Chito Miranda: OPM is not dead

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines - Denying claims that the local music industry is already dead, Parokya ni Edgar vocalist Chito Miranda said the current Pinoy music scene is on a higher level now as compared to what he witnessed before.

"We totally laugh at it. They have no idea how big it is now," Miranda told Philstar.com about claims that Original Pilipino Music (OPM) has already crumbled in the face of more popular foreign music from Korea and the west.

Miranda is in Dumaguete City until Thursday as a mentor for the 3rd Elements: National Singing-Songwriting Camp, where he shares his talent with younger musicians hoping to make it big in the industry.

"Our bands now, the music scene now, our songwriters now are a lot more brilliant than how we were in the nineties. I guess it's because the nineties kids started listening to the bands early so they had 10 years to practice and to hone their craft," he said.

The Parokya frontman added that the current mainstream media does not highlight other bands that are popular in their own right, contributing to the perception that OPM is already dead.

"If you're stuck in local television, you won't see Rivermaya performing there, you won't see Urbandub performing there. But once you enter our world, where we play every week, twice a week, for crowds that are 20,000 to 40,000 weekly on a regular basis, you'll see that we have a much larger market," he said.

Miranda added that the band has an upcoming tour with Wolfgang, Kamikazee, Rico Blanco and Urbandub, in venues that are larger compared to where they used to perform in.

"We are well compensated now as we were when we were kids. Major companies are willing to invest in bands when it comes to promoting their products, so how can you say OPM is dead when major products are investing millions in the local music scene?" he added.

Miranda said that local artists should not worry about foreign competition for as long as they improve their craft.

"You can listen to Korean Pop and foreign music and at the same time enjoy Pinoy music. For me, it's not a problem... if you come up with a good song, kahit ano pa ang uso, magbe-break out 'yung song mo," he said.

Talking about his own band, considered to be one of the longest-lasting Filipino group, Miranda said Parokya ni Edgar members are still enjoying their lives despite the recent decision of back-up vocalist Vinci Montaner to leave the group for good.

"Vinci left because he doesn't want to live the band life anymore and we need to respect that. Even I, if I feel tired of being in the band I would leave, too," he said.

He added, however, that the current members miss Montaner for all the fun he shared with the band. The group remains intact despite this, and Miranda said they can still perform well without him.

"We're still busy as hell. It's tiring, but it's fun and we get paid for it," he said.