Let’s give it up for our local artists! Listen to the best contemporary compositions at the 38th Cebu Pop Music Festival, happening tomorrow, Jan. 19, at the IC3 Convention Center in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.
This year’s edition will see 12 finalists in three categories performing on the stage, according to Gloria Villarojo, the events manager for Cebu Pop Music Festival.
“There will be one grand champion per category and each will receive P100,000 as the prize,” Villarojo told Cebu Daily News.
The first category is “Awit sa Gugma” featuring Pop and Ballad.
Four songs are in this category: are “Wa Sa Ta” (composer: Manolito Languido, interpreter: Joy Mae Cabase), “Pls. Lang Ayaw sa Karon, Ugma na Puhon” (composer: Jade Castro, interpreter: Gerlyn Abaño), “Unsaon Ko” (composer: Tiffany Damayo, interpreter: Christian Paul Rosa), and “Ikaw Na” (composer: Neil Salarda, interpreter: Necie Diaz).
The second category is “Huni sa Kasing-Kasing” for the Folk, Country, Novelty and Acoustic genres.
The songs included: “Gugmang Habalhabal” (composer: Hardie Bigcas, interpreter: Karl Allanic), “Uban” (composer: Jerika Teodorico, interpreters: Lorenzo Niñal and Therese Villarante), “Ania Ko” (composer: Archie Lesiguez, interpreter: Daryl Shane Leong), and “Gubot Pa Sa Lukot” (composer: Fr. Lyndom Ruiz, interpreter: Jun Villarta).
The third category, “Garbo sa mga Bisdak,” is an open category on Cebuano music and culture.
The entries: “Sugboanon Ko” (composer: Jay-arr Librando, interpreter: Sheena Belarmino), “Bisdak Rocks” (composer: Dennis Martin, interpreter: Johar Lapasaran), “Ipasigarbo”
(composer: Sharon Lanier, interpreters: Danielle May Ozaraga, Philipp Mancol, and Francis Isidro), and “I am Cebuano” (composer: Ritcher Alegado, interpreter: Kristal Mae Dianon).
Of the 12 finalists, the judges will choose one singer who will be named as Best Interpreter. The winner will receive P10,000 cash.
A People’s Choice Award will also be given which will be identified through lyric videos uploaded on YouTube. The one that gets most number of views will receive the award and a cash prize of P10,000.
“Because of the efforts in uploading the lyric videos on YouTube, the Cebu Arts Foundation has decided to give another award which is the Best Video
Presentation. The winner will take home a trophy and a certain cash prize,” Villarojo said.
Now on its 38th year, the Cebu Pop Music Festival was founded by Atty. Eduardo Gullas who sits as chair of Cebu Arts Foundation Inc.
The event aims to encourage Cebuano writers to write more Cebuano songs.
“This is also to discover new talents and singers giving them the chance to shine,” Villarojo said.
Meanwhile, Villarojo said that all judges this year are new and are all from Cebu.
The audience will also expect the performance of “It’s Showtime’s” Crazy Duo, father-and-son tandem Crazy Duo are Diego and Gedent.
Villarojo said that the the Cebu Arts Foundation Inc. will also recognize Teban and Goliat who have been in the Cebu’s comedy industry for so long.