Pinoy Idol
I have watched many series of POP IDOL from the original in the UK through to the compulsive AMERICAN IDOL over the last few years.
It is fantastic to hear professional and talented people singing for love, yet I am amazed that here in the Philippines everyone sings and sings from the heart. When I fill up the car or shop in any supermarkets I love to hear the staff singing and they never show any embarassment at people listening.
The pure talent of singing and the presentation abilities that i see here in Davao at bars or in Manila on the baywalk makes me realise that the country has far more talent than most of the Europeans or the USA, I mean that in the sense of the number of talented singers and performers.
When I was in Vietnam this year I noted that most of the bars had flown in Philippine singers and bands, who because of the perfect grasp of English could sing to perfection compared to their Vietnamese cousins who only normally have only six letters to each word.
I remember Last year a band asked for requests on the Manila Baywalk, I asked for a record not thinking it was even known to the young singers, “You make me feel brand new” by the Stylistics. To my delight they knew it and sang it to ME, I was blown away at the sound and the harmonies and i have to admit that i felt the tears begin to flow.
I asked myself why?, the answer is not only the quality of the song, the singers, it was the place i am now living in ,the atmosphere and the love i have for the people and the country of the Philippines.
Not being known as a sentimental man i truly can say that this country has mellowed me and when i hear children singing in
the street, smiling and taking life full on I know that my life has turned for the better.
Is that proof that music can tame the savage beast??
Hi John,
It’s one of the talents of the Filipino people, being able to sing melodies and songs in English, Tagalog, Cebuano, some in Mandarin or Fookien, some in Japanese, some in Spanish, and more. Somehow God gifted us with an “elastic tongue” so to speak, able to learn and mimic other languages easily.
Our culture is deeply rooted in music and is part of our daily life. Music is in our blood. Music makes us happy and adapt to life’s challenges. We love to sing about love, bliss, romance, jelousy, rivalry, sorrow, hope, and other plethora of feelings and matters in life. We never shy away from a microphone (videoke or karaoke), as others would say, and try to best each other in singing :mrgreen:.
The music industry is so vibrant in the Philippines. While other Southeast asian nations are still working on their music industry, we already have one flourishing music industry that doesn’t rely solely in listening and singing English songs in both radio and TV.
Welcome John to the Philippines, the musical nation!
John,
My favourite band is the Pixies. The lead guitarist (Joey Santiago) is a Filipino.
pls fix your background i cant read your article using FireFox2.0.0.6… sayang naman ang maganda mong nasulat
Hi antiqueDOTph - I am using Firefox 2.0.0.3 (that’s the latest Linux release) and can read the site fine. We are working on a redesign right now, so perhaps that will take care of the problem for you.
Yeah, I totally agree. Live music at local bars, even in the province, are really top notch. Never boring. Love the fact that you can request songs. Nothing like live music, SMB and lechon kawali.
John, ive read your post and the only thing i want to say to you is Thank you! Thank you for loving our country and our musical soul. thanks!
Hey John, thank your for eveything you have said, ..indeed, singing is another way to relax - here in the UAE(Abu Dhabi) whenever i feel bored I just turn on our karaoke and sing “) with my daughter. I have been following your’s, Bob’s & Feyma’s posts, reading your experiences, some relates to mine. Keep up the good work. HOpe to meet you in Davao on my next visit.
ALl the best, Mary Grace
Hey John, thank your for eveything you have said, ..indeed, singing is another way to relax - here in the UAE(Abu Dhabi) whenever i feel bored I just turn on our karaoke and sing “) with my daughter. I have been following your’s, Bob’s & Feyma’s posts, enjoyed reading your experiences, which some relates to mine. Keep up the good work. HOpe to meet you in Davao on my next visit.
ALl the best, Mary Grace
Hey John, thank your for eveything you have said, ..indeed, singing is another way to relax - here in the UAE(Abu Dhabi) whenever i feel bored I just turn on our karaoke and sing “) with my daughter. I have been following your’s, Bob’s & Feyma’s posts, enjoyed reading your experiences, which some relates to mine. Keep up the good work. HOpe to meet you in Davao on my next visit.
Hope to make new friends on this site.
ALl the best, Mary Grace
Hi John,
I have been reading Bob Martin’s blog and enjoy it tremendously. I work at the United Nations in New York but plan to retire in Davao soon. We have a non-profit Filipino cultural organization newsletter here at the UN. Is it possible to reprint your article “Pinoy Idol” in our next issue? Any more info you may need, pls contact me. Bob has my email address.
Thanks and regards, Liza
Hi Liza - As the site owner, you have my permission to re-publish John’s article. I ask that you credit John, and this blog. Please provide a link to this blog in the article.
Liza
Mary grace,Jerico
Thanks very much I am sure Bob and I can share the royalties if this is made into a film
I will join you for a song , but i will have to mime
Antique
Regarding the background, sorry to say I am not technical enough to solve the problem,BUT if you would also like it sent via e mail please let me know.
I am using Internet explorer 7 and Firefox too,They look ok on my PC, but please anyone else having probems let me know so can take further advice.
wow wowwee !!!
Thanks so much Bob and John for giving permission for a reprint of John’s piece “Pinoy Idol.” I will submit it to our editorial team. I forgot to mention that we always credit the author and source (in this case Bob’s blog) if it was published elsewhere. I will send you both hard copies when the article comes out.
Maraming Salamat!!
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