MANILA, Philippines - After three years of successful staging, the fourth Greenhills Sessionistas goes on stage at a bigger scale.
“This development looms from inquiries that, for the first time, are coming from school bands from the provinces who are eager to pit their talents with those of their peers in the megacity,” said Cathy Casares-Ko, general manager of Greenhills Shopping Center, the event proponent and organizer.
“So Greenhills Sessionistas 2010 stands to become different from those of the 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 on 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 genre - from pop and reggae to rock and R&B, among many others, except dirty and vulgar types of music.
“Greenhills Sessionistas promotes only wholesome entertainment that every member of a family, school or community can enjoy,” Ko said.
So far, those who have signified their interest to join 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.
“In fact, last year’s competition had a participating band whose members were from different schools but from the same family,” Ko recalled.
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 included Rivermaya, Kamikazee, Freestyle, and The Dawn, all giving the contestants a feel of how to perform like a pro.
At the end of the fourth Friday night, the three finalists shall be 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 will 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 central business districts hunt for up and coming bands, Ko said.