March 16 ------ Original Pilipino Music (OPM) is at an all-time high nowadays. Take a look at the hit charts and the playlists. It is starting to feel like the Manila Sound explosion of the ‘70s again. Market reaction to Amiel Sol, Dionela, TJ Monterde, Cup of Joe, Arthur Nery and others is staggering. If online usage can be translated to numbers and then equated to physical records, singles, LPs or CDs and even airplay, the pile-up would be mountains.
What makes the present situation even better is that producers and artists are reacting by constantly coming out with new products. It is great to have so many talented and productive artists trying out their sounds, all eager for a place in the charts. Hopefully, these will help generate more hits and keep up this exciting trend.
Here are some of them:
Raya, a new all-girl group. BINI made it, so what is to stop others from trying? Bursting with vibrant energy, pretty young things Abel, Anna, Ash, Aviona, Jemima, Kash, Priscilla, Rona and Sofia were banded together by Viva Artists Agency to become Raya. The girls are now making their bids for the big time with two time-tested covers.
Why covers? OK, it is always best to go original. But until the right song comes, then oldies will do as well. In the case of Raya, these are the classic Bongga Ka Day by Hotdog and Sarah Geronimo’s Kilometro, which they have turned into fun, sparkling and danceable pop. Check out Raya’s official YouTube Channel for their versions. The versatile band Nior. Seniors and juniors come together to make music in Nior. Can you see where their name comes from? The group is made up of Gabrielle Van Polanen Petel on vocals; Brian Nucup, vocals and rhythm guitar; Jessie Ocampo, drums; Paul Tanchiatco, lead guitar; and Christian Cervera Mallari, bass.
And because they are juniors and seniors together, they make music for everybody. Leaning towards alt pop is Nior’s new single titled Ethanol, which came out last week. For more of their sounds, there are their earlier recordings titled Formosa and Akin available online.
More alt pop from singer and songwriter Plume. He seems to like one-word titles for his songs. So, he followed up his debut release Beautiful, his second try, Panggap with his third, which he called Kidlat. But do not be deceived by the title of the Baguio-based Plume’s new single. There is nothing loud or scary about it. Kidlat translates into lightning but in Plume’s case, he sees it as being struck with a sudden, unexpected and oh-so-powerful emotion called love. Those who watch GMA Network’s “Mga Batang Riles” must already be familiar with the tune. Plume’s Kidlat provides the romantic touch for the character of Miguel Tanfelix in the series.
Jukebox ballad from JC Regino. It does seem like dance and alt pop are the sounds of today, but for Pinoys, the heart-hitting jukebox ballad will always be here to stay. Here to carry out the tradition is JC Regino. A crown prince of the genre if ever there is one, JC is the son of the late April Boy Regino. April Boy created hits like Honey My Love (So Sweet), Sana’y Mahalin Mo Pa Rin Ako, Umiiyak ang Puso and many others that remain big sellers to this day. He passed away five years ago due to chronic kidney disease. Now, here comes JC, ready to claim his father’s throne. He has the same plaintive vocals associated with jukebox tunes and writes of heartbreaks so painful. His latest Babytawan is about the difficulty of letting go.
Source: philstar.com
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