Chapter 1

Introduction

A. Background of the Study


One of the content of the Philippine music is OPM. According to the article in articlebase.com by Elmer Anthony Olaer "Original musical works by Filipino artists is usually referred to as "Original Pilipino Music" or OPM. Many song and music artists of the Philippines usually use Tagalog and English for the lyrics of their songs. Thus, if you listen to any local FM radio station, it would not be a surprise to hear OPM songs with English lyrics and titles." (http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/opm-stands-for-original-pilipino-music-319321.html)


OPM seems like to be fading out on the mainstream in today's generation. An article in gmanetwork.com by Katrina Stuart Santiago quoted the statement of Don Jaucian "OPM is dead because local acts are “upstaged by Korean girlbands, cover albums, and bossa nova." (http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/272053/opinion/opm-is-alive)


Some OPM artists are now recreating themselves just to please their listeners to embrace and buy their album. Down to mars come up with their new fashion style saying it is a part of the experiment if their fans would like it or not. Some other artists are doing what they can just to preserve OPM. They think that it's a good idea to revive songs from the 90's when OPM is a big hit to the masses.


An article in manilatimes.net written by Jhoanna Paola Ballaran Contributor, In an industry dominated by foreign music and endless remakes, one can’t deny the fact that popular music has lost its glory because of lack of fresh, new tunes. (http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/special-report/30707-opm-in-crisis)


OPM is now slowly going down. As the researcher observed, the most played songs in today's generation are international songs. Maybe it’s because of the catchy beat, handsome singers, doll-like girl groups. OPM artists might not be perfect in terms of their looks but the music that they produce is the important thing. Some Filipino listeners are fond of listening to music because it's trending or they fell in love with the face of the singer or because many people are listening to it. We should listen to music because love it not because it's cool.


The researcher is looking forward to what we will learn how to prioritize our own culture especially the music industry which is now slowly sagging down. There's nothing wrong in listening to foreign music but let us prioritize our own. The purpose of this research paper is to find out why OPM is not as popular as it was during the 90's


B. Statement of the Problem


This study aims to answer this question:


1. What is preventing the OPM to dominate on our own country?


C. Significance of the Study


Filipino Music Listeners: Many listeners are disregarding the importance of OPM for our country. This study aims to open the eyes and ears of the listeners to the status of our music industry. This study aims to show that we have to promote our own music first.


Future Researchers: This study will contribute to the research of the future researchers for they may use it as a reference for their research.

Filipino OPM Artists: This research if for the OPM artists to be informed and to be guided about the status of our music industry. 


D. Scope and Limitation


This research paper focuses on finding what makes the condition of OPM descend. This research will not give too much attention about foreign music. It focuses more on the OPM songs, singers and songwriter.

E. Materials and Methods


This research employs a descriptive method since the researchers aim to describe and to discuss what makes OPM unpopular on this generation.


Information relevant to the study was gathered from various references such as articles, survey and thesis from online sources.


F. Definition of Terms


Indigenous - occurring naturally in a particular region or environment.


Genre - class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, content or technique.


Mainstream - Mainstream is what the new trend is. When one "style" gets old, a new one is reborn, a mainstream person is someone who jumps from trend to trend so that they fit in with the rest of the crowd. Mainstream is being what society thinks you should be, and look like.

4 - OPM online

Technology is now use by OPM artists for some of the fans can't afford to go to the stores that sells OPM albums. There is now an online store for the Filipinos who do not have time to go to music stores for examples are those who are busy in working or those Filipinos abroad. There is now an online music store called opm2go for them.

According to an article in Inquirer Entertainment by Pocholo Concepcion "There have been other locally-based, legal downloading sites that opened way before opm2go. The problem was that paying for the songs was complicated, requiring credit cards and online payment systems that majority of Filipinos found tedious. (http://entertainment.inquirer.net/35883/how-to-love-pinoy-music-and-show-it)

But opm2go’s head, singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid, said the process has been simplified, and demonstrated how at the online music site’s recent launch at Eastwood Central Plaza in Quezon City."

Some Filipinos aren't that favored in opm2go because of some reason but there is a sure way to buy songs in opm2go. I found the steps at the said article. "Signing up on the website opm2go.com takes less than a minute. After browsing through the catalog, buying the songs can be done through mobile phones (using Smart’s Pasabayad scheme), but for non-Smart subscribers, opm2go prepaid cards are available at National Bookstore, 7-Eleven convenience stores and record bars Astrovision and Odyssey."

