OPM friends to groove the greatest hits

Now 40 years old, OPM was founded in 1986 by singer, actress and comedian Mitch Valdes and named by the late APO Hiking Society singer and composer Danny Javier.

They call themselves the OPM Friends. They are Celeste Legaspi, Leah Navarro, Mitch Valdes, Nanette Inventor, Pat Castillo, Pinky Marquez, Bo Cerrudo and Ding Mercado. I guess this tag comes from all of them being members of OPM or the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit and also friends of OPM.

Now 40 years old, OPM was founded in 1986 by singer, actress and comedian Mitch Valdes and named by the late APO Hiking Society singer and composer Danny Javier. OPM brought order to the lives of singers, helped professionalize careers in the entertainment industry and when necessary worked to uphold the rights of its members.

Now, the letters OPM also stand for original Pilipino music. That means all music compositions written and performed by Filipino artists. As per the parameters set by Vic del Rosario Jr. of Vicor Music Corporation to the Broadcast Media Council in 1976, OPM also means collaborations between Filipino and foreign songwriters like adaptations of songs into Filipino, foreign songs recorded by Filipino artists and Filipino songs recorded by foreign artists.

That definition became the guideline for DJs to follow Memorandum 75-31 from Malacañang, which required that an OPM song should be played once every hour in all radio stations. As music lovers from that time doubtless remember that memorandum from the BMC helped achieve what is still considered the golden age of original Pilipino music. And that is OPM, a tag still commonly used these days to define a Filipino song.

You want OPMs from that golden age? If you do, you will find that the OPM Friends have a lot to offer. And that is just what they will do come the evening of March 27 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater at the Newport Mall in Pasay City. The show is titled Groovin’ the Greatest Hits and OPM Friends have a very rich treasure trove of hits to present.

Celeste has quite a haul. Mamang Sorbetero, Gaano Kita Kamahal, Ako’y Bakyang-Bakya, Tuliro. So does Leah Navarro. Ang Pag-ibig Kong Ito, Kailangan Kita, Ligaw Tingin, Isang Mundo Isang Awit, Buhay ng Buhay Ko. Before she became Donya Buding, Nanette was the go-to cover version artist for the foreign hit songs of the time, including Michael Jackson’s. While Pat Castillo was one of the members of the Circus Band and also went solo with Aso’t Pusa.

Mitch mostly did her singing in theater musicals, most notably Katy and was also a star on television “Super-Laff In” and in the movies, “Oro, Plata, Mata.” Pinky was also a musical theater favorite for shows like “The Sound of Music.” Ding spent most of the ‘70s and ‘80s as a big star on Hong Kong television but became known for his powerful covers in concerts when he returned home. Bo is also no slouch as a vocalist who can go from kundimans to pop ballads.

Joining the OPM Friends at Newport will be Nonoy Zuniga as a special guest. After his stint with the Family Birth Control Band in 1978, Nonoy built his entire solo career on a very strong OPM foundation with songs that remain popular to this day. Doon Lang, Never Ever Say Goodbye, Kumusta Ka, Init sa Magdamag, Araw Gabi and many others.

There will certainly be a lot of OPM at Newport come March 27 but not to forget, all of these artists are also excellent with covers. So when they say they are grooving’ the hits, you can bet that there will be lots of foreign favorites from various eras in the show. Maybe Nonoy can do one of his Lou Rawls turns.

And one more thing, with Mitch and Nanette together in one show, you can bet that the audience will not only be grooving, they will also be laughing. Get your tickets now.