'Mr. DJ'
Ray Valera, the creator of this Sharon Cuneta hit song, may have unwittingly given due recognition to Philippine radio for its pivotal role in helping Original Pinoy Music (OPM) become confidently competitive in a foreign music-dominated industry.
After all, disc jockeys — the so-called captains of the airwaves — and the radio establishments they represent kept the faith in the ingenuity of local artists even in their most trying hours. Time was when Filipino artists merely mimicked Western artists. Thus, we had “The Elvis Presley/Frank Sinatra/ Johnny Mathis of the Philippines,” and so on and so forth. Many of those who tried to stamp their own brand of music on the Pinoy pop scene failed. But a few mavericks in the radio industry saw in those artists a faint spark, which needed only a little boost to take them to prominence at rocket speed.
Suffering from four-century colonization by Western powers, Filipinos understandably gravitated toward Western music. Pinoy music had to struggle to keep its independence from a mixture of Asian, European and American sounds. No other country has exerted greater music influence on the Philippines than the Americans who liberated the country from Spain and, later, Japan.
Colonized by the Americans between 1898 and 1935, we were partly indoctrinated to Western culture through the sounds of the blues, folk, R&B and rock and roll. The late ‘50s saw local artists adapting Tagalog lyrics to rock and roll hits, which shaped the growth of so-called Pinoy Rock. One outstanding feat in this genre was the 1960s hit song Killer Joe by the Rocky Fellers Band, which managed to rise to No. 16 on the American radio charts.
Early Pinoy rockers of the ‘70s such as the Juan de la Cruz band began producing rock music using the native tongue. Ang Himig Natin became such a huge success that, suddenly, singing rock in the dialect was in vogue. Other artists upped the ante by singing in a mixture of Tagalog and English (Taglish). Hotdog and other bands using this bold medium ushered in the so-called Manila Sound.
Throughout the ‘70s until the mid ‘90s, having Taglish lyrics in music was considered cool. From the birth of the Manila Sound to today’s OPM (now encompassing basically all music genres), Pinoy music has not looked back.
Freddie Aguilar, Florante, APO, Joey Ayala, Grace Nono, Bayang Barrios, Cocojam, Circus Band, Bong Peñera, Eddie K, Ryan Cayabyab, Sharon Cuneta, Rico Puno, Kuh Ledesma, Claire dela Fuente, Hajji Alejandro, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Banyuhay, Gary Valenciano, Pilita Corrales, Basil Valdez, Rey Valera, Asin, Celeste Legaspi, Sampaguita, Martin Nievera, Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Lani Misalucha, Lea Salonga, Side A, South Border, Francis Magalona, Didith Reyes, Janno Gibbs, Eva Eugenio, Jaya, The Betrayed, The Jerks, Maria Cafra, Andrew E, Michael V, The Urban Bandits, The Dawn, Eraserheads, Yano, Siakol, Parokya Ni Edgar, RiverMaya, Pupil, Sponge Cola, Callalily, Chicosci, Bamboo, Aegis, Cueshe, Silent Sanctuary, Rocksteddy, Kjwan, Kamikazee, Itchyworms, Up Dharma Down, Sandwich, The Company, True Faith, Vinyard, Valley of Chrome, Clap Your Hands, Imago, Hale, MYMP, The Ambassadors, Moonstar88, Faspitch, Check and Urbandub… they’re too many to name here, but each of these artists has blended the influences of diverse genres and subgenres into a unique musical style.
But they would not have reached their dreams if not for the various DJs and radio stations that believed in them. Radio station DZRJ, particularly the AM weekend show Pinoy Rock and Rhythm captained by Dante David (aka Howlin’ Dave) provided much-needed airtime and publicity to Pinoy Rock during its formative years.
The Dawn, one of the most popular bands of the ‘80s, became a byword for Pinoy Rock when its independently released single Enveloped Ideas clicked with the listeners of the now defunct DWXB-FM 102.7. The radio station is considered to be key to the success of many 80s fledgling New Wave musicians. The station played many independently released singles of unsigned local bands such as Dean’s December and Ethnic Faces, many of which achieved cult status.
LA 105.9 for its part was an active campaigner for Filipino rock music. It supported innovative amateur (even if inadequately recorded) singles and provided airplay opportunities to upstart bands. The band that shone brightest among these amateurs was Eraserheads. The 1993 release of its first commercial album “Ultraelectromagneticpop!” created a distinctive new sound for indie-music ears.
So when we make a request to DJs, as Sharon did in her song, remember that we’re adding our share to the evolution of Philippine music.
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For comments or questions, please e-mail me at audioglow@yahoo.com or at vphl@hotmail.com. You can also visit www.wiredstate.com or http://bikini-bottom.proboards80.com/index.cgi for quick answers to your audio concerns.
