Original Pinoy Music, commonly known as OPM has evolved throughout history as genres continue to evolve, varying from traditional music to pop songs. From ballads to pop songs, OPM music has changed a lot. Let’s take a look at how OPM became what it is today.
OPM was established during the 70s and 80s when the term was mainly used for Philippine pop ballads during the ‘Manila Sound Era’ consisting of famous artists such as Sharon Cuneta, Rico Blanco, Martin Nivera, and Regine Velasquez. The genre was popular in the US, mostly for love songs and dancing — capturing the hearts of Filipinos around the world as the artists discovered their own sound.
According to Manila Times, musical artist Felipe “Jun” De Leon, explained that Filipino music styles contained poetic and passionate delivery. He described the roots of early OPM, saying, “This is the culture of indigenous peoples, beginning with 47,000 years ago and [it’s still] very evident until now.”
The earliest Filipino cultural music is characterized by the style “Kultura ng Pagdidiwata”, which is described as the amalgamation of Harmony with Nature and the Spirit World. Music in the Philippines was used in daily lives a lot during the traditional times and was orally-transmitted through poetry, lullabies and greeting chants.
During the Pre-Spanish period, Filipinos experimented with different sounds by using bamboo canes and palm leaves to write their own songs, using a sharp stick for the pen. Most of the music from the Pre-Spanish period was mostly made with simply two notes in a recitative style. They were influenced by the different trade relationships from other countries such as the Chinese, Indo-Chinese and Malays.
Later on, the Hindus brought gongs which influenced the rhythmic effects. Along with the Chinese and Japanese they introduced the five-tone pentatonic scale. The Japanese and Chinese also influenced Filipino music with their reed type of wind instruments during the era. These are just some of the many influences during the Pre-Spanish era.
Later on, Filipino music was also influenced by the cultures of Indonesian, Arabic and Indian culture where people used traditional bamboos and xylophones as their instruments to create fluid sounds. During the 16th century when Christianity was brought to the Philippines by Spanish colonizers, OPM was rooted by the religion’s teachings of mercy, sacrifice and service to the community to God.
Over time, mass entertainment increased and dominated the industry. The OPM genre was influenced by the Western culture and artists nowadays explore the Western sound and make mainstream music with occasional English lyrics involved. The features of music styles involve a jazzy vibe with thumping bass, as shown in Hollywood movies focusing on the sentimental atmosphere of the music.
Sources:
Roque, N. (2021, June 13). How Philippine culture shapes OPM. The Manila Times. Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/06/13/the-sunday-times/filipino-champions/how-philippine-culture-shapes-opm/1802942
User, G. (2020, August 11). What is Original Pilipino Music / OPM? Undiscovered Markets & Festivals. Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://www.undiscoveredsf.com/blog/2019/8/15/what-is-original-pilipino-music-opm
Sutori. (n.d.). Sutori. Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://www.sutori.com/en/story/history-of-music-in-the-philippines--wkaph9azB5DvZ6CP3rKfVh4w
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