12 ASOP Music Festival finalists
The search for new original songs of praise Original Pilipino Music (OPM) returns in A Song of Praise (ASOP) Music Festival grand finals tomorrow, Nov. 13.
The festival announced recently the 12 grand finalists and their interpreters who will perform at the SmartAraneta Coliseum. The songwriters and interpreters will vie for a total of P1M. Last year, Ocio, who wrote Kumapit Ka Lang, bagged the grand prize of P500,000.
The 12 new songs of praise will be interpreted by ASOP Music Festival alumni: Gail Blanco, Brenan Espartinez and RJ Buena.
First-time performers are Sam Mangubat, Liezel Garcia, Zsaris, Apple Delleva, Kris Angelica, Dan Billano, Jay-R Siaboc, JV Decena and Jay R.
As in each year, hundreds of amateur and professional praise songwriters submit entries to be considered for the songwriting tilt.
Aired on UNTV Sundays, weekly judges select monthly finalists to go head-to-head on the Smart-Araneta stage after a year. Here is the list of finalists:
•Gabundok Man, by composer May Alona Trogue with interpreter Brenan Espartinez
•Sumasamba Sa’Yo, composer Joyner Dizon, interpreter Dan Billano
•Carry On, composers P.A. Atienza, Nonie Ramos, Nino Cristobal; interpreter: Sam Mangubat
•Ikaw Ang Aking Dios, composer Lorna Petrasanta, interpreter Liezel Garcia •Sapat Na Ba, composer Emmanuel Lipio Jr., interpreter JV Decena
•Dahil Sa Iyo, composer Carlo David, interpreter Jay R
•Wala Kang Katulad, composer Reymil Anania, interpreter: RJ Buena
•Ikaw Panginoon, composers Jocelyn Canlas and Jonathan Bobis; interpreter: Jay-R Siaboc
•If You Believe, composer Gio Levy; interpreter Apple Delleva
•You’re All I Need, composer Jessan May Mirador; interpreter Kris Angelica
•Hallelujah To The One, composer Zion Aquino; interpreter Gail Blanco
•Beside Your Heart, composer Shane Kim Lumanog; interpreter: Zsaris The sixth edition of ASOP Music
Festival will be remembered for featuring an eclectic mix of genre in music, from R&B, jazz, glam rock, pop rock to ballad.
Songs that reflect the songwriters’ fight with depression, hopelessness, battle with cancer and death in the family. Another writer competing shares through his song how his life becomes complete after finding God.
The online voting and power viewing to select the People’s Choice Awardee kicked off last Nov. 3. Fans rooting for their finalists to clinch the award can cast one vote a day in the official website, using their Facebook and
Twitter accounts. The winner will be selected based on total accumulated points from online voting (50 percent) and power viewing (50 percent) of the entries’ official music videos. Voting period lasts until tomorrow, 12 noon.