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ENTERTAINMENT
Pinoy music's lackluster 2008
SOUNDS FAMILIAR By Baby A. Gil Updated December 31, 2008 12:00 AMThis is a difficult piece to write. This must be how those executives inthose big US firms feel as they take stock of what has happened duringthe past 12 months. Times are bad and it is also showing in the recordingindustry.This is not for want of trying. Despite the hard times, the local labels areout there batting with all their might for Filipino music. But the hardtimes, piracy, downloading and lack of new exciting stars resulted in whatmust be the worst year ever in the past decade.There were hits. Bamboo kept the rock flame alive and he had
Kailan
. Alsookay were Callalily’s
 Ako’y Babalik 
, Hale’s
Leaf of Faith
, 6Cyclemind’s
Saludo, Betamax 
by Sandwich and Parokya ni Edgar’s
 Akala
. But that wasthe problem. They were just okay. We had no
Narda
by Kamikazee or
Pinoy Ako
by Orange & Lemons,
Spagheti 
by Sex Bomb or even a
Pagdating ng Panahon
by Aiza Seguerra, songs from the past that reallytook the country by storm.So if you want a song of the year, the one by which you will remember2008, all that I have to offer is
Payong
, the Tagalog adaptation of Rihanna’s
Umbrella
by a new artist called Ms. Ganda.The success of the song made me recall what people in the business refer to as the Dark Ages of Filipino Music when allthat the singers recorded were cover versions that were
 plakang-plaka
or almost like the originals or Tagalogadaptations of foreign hits. But
Payong
was cute. It made money. We can certainly use that.There were a few bright spots that positively affected films, television and concerts and I can think of two singers whohad a hit with a new original Filipino composition. These were Piolo Pascual with, the theme from the TV series
Lobo,Ikaw Ang Aking Pangarap,
which has the makings of a future standard and KC Concepcion with the bluesy
Imposible
.KC, bless her, was one of the year’s brilliant newcomers with a good debut album and a blockbuster movie. Smart andbeautiful, the year’s Nickelodeon’s gamely slimed wanna-be, she also has her heart in the right place and finds time inher busy schedule to be the ambassador against hunger of the United Nations in these parts. She also had a big hit, acover of the oldie
For the First Time
, which was used as the theme for her first film.Also a glowing presence was Sarah Geronimo. She sold out the Araneta Coliseum in a solo concert, had a blockbusterflick and some hits. These were the oldie
 A Very Special Love
, which was the theme from her film and
I’ll Be There
, alandmark duet with Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough. Her song
Ikaw 
, an original by Medwin Marfil of True Faith wasnamed Song of the Year at the Awit Awards. But that was for 2007.Also on the oldies trail were Regine Velasquez, Lani Misalucha, Ogie Alcasid, Lea Salonga, Rachelle Ann Go, Jay-R andeven Gabby Concepcion. Nikki Gil did well with Joey Albert’s
 A Million Miles Away 
and bless her too, because she hasmade propagating reading her advocacy and that is just great. These artists did not come up with songs that otherartists in the future would be able to revive but they did sell a lot of albums.
Pinoy music's lackluster 2008 | The Philippine Star >> News >> Entertai...http://philstar.com/ArticlePrinterFriendly.aspx?articleId=4281241 of 212/31/2008 6:19 PM
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