Music Executives Weigh in on Collaboration, Authenticity, and the Future of OPM

Over two hours. Or 126 minutes, to be exact. This is how long Filipinos listen to music on average each day. It’s a figure that puts the country at the apex of global music-listening rankings.

This only reaffirms what many already know: The Philippines is a nation deeply in love with music. 

However, not only is the country home to avid music listeners; it’s also a treasure trove of music creators. And according to the latest creative economy data of the Philippine Statistics Authority, the Music, Arts and Entertainment category has steadily seen a strong upward trajectory over the past four years — with industry revenues and employment growing by an average of 9.25% and 11% per year, respectively.

All this underscores the country’s thriving and ever-evolving  Original Pilipino Music (OPM) scene.

On the sidelines of the nominations reveal for the 11th Wish Music Awards, music executives Raymond Fabul and Gab Cabangon joined DJ Adam for a discussion on the OPM industry. Fabul serves as the Artists and Repertoire Director at Sony Music Philippines, while Cabangon sits as the Executive Director of the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit.

How has OPM evolved in recent years?

Gab Cabangon: I think in terms of honoring the legends and the artists who opened the doors for artists like us, nakikita naman sa arrangement at sa style that artists are incorporating things that they've learned from the likes of Eraserheads, Rico Blanco, and all the way back to legends like Maestro Ryan Cayabyab.

You could see that it's applied to the current sound. But at the same time, because music is ever-evolving, you see artists experimenting with new things. And I think it's really finding the balance in terms of incorporating what worked best in the past and not shutting the door on new things to be explored. Because of technology as well, dumarami rin ‘yung possibilities for artists, especially the younger artists, to explore different things. I'm really happy now. There are really, really a lot of talented artists in the Philippines right now.

Experimenting with new things is one thing. Collaborating with other people is another. How important are collaborations in an industry like music?

Raymond Fabul: It's absolutely essential for the industry to progress, to thrive. I think a lot of the success stories that we see currently are products of collaboration between artists, managers, labels, different creatives, and generally the industry ecosystem. So we're able to kind of lift up our artists further through collaborative efforts.

What I find inspiring about today's efforts in collaboration and promoting artists is that we're able to find audiences, we're able to promote artists and their songs while retaining the identity of the artist. They can stay true to who they are and represent us — our Filipino heritage and creativity — and international audiences are able to respect that as well. 

Speaking of global audiences, how do you think the international crowd is perceiving Filipino artists?

Raymond Fabul: Hindi lang ‘yung local audiences natin ‘yung natutuwa sa ating mga artists ngayon. We're actually able to attract more audiences abroad without having to change ‘yung sound ng artist or how they're packaged. They can stay true to themselves and still gain that kind of audience or following. 

The international audiences can see the authenticity of our Filipino artists. They're able to craft stories that are uniquely Filipino but still very relatable — whether you're covering topics like love, heartbreak, or different aspects of identity.

What excites you most about the future of OPM?

Gab Cabangon: I guess the biggest excitement for me is ‘yung more originality, more opportunity to be proud and to represent Filipino music and our culture. I think music is one of the things that we can be proud of as a nation. And I'm always excited for the opportunity to see more artists, not just in Metro Manila or Luzon, but also in Visayas and Mindanao, to showcase the different stories, the different styles of Filipino music, and represent it not just locally, but also internationally. 

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Editor’s Note: Minor edits have been made to the interview for clarity and grammatical accuracy.