From Manila sound to 90s pop, pinoy rock to R&B and new to indie, Original Pilipino Music always stands out from decade to decade. This is all due, of course, to the endless musical talent that exists in this country.
Tugatog-photo-1_BGYO
Certainly, each generation has its favorite artist or band whose names are synonymous with the genre they created. There’s Rico Puno and the Hotdogs for Manila Sound, the Juan dela Cruz Band and later Aegis for Pinoy Rock, and Morissette and Moira dela Torre for R&B and so on. Now, in the 2020s, the whole new era of P-Pop idol groups has begun, sure to claim the decade after thriving with their good, danceable melodies even during the pandemic.
Developing a huge fanbase for their genre through a variety of online events and activities over the past two years, OPM’s P-Pop has indeed exploded and is even set to go global as expected. .
But just before its artists take the world by storm, Ant Savvy Creatives and Entertainment Inc. will be celebrating today’s top P-Pop acts in style via the first Filipino music festival Tugatog on June 18.
Alamat from the Viva Artist agency
Yes – P-pop fans will finally be able to see their favorite P-pop groups perform on one stage and stream Alamat, BGYO, Bini, Litz, MNL48, PPop Generation, Press Hit Play, VXON and 1st One, among others. A whole range of new releases of these artists’ favorite songs await audiences, including special artist collaborations within the lineup.
“We will combine the best elements of a live performance with a visually stunning cinematic experience to encapsulate the energy and magic of P-Pop, both as music and performance,” said Miggy Tanchanco, Director of the festival, during a press conference.
“We want to be able to do justice to our very talented Tugatog artists by providing them with a stage or space with the proper visual treatment and lighting; where they can showcase the best of their skills and also offer the audience another side of themselves that they never seen before,” he added.
All-female song and dance group MNL48
When asked about the inspiration for the festival’s name, Tanchanco explained that “Tugatog” is a combination of the words tugtog which usually means “to play an instrument” and tug-tug, like the sound of a beating heart. And then there is the actual meaning of the word tugatog as peak or peak in English, aptly reflecting the rise of Filipino music.
Additionally, as explained by Anj Heruela, Head of Strategy and Communications at Ant Savvy Creatives, “Our North Star for setting up Tugatog is to celebrate the sounds that define the pinnacle of Filipino music every For this reason, Tugatog becomes a platform that is not defined by a single genre and, instead, continuously evolves as the sound of Filipino music evolves and changes over time. this way, we can honor the different voices that keep the community alive and help build the culture and craftsmanship of Filipino music.”
Thankfully, executives told Manila Times Entertainment that since the announcement of the festival and its star acts, P-Pop fans have been wild with excitement. They have even started crafting collaborations on their own, figuring out which artists or bands will sound good together, and posting them on social media.
Impressed with what they have seen so far, Tanchanco said, “We want to shine a light on this community of Filipino musicians and allow their music to reverberate stronger on Tugatog, in a show that goes beyond play one song after another to build a story that showcases kung bakit nga ba and paano pa nga ba aangat pa ang P-Pop at the top.”
Agreeing, Heruela added, “Platforms like Tugatog fuel artists’ passion and fan support. Kumbaga is like giving people a chance to bond through music and discover other Pinoy musicians. talented by bringing together an entire community on one stage.”
Considering what the organizers have said, the audience can be sure that Tugatog will not be a one-time musical event as they will continue to stage the musical whenever there is a breakthrough in the Philippine music industry.
And while for now the festival is a place where artists can collaborate and celebrate their up-and-coming music, Tugatog’s next goal and release is to bring the concept to the stage.
“We are very excited about the possibilities that are unique to doing this online, but of course, nothing compares to live. In the future, we hope to bring the Tugatog experience to fans all over the Philippines. We want to bring Tugatog to different regions so that we can also feature local artists in the lineup,” said Su Matias, General Manager of Ant Savvy Creatives.
“We want Tugatog to be the platform that not only brings artists to audiences in different regions, but also shines a spotlight on talent from across the country,” she concluded.
Filipino music festival Tugatog will stream online via TicketMelon on June 8. Premier tickets cost P1,800, while special exclusive content is in store for VIP ticket holders in addition to the stream for P2,700 per ticket.
WITH VERONICA BUAN
