‘Duyog’ First in VISPOP

From 80 entries to the final 6, “Duyog” brought home the title of being the Grand Champion of the 1st Visayan Music Pop Festival (VisPop) held in Benedicto College Artists Hall last May 18.

Written by Jewel and Joe Edward Villaflores, Duyog’s heart-tugging alternative pop sound serenaded the audience as a different take on the traditional harana.

“I wrote this song when I was sixteen. My brother and I changed it and made it sound more mature,” Jewel said. “It’s actually about genuine love – something complex, something you can’t describe in one word only,” Jewel said.

Duyog battled it out with five other Cebuano originals. 2nd place winner was Lourdes Maglinte’s lullaby, “Laylay” which was interpreted by Chai Fonacier. On 3rd place was the feel good “Balay ni Mayang” written by lovers Marianne Dungog and Kyle Wong performed by Martina San Diego and Kyle Wong. Other finalists include Paterno Niñal’s “Hinaut,” Marie Maureen Salvaleon’s “Pa-Pictura Ko Nimo, Gwapo” and Alphecca Perpetua’s “Historias” which bagged the Pinaka Fighter Award.

Winners for the festival were determined by Department of Trade and Industry’s Provincial Director Nelia Navarro, international award-winning Cebuana singer Anna Fegi and board member of Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (FILSCAP) and legendary singer-songwriter Gary Granada.

VISPOP is organized by Artist Ko or Artists & Musicians Cooperative led by its core team Ian Zafra, Cattski Espina, Jude Gatimondoc and Insoy Niñal in cooperation with FILSCAP.

Jewel Villaflores performs Duyog during the Finals night

Not only is it a competition, VISPOP is a campaign to introduce educational opportunities in songwriting, most especially for the younger audiences to home their skills.

“It doesn’t stop here. There’s so much more work to do,” Event Director Cattski Espina said.

As the tingog sa bag-ong Sugbuanon, VISPOP pushes for a more creative and professional Cebuano sound, proving that there is a place for Cebuano music on the radio – the kind of music that every Cebuano can be proud of.

For more information on VISPOP, visit www.artistko.com/vispop or like them on Facebook at facebook.com/ArtistKoCebu. All produced VISPOP entries together with other VISPOP banner songs can be heard on soundcloud.com/visayanpop.