J I M P A R E D E SC R E A T I V E G U R U

How to make OPM world-class!

By Jim Paredes

A Brief (and rough)

History of

OPMFrom the 60’s to the present

Dekada 60s

There were very few FM stations. Mostly it was AM.

Television was in its infancy.Filipino Artists mostly aspired to

copy famous American Talents.

Dekada 60s

- Records sold and played on media were largely foreign (American) material

- Filipino artists were few. Filipino recordings were even fewer.

Dekada 60

The “class” audience listened to music selected from American Bandstand, the predecessor of US Top 40 as disseminated on radio.

Dekada 60s

The “Bakya” audience were exposed to the same thing but mostly catered to local recordings.

What were local 60’s recordings like?

There were folk songs, and Kundiman materials recorded.

There were “covers” done by Filipino wannabes who carried titles such as “ Elvis Presley of the Philippines” and the like.

What were local 60s recordings like ?

There were very few new original materials.

The local recordings, as described by people then were “tunog lata”.

Dekada 60s:

The “class” crowd went for the original and disdained the covers. One might say that the appeal of music then had an underlying aspirational come-on, an attraction to things American.

Mass Followed Class

The so-called “Bakya” crowd responded to the same aspirational appeal by patronizing the covers.

Dekada 70s

The Age Of Relevance

Dekada 70s

There were more FM stations and bigger listenership

There were more television stations with musical formats

Dekada 70s

Society was in social turmoil—Marcos was reelected, the founding of the CPP, Martial Law, student unrest, etc..

Dekada 70s

“Filipinization”, or the wide use of Tagalog was happening in Universities.

Dekada 70s

The young people were rebellious, influenced perhaps by the Hippie movement in the US and the social upheavals here at home.

Dekada 70s

New songwriters and performers joined the scene. They were young, educated, and non-traditional.

Dekada 70s

Even if they grew up with American music, many of them decided to write and sing in Tagalog to be relevant to the local context.

Dekada 70s

Both “class” and “Bakya” crowds responded to the same OPM music.

Dekada 70s

It was hip to sing in TagalogIt was hip to be originalIt was profitable to create new

expressions in music

Dekada 70s

Artists wanted to capture the lucrative mass “Bakya” market

Dekada 70s

In the 70s, one can say that “Class followed mass.”

Dekada 70s

Many new artists of diverse styles entered the scene

Dekada 70s

New musical genres were introduced and clicked with the mainstream market. e.g. Pinoy rock, pop, jazz, disco, dance, new ballads, folk, ethnic…

Dekada 70s

A great and wide repertoire was created (which is alive to this day)

Dekada 70s

There was some sort of “renaissance” , in Filipino music with so much output in so many genres as done by an unprecedented number of people.

Dekada 70s

The 70s saw the birth of the “Manila Sound” which was encompassed into a larger genre called OPM

In 1978, OPM as a brand was created

Dekada 70s

The 70s saw the start of real active concert scene

music festivals (Metro Pop)Solid and consistent radio play

of Filipino artists

Dekada 70s

the world recognition of OPM as Filipino singers and songs win in numerous festivals

Freddie Aguilar scores a world hit with “Anak”.

Dekada 80s

Dekada 80s

At the onset, OPM’s acceptance continued with more artists and songs doing original material

Dekada 80s

Enter MTV. TV now played a bigger role in music promotion.

Dekada 80s

FM , now the dominant radio format for music dissemination slowly adopts US Top 40 format, feel and sound including faster turnover of music

Dekada 80s

OPM creators begin to feel constricted with “sound” radio is promoting. New sounds in step with US Top 40 format are created while many other genres get less airplay.

Dekada 80s

Record companies, knowing promotions are dependent on radio encourage artists to go along with new format.

Dekada 80s

There is less OPM output. There is even less variety. Original English songs are on the rise.

Dekada 80s

Remakes of old OPM hits abound as record companies invest less in new, untested materials

Dekada 80s

The specter of piracy is felt by record companies, as markets dwindle.

