GIE Alcasid, OPM president
I immensely enjoyed the OPM (Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-Aawit) Fair in Cebu. There’s no better time to cheer up and cheer on our Visayan kababayan than now, in the aftermath of the recent earthquake and supertyphoon. So all roads led to the Queen City last Nov. 24 at the South Road Properties for the
biennial event to promote Original Pilipino Music.
According to OPM president Ogie Alcasid, the OPM Fair started two years ago in Quezon City and it was there that then-Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan suggested that the next one be held in Visayas, and the third in Mindanao.
“It was definitely not easy,” Ogie adds, “because our resources were very limited but by God’s grace it happened. OPM is not just in Metro Manila. We want to involve the whole country. We give a chance to local talents of each region to perform in the fair alongside with mainstream artists like us. I am so humbled by the
Cebuano talents who joined us. Ang husay nila!”
Ogie is really such a trouper. He had a bum stomach that night but he still gave 100 percent onstage and even backstage as he called the shots. The way a president ought to be.
Event highlight
NOEL Cabangon, Ogie Alcasid and Dingdong Avanzado opm2013 facebook
The highlight of the event was the traveling exhibit, “My OPM Playlist: A Thematic Exhibition of 365 OPM Songs from the Playlists of Influential Filipinos.” It was quite interesting to find out what our music icons and other celebs listen to. There were huge boards of each celeb’s OPM Playlist with matching iPod next to them so you could check out their songs of choice. What a thrill to see my board alongside the ones of my colleagues such as Dingdong Dantes, Daniel Padilla, Jose Javier Reyes, Kate Torralba, Lourd de Veyra, Howie Severino, Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Sen. Pangilinan, plus those of great OPM artists like Ogie, Noel Cabangon, Ryan Cayabyab, Mitch Valdes, Dulce, Jim Paredes and many more. (Download the playlists at https://opm2go.com.)
The exhibit will be brought all over the country. It’s about time you come up with your own OPM Playlist, too. Forget Miley, Justin, Bruno and Katy for awhile and be all ears to our very own timeless hits. Simply EAR-resistible!
I felt like a groupie as I joined the artists/bands in the bus to the venue. What a delight it was to bond with them backstage. It was the first time I got to know Mr. Ryan C. a little more. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that
Mr. C was no “strict maestro.” He kept ribbing some of the band members who used to be his students and gamely joined me in my search for the best lechon. On a serious note, I asked him what the pressing issues OPM should address to keep it vibrant and alive.
JIM Paredes and Mitch Valdes
“Together with the PhilPop Foundation, I am backing Noel Cabangon to spearhead a multiplatform five-day convention where theses and projections can be discussed,” he says. “An industry-wide approach is necessary to address issues affecting us all.”
Mr. C and I laughed like crazy when I called him “Your Eminence” since he was slated to receive a Papal Award. He would rather be called “Your Fatness” (fatness of his heart, if I may say so).
Star-studded
The Cebuanos came in full force to watch the star-studded “365 Days of OPM” concert (proceeds go to Cebu Red Cross, Cebu City Medical Center and “Yolanda” survivors), top-billed by Ogie, Noel, Jim, Chad Borja, Tres Marias (Cooky Chua, Bayang Barrios and Lolita Carbon), Dingdong Avanzado, Jessa Zaragoza, Mitch Valdes, Yano, Tippy Dos Santos, Jeff James, Mike Hanopol, Mauna Kea Chan, Bloomfields, Brownbeat All Stars, Deanery and Urbandub. Cebu’s Pride Cuarenta, AZZ band, Dympha, Drop Decay, Pain in the Neck and Powerspoonz also joined in the revelry.
This Saturday, Ogie and other OPM stalwarts are performing for the “Yolanda” survivors in Villamor Air Base.
Kudos to Ogie and the OPM team for showing us above and beyond the call of melody, este duty, that nothing beats good old homegrown music.
Online sale
Another OPM icon, Dennis Garcia of Hotdog, has an online holiday bazaar. Check out www.chubibo.wix.com/xmasbazaar for one-of-a-kind finds.
PERSONAL: Thanks a mil to Dinah Remolacio, Janet Reboredo and Kristy Muñoz for taking good care of all of us in Cebu. They are truly OPM’s angels. They might as well have harps so they can also sing in the next fair.
Fa la la la la!