ISKRIBOL (Mga Suka ng Isang Bored na Otistik)

Suka #18

MADMAN RANTS | Take it out of the coffin

The “blogosphere” or the blog world over the internet had a fuss last August wherein bloggers compelled to write down their stands reacting to a piece by Don Jaucian entitled “The life and death of OPM” for the Philippine Star and a supporting post by Leloy Claudio in GMA News Online with a daring title, “OPM is dead, so sue me”. Eight hours after Claudio posted his essay online, it spread over 3000 times in Facebook and was flamed by netizens on Twitter.

They say Original Philippine Music (OPM) is dead for the following reasons:

Major record labels don’t take risks for hopeful Filipino musicians wanting to be in the mainstream. Fresher and newer artists struggle to get their original material released.

Government investment matters. “We still need funding for sonic innovations”, clamored Claudio on his post.

The rise of K-Pop, J-Pop, Canto Pop, and other foreign music invade Filipino music scene. OPM is being pulled back as Filipinos favored more music from foreign countries while ignoring such talented artists such as Dong Abay, Ogie Alcasid, Gary Valenciano, Noel Cabangon, and the like.

Lack of original material by local artists who focused on reviving songs from decades ago placed its impact on OPM’s status.

Now, let us first define “death”. Webster’s Dictionary explained it as “an end, the lack of life”.

OPM didn’t end. It didn’t experience the absence of life. It never exited the music scene with the last breath of Eraserheads as what Don Jaucian firmly believed. OPM is not dead. Why? Let me state the following reasons:

Those bloggers should’ve picked the right word and the right scene. “Dead” is not how you describe OPM when I can even hear a song from Parokya ni Edgar while going home; when my neighbors sing of Chicosci, Urbandub, Callalily, Kamikazee, and even Daniel Padilla revival songs; when I can even tune in to FM radio stations playing songs of Yeng Constantino, Gloc 9, Sarah Geronimo, Angeline Quinto, and Eurika. Guess what? You don’t even know who the latter is, right?

Yes, they had the wrong perspective. Jumping into mere conclusions when mainstream artists revive good old songs of the legends is fiction. Filipino original materials are abundant. A piece of advice: Help yourself. Before vomiting words of OPM’s status, go to gigs, have a seat, and witness with your very eyes and ears the music you are about to dub as dead. You just can’t define the entire Philippine music industry as how you see them on television. Underground artists struggle to gain ears on their music and had not been rejected by record labels just once. No, they are thriving again and again.

You read it right. Mainstream record labels don’t take risks for potential artists. These people, whose only purpose is for Filipinos to deserve better music, deserve better attention. Why? Let me have it this way: You are like eating lunch without rice. It lacks the Filipino touch. That’s how you choose K-Pop over OPM. We just can’t admit that our music lacks support from the government and major record labels when Ogie Alcasid had to be in Congress sessions to enforce Executive Order 255 that requires all radio stations to play four (4) OPM songs every hour.

It reflects our taste. Jim Paredes even said that it is a trashy taste. Have you ever wondered why foreign music rises? Koreans support K-Pop, so does also for J-Pop and others. We can’t even comprehend on the words they utter. Now, shouldn’t we do the same? Empirically, we should.

Lastly, as long as something moves, then it is not dead. OPM artists thrive, they still move. Let us define OPM on how underground local bands invite audiences for their gigs; on how potential solo artists wait for their songs to be played on air; on how mainstream OPM artists who already established their names in the music scene support local music; on how they write more sensible songs rather than stating how messed up your life is.

OPM is not dead. Death can only be declared when everyone approves on the subject’s nonexistence. I disapprove and that demerits the “everyone” requirement. Take Original Philippine Music out of the coffin and play it on your playlist.