Libre: The Siloy goes to…

ONE hour and 16 minutes for more than a year’s work. The Facebook Live streaming of the fifth edition of Cebu Siloy Music Awards on Friday, May 28, 2021, breached our one-hour target, but it was all good in promoting the brilliant music artists of Bisaya Orig (B Orig).

We monitored and listened to new materials produced during 2020, researched about the artists, invited friends to perform, wrote the script, formed a technical team and put together a show. I actually put on different hats, and it was fun hosting from Hamilton, New Zealand.

And the Siloy goes to Alfa (Alindahaw), Best Vocal Performance, Female; Iping Amores (Ginhawa Delfin), Best Vocal Performance, Male; Franco (Lost in Your Universe), Best Alternative Music Performance; Mampor & Me (Ferris Wheel), Best Vocal Performance, Duo or Group; and Philpop2020, Event of the Year.

The rest of the awards went to Oh! Caraga for Collaboration of the Year (Kadasig Artists’ Ipanumpa Ko), Song of the Year (Ipanumpa Ko) and Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Oh! Caraga consists of Sherwin Fugoso, Kenneth Corvera and Adam Corvera. They were cited as Breakthrough Artist for “They were almost everywhere – in Minpop, Kadasig’s collaborative anthem and most importantly, being in the finals of the International Songwriting Competition.”

The Song of the Year “Ipanumpa Ko” was described as “a song that honors the frontliners. Even with the physical and technical hindrances, the Kadasig artists were able to record this anthem, bringing the best in them and delivering the message for us to unite against Covid-19 and that we shall come out of this as victors.”

The presentation was spiced up by performances from Bisaya artists from around the world: Kayth Alex from New Zealand was the curtain opener singing the event theme song, “Siloy.” Rolly Wagas from the USA rendered his folksy “Sugbo,” Troy Degamo of 40-The Band in Canada rocked with “Rain,” while in Cebu, Sakdap delivered a re-arranged “Inday” and Ferdinand Aragon soared with his award-winning “Matag Piraso.” We also had multi-awarded composer Jimmy Borja and Cebu heritage and history advocate Agripina Guivelondo as presenters. One of the highlights in this year’s event was recognizing “Make Believe” as Siloy Bahanding Awit. The song popularized by Marco Sison is a composition of Paul Melendez who gave the Bisaya lyrics (“Pakaaron-ingnon Lang”) to the presenter Maestro Dennis Gregory Sugarol who sang this majestically during the program.

B Orig can no longer be contained. The Bisaya music artists are getting noticed both nationally and internationally. With the artists’ dedication to their craft, the music producers’ commitment to excellence, institutional (both public and private) financial backing, and the general public’s support, we may just be the next phenomenon, after K-pop.