They eye mainstream break: PAGCOR’s new musical groups are being primed for the mainstream

MANILA, Philippines - The more artists, the merrier. PAGCOR expands its pool of homegrown talents, also priming them up for the mainstream music scene.

Bong Quintana, AVP for Entertainment, said that they intend to capitalize on the buzz generated by PAGCOR 5 (made up of the alums of the first edition of the OPM@PAGCOR talent search in 2011) by coming up with new groups to dish out more diverse musical entertainment for the casino crowd as well as the general public.

They are Krazy Chikz (beauty queens-turned-singer/dancers); Viktors (champs of the OPM@PAGCOR talent search from its first to third season); the K Menn (trio of balladeers who were finalists in the OPM@PAGCOR search); and Dash as One Rhythm (a female-fronted band).

“Individually, they are strong. They’re champions, they’re beauty queens, they’re winners, so we experimented in combining all their talents together and so far, we’re happy with the results. Normally, when you’re a solo performer, you don’t expect that that much voicing and blending,” said Bong.

The groups have a full schedule as featured performers of Casino Filipino branches nationwide. They are also being readied for the next step. “They are a work-in-progress. They have seminars and workshops for voice, dancing, hosting and spiel delivery every Monday,” Bong said.

Entertaining the “casino crowd” nightly serves as a fitting training ground, as they learn to be professional and capture audiences who are there to play and not exactly to listen to the music.

Bong said that their efforts at discovering and developing unsigned and emerging talents are a show of support for the country’s OPM industry. While the state-owned gaming firm’s various Casino Filipino venues have provided a stage and spotlight for these talents, they remain like a well-kept secret lacking in much-deserved mainstream exposure. That it is PAGCOR’s goal this year — to showcase their gifts to a wider audience.

“They are under contract with PAGCOR but they are not exclusive in terms of their performances. Some of them have performed outside of (Casino Filipino) already. Precisely why we’re doing this launch is to formally introduce them to the mainstream,” said Bong.

In the pipeline are plans to field a bet from among them to reality singing shows like the upcoming Voice of the Philippines, the first-season winner of which, Mitoy Yonting, is the frontman of a band that also plays regularly for the casino crowd.

There also plans to do recording. Bong said, “We have come up with tie-ups with a recording studio. We are having talks already (for recording). Hopefully, they will make it into the mainstream. All of them have been performing in Casino Filipino branches and venues nationwide and we want to target the outside (of the casino) audience, although we have had a few of those already.”

Meanwhile, The STAR had a sample of the kind of entertainment these groups offered. The Krazy Chikz’s Raine de Guzman, Reyna Yamanouchi, Carin Ramos and Kim Parajes (Miss Casino Filipino 2012 winners) live up to their name, with crazy, sexy, cool antics and the bravura of divas, belting out no less than Whitney Houston songs. “We love Katy Perry, but for some reason, they don’t want to let us sing Katy, they want us to sing Whitney Houston,” member Kim mused.

Asked what their ultimate dream is, “to have an album!” the four ladies chorused.

Dash as One Rhythm is a band fronted by PAGCOR 5 member and power belter from Bacolod, Dash Camporaso, while K Menn is a boyband who can deftly move from swoon-worthy tunes to funny impersonations of their idols Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera and Manny Pacquiao.

Our personal favorite is the Viktors who impressed us with their mash-ups of OPMs and pop tunes, featuring their own arrangements. Members Joyce Tañaña, Froilan Canlas and Karl Tanhueco are very grateful for the regular gigs with PAGCOR (since the time they became OPM@PAGCOR winners), which enabled them to perform with established acts and pursue other dreams like putting up a business — a music school-cum-rehearsal and recording studio. And they continue to dream big. As Joyce, the only female member of Viktors, said, “Our dreams don’t stop here; they are just starting here.”

For details, visit www.casinofilipino.ph.