Brown voted Smart People's Choice

MANILA, Philippines - An engineer’s song expressing his reservations about approaching a long-lost sweetheart proved resonant to mobile subscribers, who voted it Smart People’s Choice in the first Philippine Popular Music Festival (PhilPop).

James Leyte’s song Brown referring to the color of his ex-girlfriend’s hair garnered the highest number of text votes among 14 entries during the two-week voting period for the Smart People’s Choice Award. Leyte received P200,000 and a trophy by sculptor Ramon Orlina during awarding ceremonies held at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Ryan Cayabyab, executive director of the PhilPop Music Foundation which organized the songwriting competition, said Brown’s distinctive rhythm helped it connect with voters.

“It is unique and has touches of reggae and rap. The use of a complex lyric rhythm is what makes it an exciting hybrid. This unique blend of rhythm with a very infectious melodic chorus-hook is what made it win,” he said.

“I think everyone related to my experience. We’ve all had former lovers and when we see them again, we just don’t know what to do,” the 27-year-old Leyte said.

The song got nearly 40 percent of the total votes sent via text from July 1 to 12.

“The active participation of our subscribers in the text voting component of PhilPop shows the high level of support for local songwriters and original Filipino music,” said Smart president and CEO Napoleon Nazareno, who presented Leyte with the Smart People’s Choice Award.

“We are happy to have given Filipinos the opportunity to choose their PhilPop favorite. Through a simple text, subscribers were given a voice in this prestigious competition,” he added.

Meanwhile, Smart’s Wireless Consumer Division head Emmanuel Lorenzana said: “Smart will continue its efforts in promoting original Filipino compositions. Bringing Filipino music closer to our subscribers is one of the ways by which we encourage people to ‘live more.’”

Smart co-presented the PhilPop festival with other major companies like Maynilad Water, Meralco and PLDT. Smart’s chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan chairs the PhilPop Foundation, while Smart’s chief wireless advisor Orlando Vea is one of the executive directors.