Cebu Pop’s Top 12
SCREENING. I was one of 10 individuals tasked to screen over a hundred original Cebuano/ Visayan entries to next year's Cebu Popular Music Festival. The actual contest will be staged on Jan. 19 at the International Eucharistic Convention Center in Mabolo. We the screeners have to admit that our task two weekends ago was not that light and easy. But as music lovers, we immensely enjoyed what we were doing.
CHALLENGING. Listening to more than a hundred songs was also a challenging day-long job. We had to listen to them very attentively so that our top 12 choices could stand scrutiny by whoever wants to dissect our decision. The other screeners were singers Chacha Blanco, Babyluz Condeno, Elvis Somosot, Fr. Jonas Mejares and Roy Caballero, violinist/ace photographer Britz Briones, radio deejay Hashtag, composer Yoojin Burgos and entertainment writer Jaypee Pleños Lao.
MAGIC 12. We picked the following entries and their composers and lyricists: In the Awit sa Gugma category: “Ikaw Na” by Neil Salarda, “Please Ayaw Sa Karon, Ugma Na Puhon” by Jade Castro, “Wa Sa Ta” by Manolito Dignos Languido and “Unsaon Ko” by Tiffany Damayo and Romnel Roseque.
OTHERS. In the Huni sa Kasing-kasing category, we picked “Ania Ako” by Norberto Lesiguez, “Gubot Pa sa Lukot” by Fr. Lyndon Ruiz, “Gugmang Habalhabal” by Hardie Bigcas and “Uban” by Jerika Teodorico. In the Garbo sa mga Bisdak category, our choices were “Ipasigarbo” by Sharon Lanies, “I Am Cebuano” by Richter Alegado, “Sugboanon Ko” by Jay-arr Jeo Librando and “Bisdak Rocks” by Dennis Martin. The screening was supervised by Gani and Gloria Villarojo of Soundtraxx Production Studio. (For comments, text 0932-277-8771)