MELODY HODGSON
From Katy Perry to Bisaya Sensation
Ang kanhi impersonator ni Katy Perry nga nidaug nga first runner-up sa 2015 “3rd Ultimate Kalokalike” grand finals sa It’s Showtime ang bag-ong singing sensation karon sa digital music tungod sa iyang orihinal nga Cebuano composition nga “Hahay” nga dunay pa-contest usab karon sa social media: “Kon ngano dapat maglaway si ex?” Si Melody Hodgson tua na nagbase sa England, diin siya natawo, apan dinhi siya nidako sa Sugbo. Mobilib ka niya kay bisan pila na ka milya ang iyang gilay-on, wa gyud mawa ang gugma niya sa atong kultura ug pinulongang Binisaya. Melody Hodgson, Sssssuper Ka!
Kinsay gipasabot sa lyrics sa “Hahay” nga “Bantay la’g ako’y mo sexy, maglaway ra ka?”
Actually, dili na siya para sa usa lang ka tawo. Para na siya sa mga tawo nga kusog kaayo manaway bitaw. Fluctuating man gud akong weight and with that came a lot of comments which made me very insecure and this eventually sparked a want for me to better myself physically and to become more confident.
Ngano “Hahay” man?
Ang story ana, I wanted to write a Bisaya song gyud. Sa sige nakog brainstorm gasige sad kog pang “hahay” or sigh. Hahaha… So didto nagsugod, hangtod nga one word came after another and I started writing about my previous experiences in the world of heartache.
Maayo lagi ka mo-Binisaya?
Hahaha, I was born in the UK `til I came to Cebu when I was 8 years old. My dad is British and my mom is a Filipina. So my birth town and early childhood was spent in the UK. It was always my plan to come back to the UK and reconnect with family and friends even before I graduated. Also to take care of my grandmother but sadly she passed away before I arrived. I also consider my stay here in the UK a learning curve to reconnect with my roots and find myself as an individual and as an artist.
Taga-asa ang inyong kaliwat?
My mother’s side is originally from Surigao but have been based in Cebu for a long time now. My dad’s side is from the north which is more of the country side of the UK. Both my parents sang in the choir, my mom was in a gospel choir in Manila and they used to tour around the country.
Bag-o ra diay ni ang “Hahay”?
It was released on Spotify and Itunes on June 16, and then nisunod ang lyric video ug most recently ang music video. A few days after, na-shock gyud ko kay “Hahay” made it to Spotify’s Top 50 Viral Philippines and then made its way up to the Top 15 and little would I know that that would be the start of something great in my life. The song currently has 13k Streams on Spotify, and the lyric and music video are nearing over 3k each which means the world to me. Maong dako gyud kog pasalamat sa Ginoo ug sa akong friends, family, ug sa Viva Team.
How do you write a song?
Usahay mauna ang melody, usahay ang lyrics. And once I start the process wa na nay undang, magpusot pusot nana ang mga ideas nako. “Hahay” I think it took me around 30 minutes to 1 hour to write the whole song.
It says you had a “quickie video” for Hahay and only took you 12 hours to finish it. Why the rush?
I only had 2-weeks holiday from my work here in the UK to visit my friends and family. Wa gyud mi plano mohimo og music video sa kagamay sa akong time sa Pinas. But then my manager Miss Chiqui thought why not! Let’s defeat the odds and find ways and I agreed. And so we only had less than a week to plan, find a venue, someone to shoot it and one whole day where everyone was available. And a few days after, nipauli nako sa UK. It was definitely a spur of the moment idea.
Ikapila na ni nimong komposisyon?
Honestly, di nako kaihap kay dugay na gyud ko ga-compose and they range from heartbreak to pagood vibes lang. Like this one song I recently performed in a contest here in the UK called OpenmicUK and its called “Boogie” and it got me through to the grand finals. But Hahay is the first song that I have released officially and hopefully soon there will be many more to come.
And you’re giving a cash prize of P10,000 for those who can send in the wackiest cover of “Hahay.” Unsay buhaton ani nila?
Yeah, I wanted to see how creative people can get with using these emotions and their own experiences sa heartbreak. So, all they have to do is create a 1 minute wacky/funny/creative video either lip syncing along to any part of the song or covering the song live with an accompaniment of any choice. It can be either solo or by group. Then post the video on fb with a caption of “why dapat maglaway si ex” and lastly tag me/ message me on facebook (Melody Hodgson, @MelodyEstherLoren, @MelodyHodgsonOfficial). Criteria is 50% Social Mexia Engagement (most likes and shares) and 50% Pure Wackiness. Deadline of submissions/tagged posts will be on August 28. More details on my fb page (melodyhodgsonofficial)