The rolling, rollicking ship of Pinoy pop pulls away from the shore once more on another epic voyage.
Soundtrip Season 4 on E! Philippines airs 10 p.m. Mondays with boatloads of fun and jam sessions with the biggest artists in Filipino music.
Sailing on smooth waters for three seasons with rock superstar Rico Blanco, it’s now lifestyle connoisseur Stefano de Medici‘s turn to steer it, but this time, with co-host and Asia’s romantic balladeer, Christian Bautista.
“We’re so happy to be returning for a new season”, shares De Medici, who now juggles hosting stints for three other travel and lifestyle shows championing Filipino ingenuity and tourism. “We had so much fun with Rico on the show, but I’m equally excited to be working with another amazing Pinoy talent in Christian Bautista.:
“Rico is a music hero who knows the industry really well and has the backstory on almost every artist out there”, says Marnie Manicad, the show’s director. “He is also gifted with a sly sense of humor that made our conversations engaging. Christian, on the other hand, brings a different vibe to the show. He’s articulate, full of energy, curious, funny, and it should be interesting to watch the dynamics play out between him, Stefano and our guests during the interviews”.
Christian Bautista is no stranger to the Soundtrip set because he was among the first to drop anchor on the show’s first season, alongside A-list musicians Aiza Seguerra, Sam Concepcion, The Company, Karylle, and Barbie Almalbis.
“I had so much fun doing the show, I begged them to let me stay,” Bautista says in jest, adding he doesn’t feel ill at ease filling the shoes of Blanco. “The chance to sit down with my fellow artists, ask them questions, and get to know them on a different level was just too good for me to pass up.”
After more than a decade in show business, Bautista’s soothing voice has graced a good number of local and international hits, and has pushed himself creatively beyond singing – taking on modeling, acting, and hosting assignments with equal skill and passion. Christian is also poised to become a hit among E! viewers in the region, with his enormous popularity and fanbase in Asia.
“We’ve had Jose Mari Chan and Ogie Alcasid sing live on the ship. Raimund Marasigan got on board and played our drinking game. We’ve had a blast with Kyla, Jaya, Yeng Constantino, Charice and so many other Pinoy musicians in the past”, says Manicad. “We felt we had to keep up the momentum this season with a new lineup of stars to keep the party fun and entertaining.”
Soundtrip celebrates Filipino music by shining the spotlight on the artists behind today’s most popular songs.
The show also takes the music stars on board a cruise ship to chat and perform live, combining the joy of travel with the relaxed vibe of a night out with friends.
“When 2GO Travel and our team set out to do the show, all we wanted was to showcase Pinoy music in a program that reaches international audiences through E!,” says Manicad. “We have been so fortunate to get positive feedback from our viewers and enjoy good ratings throughout our run”.
Soundtrip has become the top-rated series on E! Philippines, in 2016, with a sizeable viewership across key demographics.
Working on the show’s production is Team MMPI – the same crew behind innovative program concepts such as Turbo Zone, Home Base, The Working Class, FoodTrip and TriPinas – the country’s hottest travel show, also hosted by De Medici. In July, the company is set to roll off two more new shows – The Global Filipino and AgriPreneur.
MMPI also prides itself in its international and award-winning productions including the Emmy-nominated National Geographic documentary Inside Malacañang, the Patrick Bergin-Dingdong Dantes movie Dance of the Steel Bars based on Cebu’s famous dancing inmates, and 2 Degrees: Panahon Na, a climate change documentary that earned a special citation at the Catholic Mass Media Awards in 2016.
Soundtrip airs on E! Philippines 10 p.m. Mondays.
