Did you know that by 2021, it’s already been 500 years since Lapulapu’s victory over Ferdinand Magellan during the infamous Battle of Mactan?
2021 may still be a full year away, but the National Quintessential Committee (NQC) headed by Dr. Rene Escalante, Chairperson of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and Vice-Chairperson of NQC has held a number of activities to commemorate this important milestone in our Philippine history. And, they have so much more in store for all Filipino citizens!
Like every celebration, it should always come with good music. That is why NQC partnered with PhilPop to support Original Pilipino Music (OPM) and to educate and remind Filipinos of our cultural identity. Dinah Remolacio, Executive Director of PhilPop was excited to announce the 9-track playlist of original songs curated and produced by PhilPop that pays tribute to the heroic story of Lapulapu, the Philippine’s First Hero.
8 of these original songs were brilliant creations of talented Filipino songwriters who attended the 2019 PhilPop Boot Camp: Quintessential Songwriting Project. Songwriters from all over the country joined the workshops in Batangas, Tagum, Dagupan and Iloilo led by our country’s finest: National Artist, Ryan Cayabyab, and music maestros, Junjee Marcelo and Trina Belamide.
The camp masters shared their knowledge, expertise and experience in the industry to tap the potential and challenge the creativity of these songwriters. The camp culminated with a songwriting contest. Through their words and own style of music, each individual gave his/her interpretation of the Lapu-Lapu’s bravery and heroism in Mactan, and their undying love for the country. The 8 best songs judged by the camp masters and media present during each camp were chosen for the said playlist. The 9th song in the playlist is a collaboration between the Boot Camp Masters written specifically for the Quintessential celebration.
The playlist will showcase a diverse set of music styles that will certainly be a thrilling experience as we trace our roots and recall our rich history. A few titles from the playlist include “Mactan” by Kian Dionisio, “Bagani” written by Roel Rostata and “Nag-iisang Tayo” by Kent. The PhilPop and NQC Partnership Playlist will be available in Spotify and they will be dropping a new song every week.
This is truly an exciting time for OPM. PhilPop’s boot camps, workshops, festivals and competitions help cultivate our own talent and give the local artists from different backgrounds the opportunity to learn and show us what they’ve got. With our continuous support, our musicians’ songs will be heard and loved by more and more people in our own country and even all over the world.
Let’s be Filipinos who are proud of our heritage and how far we’ve come. Our passion burns hot and our future is truly bright!
PhilPop and NQC’s partnership will bridge the space between history and art by collaborating on more projects and activities that will certainly entice the Filipino public. Stay tuned for the latest news by liking their Facebook pages: NQC and PhilPop.
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