I've been to several clubs, and there are some interesting bands out there. I'm really, truly amazed at how MUCH vocal talent is out there and how GREAT it is. So many Filipinos have such amazing music talent, and I'm dead serious about that! They’re all just waiting to be turned into the next big thing! It’s just unless you don’t have good production support and talent managers etc … your talent can only take you so far, and that’s the sad reality. Poor music quality can make talent seem worse.
One thing which I'll say is, I'm not referring to the race sector. Lots of different ethnicities sell every well here. The US is very sensitive about race and affirmative action is a big thing here. In a matter of fact that's probably the least of the problems. Also, I'm not referring to Pinoy music in the US. I'm referring to Filipino music in the Philippines and in Asia – after all, the Philippines is in Asia.
The style sector is so very crucial to these times in music. A lot of OPM music is still lost back in the '80's, and a lot of people can vouch for this. A lot of my Filipino friends and cousins have all talked to me about this before. Even in the U.S., people are putting away the old band style, and multi-talented dance/vocal groups are really mainstream now. Screaming guitar riffs, loud base and whaling drums are cool, and all, but unless you're the ABSOLUTE best at it and you can amaze people with your talent, and you have an amazing production studio to maximize your talent, these kinds of bands don't sell anymore. I used to like them too, but sad to say, that's not where the trend is. That style was popular in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. Times have changed. Some of these kinds of bands still exist, but they have added on a lot of new elements and sounds that make them sell well.
The essence of what I'm talking about, however, is the popularity of Pinoy pop. Yeah, the light hearted dance stuff - bubblegum pop - or whatever you like to call it - it's great. Not all of it, but a lot of it. Sometime's its too bubbly, but there are plenty of songs out there that aren't as light hearted as you think. Big Bang isn't "light hearted." They're actually a hip hop group, but their music is layered with lots of great production/synth/keyboard add ons. The thing is, if you took out all of the production add-ons and the synth layers and awesome techno beats etc. sometimes the tune isn't even that catchy. Ironic, isn't it? Bigbang/2NE1's - Lollipop is a good example of it. But the reason why these songs become so popular is because the artists go for the right style and they are backed up with top-notch, quality music production. That's the reason why there are so
MANY diehard Korean wannabes/Kpop fans - Jpop and Cpop too (but not as much) - all across Asia. It's fun seeing the crowds wait outside of the airports when the bands go play in international venues. They literally stand there for hours, and when the band comes out they have all of their signs and they're all screaming and in tears. There are millions of those fans here in the U.S. too, it's actually quite awesome and hilarious too! I would love for there to be Pinoy wannabes/OPM fans. Wouldn't that be amazing? I'd feel so proud! (Aside from music though, I'd also like to say there are many great reasons why Filipinos should be proud to be Pinoy
). A huge Asian pop following is even starting in the Philippines - mostly Kpop. This kind of music is really energetic, and it's the perfect thing that the Philippines needs right now - energy. Music reflects the current state of a country. The future of OPM would be a great reflection of the current state of how dynamic the Philippines is right now. I'm not saying all music should be this way, but I'm not sensing any of that kind of style yet. It's good to have diversity and a mix - somber songs, love ballads etc. The song quality just needs to improve. Right now, OPM just seems to be all the same. Even some of the current best selling albums are time honored classic compilation albums of old artists and bands. Modern music styles are starting to bubble in OPM - possibly - but it's not there yet.
I'm not here to gripe, complain or bring low spirits on anyone since there's so much potential in the Philippines it’s unbelievable. I can fight for that. If you strip all of the artists in Asia down to pure vocals and dance skill - The Philippines has pretty much everyone beat - The Philippine all-stars, for example, are the best hip-hop dancers on the planet. My wish is for there to be a way to market these great voices and dance troupes into actual groups - or bands - that will sell well. You just have to give people what they want. People go crazy for these kinds of bands, like you wouldn't believe! If OPM/Fpop/Pinoy music sold well out of the country as well, and many other listeners followed it, it would work wonders for the Philippines as a whole - tourism and the economy. Media travels so quickly, and it's a great representative image of a country. OPM bands would tour all across the world, and other bands would come visit the Philippines as well. I just don't want to see the Philippines sitting in it's own little world of music because the mainstream music industry isn't doing its job. I'd be interested in finding a job in this area someday because it's so fascinating, and I believe there's a lot that can be done. I'm very optimistic! I wish all the best for the future of OPM too.
