More bands, more fun in Greenhills Sessionistas 2010

MANILA, Philippines - After three years of successful staging, the fourth Greenhills Sessionistas hit the stage on a bigger scale.

“This development follows inquiries that, for the first time, are coming from school bands from the provinces who are eager to pit their talents against those of their peers in the megacity,” said Greenhills Shopping Center general manager Cathy Casares-Ko, event proponent and organizer.

 “So Greenhills Sessionistas 2010 will be different from those of previous years, but certainly bigger and more exciting because of the vast cultural diversity and unique styles that the competing bands are expected to bring to the stage, especially as each of them is required to come up with at least one original composition. Add to that the fun and cheers from their fans and supporters coming all the way from their respective schools and localities,” Ko explained.

Launched in 2007, this annual competition is open to all college students and covers a wide variety of genres — from pop and reggae to rock and R&B, among many others — excluding dirty and vulgar types of music, that is.

 “Greenhills Sessionistas promotes only wholesome entertainment that every member of a family, school or community can enjoy,” Ko stressed.

So far, those who have signified interest in joining the Greenhills Sessionistas 2010 are bands from the University of Asia and the Pacific, University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, University of the East, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, Far Eastern University, Jose Rizal University, Manila Central University, Our Lady of Fatima University, Manila Doctor’s College, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) – Manila and Quezon City, Technological University of the Philippines, and AMA East Rizal Campus, among many others.

Nonetheless, bands whose members come from different schools are also qualified to join the Greenhills Sessionistas.

Band members have to go through auditions before they can participate in the competition slated at the Greenhills G-Strip Parking every Friday for the entire month of September, with three to four bands competing nightly and getting the chance to perform and jam with an invited professional band during each contest night.

Popular bands that participated in past Greenhills Sessionistas have included Rivermaya, Kamikazee, Freestyle and The Dawn, among others, all giving the contestants a feel of how to perform like a pro.

At the end of the fourth Friday night, the three finalists are determined. The judges will be Chikoy Pura of The Jerks, drummer Andre Soler formerly of Mullato, and a guest judge for each contest night.

The finals night shall be held on the first Friday of October.

“Prizes include cash, gift certificates from the Greenhills Bangketa, and a four-night gig as a professional band at the Tiendesitas, where bar owners from various CBDs (central business districts) hunt for up-and-coming bands,” Ko pointed out.

This annual band competition is among the many attractions that make Greenhills Shopping Center a world-famous entertainment, lifestyle and tourism hub.

Now the nation’s top retail bargain center, Greenhills is owned and operated by real estate and property giant Ortigas and Company Ltd., also the owner and developer of the Ortigas Center and CBD, and many other major property developments in other parts of Metro Manila.