Promoting Pinoy music, musicians

LOLITA Carbon will perform in the show. PHOTO from blacktie project

For hip-hop artist Abra, there’s no better way to promote the music scene than simply going up the stage and performing as many local original compositions as he can. The coming Pinoy Music Festival (PMF), he said, would be a good platform for him and other artists to do exactly that.

“I always try my best to produce good material, whether it’s a single or a collaboration. I commit to whatever project I’m doing,” the 23-year-old rapper told the Inquirer at a recent press con.

Set on Sept. 5 at Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati City, the event will feature performances from seasoned and emerging Filipino talents like Ogie Alcasid, Noel Cabangon, Lolita Carbon, Bayang Barrios, Tippy Dos Santos, Lara Maigue, Johnoy Danao and many more.

Pocket shows have been held at various venues in the Makati Central Business District in the lead-up to the PMF, which aims to boost local music promotion.

“It’s good to have festivals where artists of different genres are represented. You get a full perspective of the music scene and learn to appreciate various styles,” said Abra, who was behind one of last year’s biggest hits, “Gayuma.”

One of Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit’s (OPM) junior ambassadors, Abra said it was an honor to be entrusted with the task.

Starting young

Young performers Tippy Dos Santos and Abra join OPM stalwart Noel Cabangon at the Pinoy Music Festival.

As young as she is, singer-actress Tippy is already active in supporting advocacy music events like this one. We spotted the 20-year-old newbie at the recent OPM assembly. “Why would our countrymen support local music if the artists don’t?” she told the Inquirer. “That’s why I’m immersing myself in local music.”

Tippy, who interpreted (with Sam Concepcion) the 2013 PhilPop songwriting competition’s winning entry “Dati,” added, “Some of the veterans told young singers that they would be passing on the torch to us. So it’s important for us to have a clear vision for ourselves this early.”

While she will cover classic Filipino songs in the coming concert, Tippy said she would soon release her debut album, which will contain mostly originals.

The PMF is organized by the Pinoy Music Council, a newly established umbrella organization of musicians, singers, composers, producers and publishers. Groups comprising the council are OPM, Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (Filscap), Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino  and  PhilPop Foundation.

Prime purpose

Noel Cabangon, PMF festival director, said  the council’s prime purpose was to implement the proposals generated by conveners at the Pinoy Music Summit, held in March this year. “There were a lot of recommendations for improving the industry, and we need something to bring these to fruition,” Cabangon said.

“It’s important for us to band together, so that we can focus on what should be done to strengthen the music industry,” added Cabangon, who’s also Filscap president and OPM vice president for external affairs.

Noel Cabangon

While the council is yet to be registered, Cabangon said  he and his colleagues already had an idea who the officers and trustees should be. “We would also like to have people from the academe and the business sector, so we can have different perspectives,” he said.

Former OPM president Jim Paredes echoed Cabangon’s sentiments, saying that cooperation among different music groups is stronger now than it has ever been. “I think this is so far the biggest effort,” said Paredes. “Local audiences are starting to appreciate the value of our music.”

Cabangon envisions a more expansive music festival in the future. “We hope to organize a longer celebration next year, and also feature artists from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. There are so many great songs from the regions,” he said, adding that staging events in other parts of the country is also a dream he hopes to pursue.

(E-mail [email protected])

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