Song of longing, pain triumphs in VisPop 4.0
The sounds of home reverberated across the Centerstage halls – singing of the skies, promising dreams, calling lost loves, playing travel anthems, replaying sweet romance, and the trail of familiar places around the Queen City of the South.
Truly, all roads led to the SM Seaside City Centerstage as VisPop, a song writing campaign that celebrates the Visayan language and culture by encouraging Visayan-speaking composers and music enthusiasts to write quality Visayan songs that speak of today's generation, held court to present the top six songs in this year's franchise through VisPop 4.0's Finals Night last Saturday, 8 p.m.
Now in its fourth year, the campaign, which was launched in 2009 and is spearheaded by ArtistKo Cebu, has since become a genre after its first staging in 2013, what with people branding songs in Bisaya as VisPop, despite not being produced by VisPop at all.
As if the growing audience isn't victory enough, VisPop has outdone itself with performances from Bisaya artists such as Bisrock band Aggressive Audio performing their timeless hits that everyone sang along to. David Wilde x Zeejacob, the only beatbox and hiphop duo in Cebu performed, as well.
Independent media/content production company and creators of the HAHAHAHasula pehemomenon, FatBoys Productions, debuted two new songs written by Kurt Fick and Rowell Ucat aka Medyo Maldito - #Puhon and #PeroAtikRa. The songs were performed by Fick and Jacqueline Chang, respectively.
Past VisPop winners came to visit. Jewel Villaflores, grand winner of VisPop 1.0, opened the show with her winning song Ayaw'g Buhi while Vispop 3.0's winner, Lourdes Maglinte, returns on stage to perform her song Buwag Balik.
The finals did not lack charm and wit as DJ Chixie of MOR 97.1 and Internet phenomenon Medyo Maldito hosted the show.
The SM Seaside City Centerstage was filled to the brim with talent on Saturday night. Apo Hiking Society's Jim Paredes, the vice president of the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (FILSCAP), and current FILSCAP President, Rico Blanco, were guests of honor.
"This is your music," Paredes said, who attended last year's finals night and noted the increase of supporters. He said only a fraction of Saturday night's audience came last year.
"We will continue to support VisPop. Keep doing this kind of music event," Paredes added.
Rico Blanco, himself a renowned singer and songwriter, took the chance to tell the crowd about the importance of loving and valuing music.
"By being here tonight, every single one of you is saying, 'I value music'," Blanco said, asking the crowd to say the sentence out loud several times in proclamation.
WINNERS Joseph Gara is VisPop 4.0's grand winner. He took a P30,000 cash prize home with his song "Paghunas." Performed by Jayneil Enriquez and Joseph Gara himself, "Paghunas" is a song that vents out the longing and pain between a wife and her sailor husband who risks his life at sea.
Kenneth Corvera's "PepPep," a song he wrote and performed, takes the daily commute to a whole new scale and builds metaphors inspired by his travels with his girlfriend. The song won second place with a P20,000 cash prize.
The third place winner with a P10,000 cash prize is Marie Salvaleon's "Suwat Ni Maria." Performed by Joe Branzuela, the sultry tune revels in the beauty and ecstasy of falling in love, which, ironically, came from Salvaleon's most vulnerable and frustrating moments. "Suwat Ni Maria" also won the night's FILSCAP Choice Award.
Meanwhile, "Imoha Ra Akong Kasingkasing" by Marajane Monton and Sherwin Fugoso, a bubbly "Anti-walang Forever" track, bagged the Netizen's Choice Award and MOR Listener's Choice Award. The song was performed by Aine Abella and Von Saw.
The other finalists include VisPop 2.0 champion Jerika Teodoriko with "Baklay", a fun, modern tour around the Queen City of the South and an ode to Cebu that she performed herself, and "Damgo", a trip to the skies with it's almost superhero-esque theme written by John Cadeliña and Irving Guazon, and performed by Cadeliña.
Amazing. Relevant. Happy. Wala damha. These were the words the artists described their journey in Vispop 4.0.
Overwhelmed by his victory, Gara tried to keep his composure and tried to fight back tears as he was performing his winning piece after being declared winner. He said he never expected to win.
"The deadline was January 18 and it was the second week of January already and I still haven't finished the song. I couldn't finish the song. I'm a slow writer," he shared.
The seemingly close knit family of artists all reveled in the honor and privilege of bringing Bisaya art into the hearts of listeners– a different kind of service but no less appreciated.
"We didn't feel like we were rivals or that we were competing against each other," shared Jayneil Enriquez who performed with Gara. "I was there backstage as the others performed and all I could think of was that this is so fun," she added.
CONTRIBUTION Why do they do this, you ask?
To express feelings, to tell stories, and play with words. These homegrown artists are unique in ways more than one but they share the same love for the language. While some are still learning, they all want to contribute to the Bisaya music scene in their own creative ways and in enriching Filipino artistry altogether.
Cebu Normal University student Jerika Teodorico, VisPop 2.0 winner and VisPop 4.0 finalist, says she considers herself a wordsmith and she uses that to get the youth involved.
"I want to make songs about Cebu that the youth can relate to," she said.
Marie Salvaleon, finalist in VisPop 1.0 for her song "Papictura Ko Nimo Gwapo" and finalist in VisPop 4.0, shared she wants to use the influence of indie UK bands to her style to add variety to the Bisaya music scene.
"I don't want to produce music that has a safe approach. I want to challenge the masses… I want to give them something that they're not used to and show them that Visayan music isn't limited, and that Visayan music doesn't stop here," Salvaleon said.
What would they advise aspiring writers and singers who lock themselves in their rooms scribbling words on weathered journals and playing hand me down instruments? "Gawas!" they all said in unison, laughing. "Go get some air!" Gara said in jest. But unlike in fairy tales, the magic doesn't end when the clock strikes twelve.
It looks like a bright future for VisPop and the Bisaya culture, but these artists have a long way to go. They may be set to join the next VisPop competition or are still writing and humming in between work and lunch, but they can only go so far without the love, respect, and enthusiasm of the people whose hearts they beat along with – fellow Bisaya, Filipinos, music enthusiasts of every color and race, and people who are willing to cultivate and nurture the local music scene beyond the spotlight, behind the scenes.
Until the next big stage and the next stream of lights the color of rainbow, it will take the hard work of everyone who believe in the beauty of the Visayan language and culture to bring the local music scene to another victory, each one greater than the last.