of Perf de Castro doing the guitars of FrancisM’s Kaleidoscope World? Galing di ba? And yet there are only 14,069 views as of this moment. Alam naman natin kasi ang mga Pinoy ang hilig yung pop talaga. Halos lahat nakaka-relate. So if you want your songs na mag-click, mag-compose ka ng pop.

The Pinoy’s sensibility is so unique that there is just no way anybody can pinpoint what it really is. We are neither East or West. We say we like Rihanna but are in our hearts longing for the oldies of Kuh Ledesma. This I believe is what accounts for our enduring fascination with the hits of the Manila Sound era. The music of that time accurately defined what is in the heart of every Filipino, part Western melodies, part Latin sensuality and part Asian sentiments.