pinoy nga

i had been of the opinion that opm was once again clawing its way uphill, but the most recent in the rash of controversial locally-composed songs marred by rumors of dubious originality has finally shaken that certainty.

a quick comparison between orange and lemons' catchy pinoy big brother theme, pinoy ako and the care's chandeliers reveals more than an uncanny resemblance: chord progression, drums, bassline, and verse melody are virtually identical; even the lead guitar borrows heavily from the violins. the only major difference is the absence of a bridge in the original. i'll cut orange and lemons that much slack.

not that i find anything wrong in using pre-existing music as inspiration or even as a peg for original compositions, but i draw the line at denying blatantly obvious similarities. the challenge in covering a song is not in masking its true authors, but in exceeding them. those who can't, simply shouldn't.

i won't discuss the repercussions of this discovery in terms of the song's content. shame is plentiful enough without my having to dissect every hypocrisy the lyrics now paint. but what i feel i must expound on is the apathy or even stubbornness still exhibited by those in the know. "i dont care if its similar basta gusto ko ang song 'Pinoy Ako'", one discussion contributor even affirmed. sadly, people will time and again follow what's popular, not what's ethical.

with such a mindset demonstrated by both performers and listeners, what's there to be proud of?

sige ingat.ü 
posted by stani at 12:15 AM