The thought of winning a million bucks for just one song is quite tempting. So is the chance to own a sculpture by National Artist Ramon Orlina or even just to get a hundred thousand pesos or to be included in the album as one of the Philpop finalists. I can think of so many other reasons why composers or anybody who dabbles in songwriting should join the Philippine Pop Music Festival.
I do not think I ever will, though. Not that I do not think I will make the grade. Every song gets a fair chance at Philpop. It is because l had so much fun adjudicating the entries these past two years and I do not want to miss out on doing the same in the future.
Adjudicators have the task of screening the songs. That means listening to thousands of demos. Some are very good, others are unbelievably bad. And then bringing the number down to the Magic 12. It is a grueling process but also interesting and exciting. You start out with the raw demos and then you get to see these songs arranged and recorded and then performed live on finals night.
Some entries get lucky and are hugely improved with the production. Others are less fortunate and lose their initial appeal after the recording or during the live performance. And for adjudicators, the chance to be there as this happens makes for quite an experience.
The best of this year’s batch was presented to the public in at the Meralco Theater last Saturday, July 20, Universal Records. The music industry is said to be in the doldrums nowadays but it can never be said that its members cannot put on a good, thoroughly enjoyable show. Ogie Alcasid hosted and sang Sirena. Regine Velasquez-Alcasid judged. Charice sounded incredible with Chinito. And so did The CompanY, Baihana, the Opera and the Ryan Cayabyab singers. Some interpreters were obviously nursing a bad case of nerves but they still rose to their challenges and gave their best takes of the 12 finalists.
The suspenseful evening ended with the announcement of the honor roll: Dati by Thyro Alfaro and Yumi Lacsamana sang by Sam Concepcion and Tippy Dos Santos featuring Quest won the grand prize of P1M and an Orlina trophy; Kung ‘di Man by YouTube star Johnoy Danao sang by Ney Dimaculangan of the band 6Cyclemind as first runner-up with a P500,000 cash prize and an Orlina trophy; and Pansamantagal by Jungee Marcelo now a duet by Sitti Navarro and Jullianne Tarroja, second runner-up with P250,000 cash prize and also an Orlina trophy.
Dati, a nostalgic look at a failed romance in the time of Nintendo games and of the Jolina-Marvin love team, was an easy choice. Writers are the hip-hop duo of Thyro and Yumi, two bright new lights of local pop music. The song was a big favorite from the start and it just got better and better, as it was subjected through the wringing deliberations.
It was a certainty that it would be one of the top bets when the Philpop 2013 album came out with Sam, Tippy and Quest as interpreters and Thyro and Yumi as producers. Definitely one of the best cuts in the CD and radio friendly, too. Incidentally, Thyro also made a strong showing in Philpop 2012 with the finalist Himig Ng Panahon, while Sam was the performer of the second runner-up winner Kontrabida by Soc Villanueva.
While you can now start dreaming of what song to write for Philpop 2014 while I think of what songs I will be able to subject to praise or torture as an adjudicator, it is still a fact that Philpop 2013 has not really ended. The next, and I must say, most difficult part of the business of creating hits has just begun. Dati must be turned into a hit. Not just a hit, but a huge hit. And the same goes for the other winners and finalists. A song must be heard to stay alive and it would be really sad to go into Philpop 2014 with Dati and those other songs dead and forgotten.
Does anybody know what has happened to last year’s Philpop winner Bawat Hakbang?
Special awards went to Segundo by Paul Armesin, sang by SpongeCola frontman Yael Yuzon, which was chosen as the Meralco song and also to Kung ’di Man the Smart People’s Choice Award for having received the most text votes from Smart, Talk ’n Text and Sun Cellular subscribers.
The other finalists were: Araw, Ulap, Langit by Marlon Barnuevo, performed by balladeer Christian Bautista; Space by Raffy Calicdan, performed by Banda ni Kleggy and Kean Cipriano of Callalily; Askal by Ganny Brown, sang by Jose Manalo and Wally Bayola, the comedy duo of the TV variety show Eat Bulaga.
Sana Pinatay Mo Na Lang Ako by Myrus Apacible, sang by internet discovery Kimpoy Feliciano; Sometimes That Happens by Adrienne Sarmiento Buenaventura and Nino Regalado interpreted by Ace Libre of the band Never the Strangers; Sa ‘Yo Na Lang Ako by Opera Belle Lara Maigue performed by Karylle; Papel by Joey Ayala, interpreted by Ayala and Gloc-9 featuring Denise Barbacena; and Time Machine by Kennard Faraon performed by Six Part Invention.