Southern musicians to get a chance to be mentored by Ryan Cayabyab, Noel Cabangon, et al

The usual patrons of Matina Town Square got the shock of their lives last Friday night, August 3, when Maestro Ryan Cayabyab, Noel Cabangon, Jay Durias, and Ebe Dancel shared a single stage to perform their greatest hits and latest offerings. 

 

Three lucky people in the audience got the chance to sing along the classics “Kailan” and “Tuwing Umuulan at Kapiling Ka” with no less than the Maestro on keyboards. 

 

How often would you have the chance to see Noel Cabangon, Jay Durias and Ebe Dancel play together on the same stage? And if that wasn’t enough, Durias, the mastermind behind South Border and the pride of Davao, thanked his fans by taking requests and playing South Border hits. 

This once in a lifetime music event in Mindanao was just part of the efforts to promote the Elements Songwriting Camp, a free five-day songwriting camp where 20 of the best and brightest original Pilipino music (OPM) songwriters will mentor the new generation of aspiring songwriters from all over the country. This elite camp only accepts 60 songwriters every year and the campers are picked from hundreds of live and online audition videos that the mentors of the camp receive every year.

 

The camp is now on its third year and has produced a crop of very promising talents including homegrown musician-songwriters Maan Chu, Jeremy Sarmiento, Lorenzo Vergara, and Andrei Elizaga.

 

Maestro Ryan Cayabyab was very excited about promoting the Elements Songwriting Camp in Mindanao because of the diversity Mindanao songwriters bring to the camp. "Songwriters from Mindanao—they like to use unique instruments and unique sounds. It’s always exciting to hear their work because they always bring something new to the camp,” he said.

 

Ebe Dancel, formerly of Sugarfree and also a mentor of the Elements Camp, also stressed the importance of bringing music and songwriters from different parts of the country together to learn from one another and to appreciate each other’s music. “Tingin ng maraming tao, suplado ang mga taga-Luzon, taga-Manila, at ang gusto lang nila ‘yung mga gawa do’n. ‘Di ‘yun totoo! ‘Pag may banda galing Cebu na pumupunta sa Manila, pinupuntahan namin kasi gusto naming marinig. Curious kami kung ano ‘yung gawa nila. Ang nangyayari lang kasi ‘di namin alam ‘yung tugtug niyo dito (sa Mindanao). Kaya dapat iparinig talaga natin kasi ang daming magagaling,”  Dancel said.

 

When you put all that talent in one place, it’s no surprise that these aspiring musicians will learn, practice, and spread their talent to the world. Maan Chu, one of the graduates of the first Elements camp and wife of renowned Mindanao artist Kublai Ponce Millan, confirmed that she will be releasing her own album within the year.

 

After their stint in Davao, the mentors continued with their roadshow to Cagayan De Oro where they were welcomed by a full house at the Punchbowl Music and Booze. The crowd and the musicians had a rocking good time, enjoying the music of Dancel, Cabangon, Durias, Cayabyab and Beryl Lium.

 

The Elements Songwriting Camp this year will be held in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental from November 18-22. 

 

The application period for the camp will run until August 31. –KG, GMA News

 

For more information on how to audition and apply for the camp, visit Elements’ website.