The distinct sound of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) thrives. Coke Studio, an OPM rap icon, and a fast-rising rock band push the boundaries of music by combining two contrasting genres to create a unified sound that showcases each of their musical mastery, yet brings to light a fresh, new take on OPM, such as Abra’s striking flow and wordplay fused with Gracenote’s haunting and melodic lyrical tunes.
Abra (a play on his surname “Abracosa”) is famous for his collaborative works with Parokya ni Edgar’s Chito Miranda, Maja Salvador, Reese Lansangan, Loonie, and Ron Henley, to name a few. The witty, fast-talking veteran emcee has made a name for himself as one of the most important wordsmiths on the local hip-hop scene with his significant, unapologetic, and poetic lyrics channeled through a unique rap flow. “That’s [Abra] what people really call me and it also fits because it can be short for ‘abracadabra’, which is not only a magic word, but is old Aramaic for ‘I create words’ and that’s what I do,” said Abra.
As a part of the line-up of refreshing collaborative musical acts of Coke Studio, the synco-pop-punk-electro-rock trio of Gracenote—Eunice and Jazz Jorge, and EJ Picha—is paired with Abra, where the rapper’s energetic and aggressive style will be complemented by Gracenote’s classical rock background to send shivers down the spines of every listener. “The grace note is not the biggest note; it is a small note which makes an impact. If you remove it from the song, it will be really felt,” said Gracenote lead vocalist Eunice on the band’s important musical quality.
Unusual but full of possibilities, the collaboration between the two different artists is a surprise for many, but it brings forth a new, exciting dimension for OPM. “We are always looking for something fresh,” said Eunice.
Indeed, fans can only imagine Gracenote’s playful piano and violin tunes, catchy beats, and haunting vocals, overlaid with Abra’s stinging wordplay on life and important social issues, as it brings the house down. For now, Filipinos can only look forward to the new episodes coming up.
With different perspectives coming in from a variety of sources, the stage for groundbreaking new music is set, fresh tunes produced by local Filipino artists are in the works, and OPM continues to evolve with Coke Studio’s flair for collaboration.
Taste the sounds of Pinoy music as Abra and Gracenote collaborate for Coke Studio today, at 7 p.m. on TV5 or on www.youtube.com/CokeStudioPH
