Rockfest set to prove Filipino music is alive and kickin’

RICO Blanco, left, and Chito Miranda of Parokya ni Edgar. photo:myx.com.ph

At the recent media launch of the coming Tanduay Rhum Rockfest VI, the topic of discussion was the state of contemporary Filipino music.

The event, which organizers hope will prove that Pinoy music is alive and kicking, features a staggering 30-band lineup for shows in three key cities: Cebu tomorrow; Davao, Oct. 19; and Metro Manila (SM Mall of Asia grounds), Oct. 26.

Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mangaawit (OPM) secretary Dingdong Avanzado described Pinoy music as not dead, but “evolving … it is in the process of transformation into a sound that’s more suited to this generation.”

OPM vice president for external affairs Noel Cabangon stressed that the local music industry “won’t die as long as bands and independent artists continue to create songs. There are always new, young bands emerging.”

Parokya ni Edgar vocalist Chito Miranda pointed out that part of the problem was that listeners thought the mainstream market was the be-all and end-all of local music.

“If you’re really a music lover, you can’t just depend on what’s being fed to you by the media. You should go out, explore and watch gigs to see that Pinoy music is alive,” he said “Actually, the venues where we play these days are much larger than those we had in the 1990s.”

Rico Blanco echoed Miranda’s sentiments, saying that a true music lover had no excuse not to watch gigs. “I had a measly allowance when I was a student, but I saved money so I could buy records and watch shows. I breathed music,” he told the Inquirer.

“Frankly, this whole ‘OPM (Original Pilipino Music) is dead’ talk bores me to death,” Blanco said. “In the ’80s, people asked why bands couldn’t be like Asin or Hotdog. And in the ’90s, during our time with the Eraserheads, Parokya ni Edgar and Wolfgang, people asked why we  couldn’t match the [quality of the] bands of the ’80s.”

He continued: “Now I’m hearing it again. Take my word, 20 years from now, you’ll look back on 2012 , and say that this is the golden age of OPM.”

Blanco believes there has always been great Pinoy music, no matter what decade. “Why can’t we just accept and appreciate it? Compartmentalizing it by decade is a foolish way of going about things,” he insisted.

Other bands and solo artists expected to give music aficionados nationwide a great time  in the coming rock festival include Kamikazee, Urbandub, Wolfgang, Ebe Dancel, Gloc-9, Franco, Up Dharma Down, Chicosci, 6cyclemind, Radioactive Sago Project, Sandwich, and many others.

(For more information, visit www.facebook.com/TanduayRhumOfficial.)