FMM: More Musika-lity

Of course, a series of posts regarding the Metropop Music Festival isn't complete without the grand prize winner of its 8th edition in 1984.

True to the concept of celebrating music, the winner that year both celebrated and thanked OPM. It's a song that uplifted our local music industry, and sung by a multi-talented comedienne and singer.

So, for today's Friday Magic Madness song, here's Nanette Inventor - best known as Dona Buding - in her role as a singer, a contest-winning one at that.

Such a beautiful melody and lyrics, that's a fitting thanks to our very own music.

Salamat, Nanette Inventor. Salamat Danny Tan. 

Salamat, Musika!

FMM: Oooh, Child!

It's often said that - at times - you don't have to win in order to achieve success.

That's true in the case of today's Friday Magic Madness song. A song that's still part of my series of the Metropop Music Festival.

In the maiden version of the competition in 1978, one of the entries is a heartfelt ballad about a parent and child. It's a song masterfully written and interpreted by Freddie Aguilar. Those factoids are enough to confirm what's on your mind.

That song is "Anak."

It didn't win the derby. It didn't even figure as one of the runners-up. It was just one of the finalists.

But it's the finalist that could. And did.

"Anak" became a worldwide phenomenon. A song that was wildly popular not just in the Philippines, but in countries both in the East and the West.

In Japan, people always say "Anak," when they find out I'm Filipino. And it's a staple song in Karaoke joints, being sung even by Japanese singers. Same goes in the US, and even in Germany when I visited there.

This song was even translated to English. That's how powerful it was. And it's now part of Philippine music history as one of the most widespread and most sung Filipino song in the world.

This finalist ended up being a winner.

FMM: Musika-lity

Yes, I'm still on a Metropop Music Festival streak for my Friday Magic Madness song for today.

Aside from the fact that this song was the winner of the very first Metropop derby in 1978, it's also an apt song because it celebrates Filipino music and takes pride in it. Timely because this weekend is Philippine Independence Day - the day when we celebrate and take pride in being Pinoy.

The song is an OPM classic, sung by an OPM legend.

"Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika" by Hajji Alejandro. The title alone evokes so much pride and celebration of Filipino Music. The same pride and celebration that the Metropop Music Festival embodied.

No wonder this was the very first winner!

FMM: Makes me smile

The more I'm reading about the MetroPop Music Festival, the more I learn that a lot of my go-to tunes are either winners, or finalists in this song writing derby.

One of these gems is this song which dominated the airwaves in the 80s. This is also a song that the whole family loves. Aside from me, this ditty is something that my Kuya and Ates listened to a lot when we were younger.

For today's Friday Magic Madness song, we have the grand prize winner in the 1984 MetroPop. Beautifully written by Rene Novelles and aptly interpreted by Jam Morales - "A Smile in your Heart."

True to its title, this song never fails to put a smile on my face. And in my heart.

FMM: Met expectations

The Metropop fixation continues. Which is very apt because all the entries, runners-up and winners qualify as Friday Magic Madness songs due to their age.

Kuh Ledesma is a big favourite of the family. When we were kids, we'd watch her concerts at Music Museum, even if it meant us staying up way past our bedtime. We also got to meet her personally a few times because she's friends with one of our Titas.

There's an interesting story about Kuh Ledesma and the Metropop Music Festival. Odette Quesada penned an entry for the contest, and she wanted Kuh to sing it. At first, Kuh was reluctant because she didn't like joining singing contests, even as an interpreter for a composer who's very close to her. 

But Odette really wanted her to interpret the song. In fact, Kuh was the only singer she had in mind and was a non-negotiable. So, what she did was to ask her grandmother to talk to Kuh and convince her. Now, Kuh is close to her Odette's grandmother and has a soft spot for Lolas. And that sealed the deal.

That song, "Till I Met You" eventually bagged the grand prize in the 6th Metropop Music Festival in 1983.

I'm so glad Kuh met Odette's grandmother. That meeting has gifted us with an iconic song that - up to now - is one of my most listened to songs.

FMM: Top of the Pops

The Metropop Music Festival in the late 70s & 80s was definitely the breeding ground of some of the most iconic OPM songs. 

Back in the early 2000s, I had a CD compilation of the winners and finalists of the different Metropop derbies, and I'd often listen it with Kuya Ers - a fellow fan of old OPM. After poring through each CD, one thing was clear - this was the golden age of song writing contests.

From Metropop came some memorable Pinoy hits like "Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika," "Salamat, Musika," "Isang Mundo, Isang Awit,""Ako ang nagwagi, Ako ang nasawi," "Give me a Chance," "Anak," "Umagang Kay Ganda," among many others.

But the winning songs weren't the only one that became hits. Other finalists and runners-up were equally memorable and have stood the test of time.

A good example is today's Friday Magic Madness song from 1980. It's a song from The New Minstrels and talks about how we are all connected despite our differences. A message that's beautifully captured in the title: "Ikaw, Ako, Magkakapatid."

I've listened to this song for 4 decades already. And fun fact, we performed this song when I was still part of the High School choir.

And the message rings true now just like it did 42 years ago.