The music of ‘teleseryes’
FLASH IN THE PAN: After a fourweek run, Five Breakups and A Romance has grossed P72 million, proudly states producer Erickson Raymundo. That’s super good news for the Philippine movie industry.
Sad news are as follows. Rumored break-ups between Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, Kim Chiu and Xian Lim, and reported cracks in the marriage of a high-profile showbiz couple. xxx Ever wondered how and why people relate to teleseryes like they’re hooked by some magnetic force?
More than the finetuned acting, the engrossing story, design and production values, and the entire soap opera package, we get hooked because we see a part of ourselves mirrored on the screen.
We cry at their tragedies, celebrate their victories, yet more often than not, we can’t identify why we are jolted by a scene, laugh out loud or are moved to tears by what we see.
One of the reasons why we get an emotional high while watching TV dramas is the music enhances every scene. Idonnah and Rommel Villarico are the power couple behind the musical score and direction of many of these hit shows, the latest ones being Dirty Linen, Unbreak My Heart, and Senior High.
Their music has been described by some as “a character in itself,” always on point, jolting, amplifying every spectrum of emotion through lucid scores and stingers that set the mood and pace of each scene.
Multi-awarded by Awit Awards, Idonnah, and Rommel are considered pioneers and proponents of original musical scores for TV dramas.
From 1994 to the present, they have been creating musical scores, songs and compositions for the most popular shows in Philippine television.
Under the creative guidance of Dreamscape Entertainment head, Deo Endrinal, Idonnah, and Rommel have carved a niche in creating thematic scores, a rarity in the sea of usual background music. It can be said that they brought sound design to Philippine TV dramas.
Thematic music, says Idonnah, is tailored to the personality of a specific character. The music takes into account the character’s past, present, and future that he wants for himself.
“It isn’t one size fits all or canned music that is created from a given script, which is the norm in most shows. Instead, it is carefully crafted to reveal a character's journey as scored against video.”
In a show like Dirty Linen featuring an ensemble cast, Idonnah composed thematic scores for each character. Lead and supporting roles are assigned a specific signature score, which Idonnah develops into an intricately jolting, tear-jerking composition.
Each theme takes into account the character’s nuances, secrets, and resolve, which make the music memorable and distinct. Idonnah and Rommel have been an arranging team for the past 30 years, working mostly on TV dramas. They complement each other in more ways than one. Both are composers, sound designers, artists, and record producers.
Their work together tackles a wide range of genres, including FPJ'S Ang Probinsyano, Juan Dela Cruz, Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin, Pedro Penduko, Lastikman, Wansapanataym to name a few.
"There will always be a song in my heart to keep the music playing with Rommel. This is God's gift to us.”
Idonnah and Rommel believe that the ability to create music is only by God's anointing and grace. “It’s but proper that we give back all the glory and honor to Him alone, Praise God!"
Dreamscape Entertainment and Star Music PH recently released Dirty Linen's official musical score and soundtrack, which bagged the Silver Award for Best Asian Drama in Asia. Listen to their music on Spotify, Youtube, and Apple Music.