Inspiring Baguio singers take top honours in contest

Manila Times/ManilaA unique celebration of world-class music and talent took place at the Akapela Open finals night at the Meralco Theatre recently.Now in its second run, the Akapela Open brought together the biggest and brightest stars of music and contemporary “a cappella” for a night of auditory show that is sure to inspire and amaze.“A cappella” is a style of singing performed without accompanying instruments. It has evolved from its simple church choir phase to more modern and complex styles that include vocal percussions such as doo-wop and beat boxing.Organised by the One Meralco Foundation (OMF), PLDT-Smart Foundation and The Music School of  Ryan Cayabyab, the nationwide talent search has been a vehicle for budding musical groups to showcase their top-notch vocal skills.“Our country is recognised internationally for our excellent choirs and Akapela Open encourages those groups to come out and be recognised. Akapela Open aims to create a community of contemporary ‘a cappella’ performers and uphold the value of the human spirit,” said competition founder and respected composer Professor Ryan Cayabyab.The 2013 grand champion Acapellago was edged out by Baguio-based group, Pinopela as the 2014 Akapela Open grand champion. The Malolos-based quintet landed third place while Dynamix won second.This year’s seven other finalists were: 1415, 10,000, D’Mortal Instruments, Los Cantantes De Manila, Mouthfools, Negative Four and Pop Acappella League of Singers.“This community of contemporary ‘a cappella’ singers will continue to influence more and more people across generations to give birth to new contemporary ‘a cappella’ groups; and, in their own way, may they help support a thriving nation,” Cayabyab added.Supporting the vocal competition for the second time this year were One Meralco Foundation and PLDT-Smart Foundation. According to the latter’s president Esther Santos, “Through Akapela Open, we hope we can bring together a community committed to nurture talent, our culture and be leaders for the youth.”OMF president Jeffrey Tarayao echoed this sentiment and said: “We recognise the value of this competition in surfacing world-class Filipinos that will continue to put the Philippines in the global map of musical excellence. We have always been known as a country imbued with musical talent and showcasing this is our own little way to contribute to youth development and nation-building.”