Dekada 80s

Gold and Platinum award record standards are adjusted to lower levels

Dekada 90s

Dekada 90s

Radio and TV, now more influential than ever adopt American music formats and MTV.

Dekada 90s

Many OPM artists revert back to copying foreign artists

Dekada 90s

Piracy is at unprecedented levels.

Dekada 90s

Because of dwindling markets caused by piracy and changing tastes, record companies slash local production budgets even further.

Dekada 90s

Enter the alternative bands. Able to record with smaller budgets, they dominate the music scene.

Dekada 90s

Record companies grapple with even more dwindling markets, high costs, piracy and sponsor less and less recordings. Each year, less and less albums are released

Dekada 90s

Independent producers or “Indies” enter the scene to fill the gap.

Dekada 90s

The gap is not really filled. The music recording scene is but a shadow of what it was in its hey days in the 70s and 80s.

The last 5 years

The Age of the Bands

More varied sounds coming out compared to the 5 years before

OPM band music in rock is very popular Revivals continue New avenues for music dissemination are

available, e.g. Ringtones, youtube, internet, etc..

-Piracy is stronger than ever and actually eats up almost 30 to 40% of the market.

-OPM is nowhere near crashing into the world-music scene in any significant way.

So what is wrong and how can we

fix it?

What went wrong?

1) Radio and TV “reformatting” at the start of the 80s constricted the growth of OPM

What went wrong?

2) Lack of commitment from record companies, artists to develop and pursue OPM started in the 70s

What went wrong?

Lack of political will to curb piracy

What can we do?

ENCOURAGE OPM MUSIC IN ALL ASPECTS AND ALL

WAYS. FOR STARTERS…

1) Change radio and TV formats to allow greater access to many types of OPM, not just those that conform to certain genres.

2) Artists, audience and record companies must recommit to creating and promoting more OPM material

3) Minimize if not totally eradicate the scourge of piracy

OPM and

World Markets

Almost every Filipino songwriter and artist has always dreamed of making it big both here and

abroad.

We have traditionally followed the

Two Streams Approach

The Two Streams of OPM

OPM in Filipino for FilipinosOPM in English for the world

If the aim is to make it big in the world,

What is the best strategy?

How the rest of the world did it and continues to do so.

Look around us

The Brazillians gave the world “samba” and “bossa”

The Jamaicans gave reggae, ska

The Latinos gave the latin beats—salsa, merengue, tango, chacha, etc

Cuba has influenced Western music in a major way.

Australian Aborigines have their own digeridoo sound

Africans have their wild beats and percussions

Indonesians have the Gamelan sound

India gave the world its music and Bollywood

Ireland gave us Celtic music

Even Mongolia has its Tuva singers who have made their mark in the world with “Throat singing”

The point is every nationality that contributes to world culture leaves a distinct mark—themselves! What they ARE is their theme. They don’t try to be anything else.

We seem to be an exemption in this.

We try hard to be “international” by attempting to build on American popular music. In the process, we abandon what is unique about us.

We try to “respond” by attempting to give the

market what we think it will go for.

Historically, this strategy has not produced

anything that has put us on the map.

On the contrary, the only two Filipino songs that made it in

the world or at least are recognizable in other countries

are in Tagalog.

They are “Anak” and “Dahil Sayo”

The better strategy for OPM to contribute to world music is this:

Create a Filipino sound (or sounds) by encouraging ALL types of music to be written in Filipino.

Allow songs to have access to media.

There is no question that we as a people have the talent (hardware)

to succeed. We just have to develop a truly Filipino cultural

content (software).

Advice to creators of music

Write for your milieu.“Magpakatotoo ka”Don’t stop creating!

To be global, one must be local

The best, most realistic and sustainable strategy for OPM to become international

therefore is this:

Create Filipino music for Filipinos!

Only when we focus in creating music that

represents who we really are will the world take

notice.

END