Consumer from around the world can also purchase from it. It is good to know that even the Filipinos from different places can now have an OPM song.

3 - OPM Means, the upcoming projects of OPM

There are a lot of articles saying OPM is dead. It seems like it is true. but there are a lot of people working for the improvement of our music. Filipino artists also have an organization called Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit. The organization aims to defend the right of filipino artists, to improve our music industry and to give information to the public about our music.

According to an article entitled New Movement Lauch to promote OPM in Inquirer Entertainment by Allan Policarpio "Most people equate the success of the local music industry with album sales, or the number of hit songs it can produce. But for “OPM Means”—a new movement that aims to cultivate and promote Filipino music—OPM (Original Pilipino Music) is, more than anything else, about love, expression and cultural identity." (http://entertainment.inquirer.net/81881/new-movement-launched-to-promote-opm)

Filipino artists are not losing their hope that some day OPM will be recognize by more Filipino. The OPM Means is aiming to make new projects to promote OPM. According to the said article (“We are One” is just one of many activities lined up by “OPM Means” for this year. Lagdameo said they’re also planning to hold campus and community tours. One of the more interesting projects is the construction of a mobile music stage called “music bus.”

“The music bus will be driven to different towns. We’ll be the ones bringing the music to the people,” Lagdameo explained. “Aside from being entertaining, it’s also going to be educational.”

And aside from concerts and shows, “OPM Means” also hopes to stage a music summit later this year, with the intention of gathering stakeholders and music organizations to discuss pertinent issues about the local music industry, said Cabangon. “Two of the main topics will be OPM as an economic driver and cultural identity,” he said.")

There are a lot of things that we can do to support OPM. First is appreciate it. then, we can support the upcoming projects of our Filipino artists. Let us help our own music to dominate our country. Let's support OPM.

2 - OPM in different dialect

Philippines has different dialect like Bisaya, Ilonggo, kapampangan, chabakano and etc. Whenever I hear someone with different dialect, It's fine with me but when I hear someone singing with a different dialect, sometimes it's funny but sametime it's just the same. I easily understand the meaning of the song because I can feel it with the melody and how the singer delivered the song. You really don't have to understand every words of the song but all you have to do is to listen and feel the song. But the usage of different dialect didn't seem to click in to the hearts of the listeners.


According to an article in studymode.com entitled Original Pinoy Music, "OPM is anything that’s performed by a Filipino artist. The songs are commonly in Filipino or English. However, there recently have been movements by provincial bands promoting songs written in their own dialects. Unfortunately, they are experiencing difficulties in attaining national success because not everyone can understand their songs, thus making it difficult for the masses to appreciate them. Also, people in the music industry are a bit reluctant to support such a cause because they believe that it may further isolate the regions from each other."


Is it really the dialect that is not effective? or is it the audience who cannot appreciate? If they can't understand the dialect of other regions, how come they can memorize and got hooked in Kpop bands and their songs? Sometimes they initiate to find some english subtitles just to understand the songs. why can't they do that for our own music?

As I have observed Filipino listeners are just lacking of interest in Filipino music. I think it is not because they can't understand some lyrics of the song, It is because their appreciation for OPM is lesser than how they love other foreign songs.

1 - OPM, Artists and Effort

Most of us like to listen to foreign songs like American Pop or KPop. We forget that we have our own music. We are a fan of different countries but not our own. That's the reason why some filipino artists are trying so hard just to please their fans.


According to the article in thelasallian.com by Arielle Poblete and Kimberly Ly "Some say OPM desperately tries to compete against foreign music in favor of Filipino listeners, that OPM is living on the brink of monotony. In relation with the first statement, the sound of local music has melodies aiming to be mainstream often to achieve short but powerful last song syndromes or LSS to listeners. We can call this the ‘One-hit wonder move’." ( http://thelasallian.com/2012/10/01/our-pinoy-music/ )


Filipino artists are now experimenting about their music in order to give their listeners a good music. There are some programs made just to promote our own music just like Himig Handog PPop love song , a song writing competition held by ABS-CBN.


At least our artists are really exerting effort just to win the taste of the filipino listeners.They are not losing their hope that OPM will be back again.