Roger Serna
Sounds and images

THE third Children’s Popular Music Festival was staged last Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Cebu International Convention Center.

Don’t ask me this time who won as this piece was written a day before the event. I’ll do it next week. Promise.

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A press conference was held a week ago where some members of the media who attended the event learned how the 12 finalists labored hard for their compositions (they also interpreted the same) to come out good enough for the mentors and the members of the screening committee.

One narrated how she cried in her room in the two-day workshop for the songwriting contest when she learned that some of her fellow workshop participants were already half-way through while others have already finished.

She did not give up though and practically cracked her brains to come up with a concept. After some time, she came up with a tribute song for her own mother. The rest was history as the song went on to become one of the finalists.

Another narrated how events seemed to conspire against her as she met misfortune after misfortune a few days before the workshop. She made the experience as the core of her song, which also made it to the finals.

The mentors emphasized how lucky the workshop participants were as the former never had the guidance of other experienced songwriters when they wrote their songs, some of which went on to win in local contests while others made it to the albums of popular artists in Manila.

That just goes to show that anything can go into a song and that if only one puts his/her heart and mind into the undertaking, a good output will just surface.

Now that the grand finals are over, the next thing is to listen to the songs. The Provincial Council for the Welfare of Children appealed to the media during the presscon to help in making the Cebuano speaking people appreciate the rich Cebuano culture through songs.

I hope those who look down on songs written in their own tongue will realize that these are also worth listening to.

***

It is easy to understand why ABS-CBN gave its nod for Angel Locsin to attend the Emmy Awards ceremonies. For one, the actress is the only one from the country to be nominated, an acknowledgement of the global appeal of Filipino arts and artists.

Filipino movies, directors, actors and others in the industry have already made their marks in many international film festivals. Now it’s the television industry that’s in the limelight.

I hope this will give local networks the impetus to produce more original materials instead of focusing on remakes of Mexican or Korean projects.

***

Due to some pressing commitments both professional and personal, I almost lost track of my favorite TV shows. Admittedly, some new twists in these shows took me by surprise including the death of Dina Bonnevie’s character in May Bukas Pa.

I was not even aware of the rumors that it was the actress herself who requested for such fate to her character much more for the reasons behind the it.

The evictions and the swap in the Pinoy Big Brother also caught me unaware. It must have been ages since I last saw an episode then.

I like the new format of the videoke competition in the Kapuso Network, that of having show bands compete against each other instead of solo artists, either as solo contestants, duos or groups.

It gave the already long running show a fresh twist.

***

Having Billy Crawford and Luis Manzano as hosts in the Pilipinas Got Talent reality show is a good move. Both are eloquent, loquacious and have good sense of humor not to mention having good looks and being telegenic.

Hopefully, the contestants will also jolt televiewers into believing that indeed, as the show title tells, Pilipinas Got Talent. Sounds awkward? Whatever.

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It’s already past Halloween or All Saints’ Day but still I haven’t played a single Christmas song in my player at home and in the office.

It has been my practice for many years now to play yuletide songs and carols on the first day of December. Will the practice change this year? Or will something make me change such practice?