Festival Chairman and PhilPop Board Member Sir Ryan Cayabyab
Recently I attended the reveal of PhilPop’s Top 30 songs together with the composers and interpreters lineup for 2018 at Cafe 1771. PhilPop’s yearly songwriting competition always brings the best songs around the country.
Sir Ryan Cayabyab opened the program with his talk stressing how important to include and give voices not only to a specific demographic and also cater to compositions that can have an impact to Filipino’s music and soul.
"This year, we are happy to launch 30 songs that represent stories, struggles, ambitions, and dreams of people like us. We look forward to listen and enjoy these wonderful compositions."
Cayabyab also expressed PhilPop's advocacy promoting top-notch Filipino music that matters.
"Rest assured that we will stay true to our commitment to look for talented songwriters and give them a platform to realize their dreams of seeing their songs across the nation."
To listen to the Top 30, go to http://www.philpop.com.ph/top-30-playlist
Top 30 semi-finalists are the following music acts: Davey Langit and the band for Kenneth John Pores' "AEIOU", Feel Day and Hans Dimayuga for Jeriko Buenafe's "Ako, Ako", Wincet Jacot and Medyo Maldito for Eamarie Gilayo and Jovit Leonerio's "Away Wa'y Buwagay", Michael Llave for his own song "Bumbero", Ferdinand Aragon for his own composition "Di Ko Man", RJ dela Fuente for Mark Jay Felipe's "Ikaw Ang Aking Pag-ibig", Jex de Castro for Carlo Angelo David's "Isang Gabing Pag-ibig", Acapellago for Philip Arvin Jarilla's "Kariton", Ataska
and Nash for Sarah Bulahan's "Kelan Kaya", Carlyn Ocampo and Joshua Feliciano for Karlo Zabala's "kilabI",
Leanne and Naara for Jeremy Sarmiento's "Korde Kodigo", Cacai Bautista for Elmar Bolaño and Donel Transporto's "Laon Ako", Russ Cabico for his own entry "LDR (Layong Di Ramdam)", Kyle Pulido for his own material "LGBT (Laging Ganito Ba Tayo?)", Bayang Barrios and Niliyagan for Agatha Marallos and Melvin Joseph Morallos' "Lilipad", BennyBunnyBand for Edgardo Miraflor Jr.'s "Loco De Amor!", Carlo Angelo David for his own track "Makisabay", Caleb Santos for Paul Hildawa's "Mahirap Magselos", Nitro for Marvin Blue Corpus' "Malilimutan Din Kita", Jeric Medina for Oliver Narag's "MMRA",
Chud Festejo for his own composition "Nanay Tatay", Thyro Alfaro for Aikee Aplacador's "Oka", Jem Cubil for Barry Villacarillo's "Perfectly Imperfect Human", Julian Trono for Sean Gabriel Cedro and John Ray Reodique's "Pilipit", Yumi Lacsamana for Aikee Aplacador's "Promise Sorry Note", The Juans for Agatha Morallos and Melvin Morallos' "Pwede", Katrina Velarde for Michael Rodriguez and Jeanne Columbine Rodriguez's "Tama Na", Therese Villarante for Therese Marie Villarante and Henrick James Pestaño's "Unang Adlaw nga Wala Ka", Ignacio Dennis Roxas for his own song "Utang", and Eunice Jorge of Gracenote for Donnalyn Onilongo's "Yun Tayo (Formerly Taken)".
On September 17 at 12 noon, the official songs supervised by Viva Records will be available on YouTube and Spotify.
These Top 30 songs will be trimmed down to Top 10 via combined results of voting and judging. The criteria will be 50% from judges screening, 25% from online streaming, and 25% Smart’s People Choice Award voting through SMS and Twitter’s conversational ad.
songs via SMS or Twitter.
The Top 10 will be revealed on October 22, 2018 on PhilPop’s website and social media. The finalists will get a spot and perform their original composition through their chosen interpreter on PhilPop Festival Night on November 30 at the Capitol Commons in Pasig City.
Closing the program, Sir Noel Cabangon reads a Manifesto promoting Filipino music and helping Pinoy composers to reach for their dream and empower them to tell their stories and inspiring the nation through their music. The Manifesto were signed by the supporters and top musicians and composers.
After the program came the listening party of all the 30 songs. My initial favorites includes Kariton, Lilipad and Oka. I like the top 30 this year because it included local dialects not just Tagalog and English songs. The genre and representation of this batch are extensive and you’ll surely find your favorite tracks based on your preference.
Kudos to PhilPop for promoting and making sure that OPM continues for a long time and will never die. Mentorship and full support to Filipino composers and giving #PinoyMusicPower!
#PhilPop2018
