COKE STUDIO PHILIPPINES has finally revealed its line-up of 14 artists for the show’s second season themed, “Homecoming.”
The World Trade Center dazzled with lights and teemed with sounds of cheering fans as Coke ushered-in a new breed of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) acts on September 1. And with the success of Coke Studio Season 1, the launch of Season 2 hopes to bring a whole new flavor to Pinoy sound.
Coca-Cola Philippines Vice President for Marketing Stephan Czypionka welcomed the audience to a “new era” and partnership with the musicians as he reminded everyone of the company’s history.
“We’ve been working with artists since 1904. [That’s] a 114 years of Coca-Cola music,” Czypionka shared, “We were the first company to have an endorser who was a musician. It was not a rock star; it was not a rapper: It was an opera singer. Every generation has their piece of Coca-Cola music. This generation has Coke Studio.”
True to bringing the spirit of OPM closer to the hearts of millennials, Coke Studio brought together IV of Spades, Moira dela Torre and KZ Tandingan.They shared their music to this generation of OPM lovers.
Coke Studio described OPM as an integral part of the brand, and the good things that came out from last season’s collaborations.
“For us, it was a journey to bring OPM back to the spotlight where it belongs. We brought together icons of OPM with young bloods, and great collaborations came out,” Czypionka said. “It was a platform that truly showcased talent. For us as a company, it became the best brand platform so far.”
So, what’s to be expected of the stories that will be told in Season 2? Czypionka had this to say: “This is what we’re about to do: We’re telling stories of homecoming.”
With a million views per episode and eight trending times on Twitter, Season 1 was undoubtedly a success. On the other hand, Season 2, with the same concept, will bring in “new taste,” with a more emotional and narrative scheme to the collaborations. Included in the set of 14 are Ben and Ben, Juan Miguel Severo, Quest and Kriesha Chu.
Focused on the feeling of what it’s like to be home, the familiar faces of December Avenue, Shanti Dope, Sam Conception, Khalil Ramos, as well as AJ Rafael and DJ Patty Tiu are set to join Coke Studio.
And to give people the feeling of missing home, the last artist joining the line-up won’t be revealed until the show’s seventh episode on November 18.
To hear their stories of homecoming, Coke Studio will air its first episode on September 16 on ABS-CBN at 11:15 a.m. and via YouTube (YT.com/CokeStudioPH).
“Hugot” poet joins
TRUE to a more emotional theme, spoken-word artist Juan Miguel Severo joined 13 other musicians in Coke Studio’s Season 2 line-up reveal at the World Trade Center on September 1.
Severo is not particularly known for making music. His fame and admiration among millennials come from a long history of performing on stage, while passionately narrating his heartbreaks through the rising art form of spoken-word poetry.
The monologues of the lyricist have caused both laughter and tears among his listeners from acts like “Mga Basang Unan” and “Nadurog Ako.” But he truly gained much love from the youth when his performance entitled, “Ang Huling Tula na Isusulat Ko para sa ‘Yo” went viral.
Severo narrated how honored he is that Coke Studio approached him and decided to include spoken-word poetry this season.
“I was giddy,” he said in Filipino. “I also sing and write songs, but they approached me because I was a spoken-word poet. That’s what they wanted me to showcase.”
Undoubtedly, the young man is worth listening to, especially as he was the first to popularize spoken-word poetry through television in his appearance in On the Wings of Love. But more than a poet, he is a certified recording artist after signing with PolyEast Records.
Not long after, he made it in Spotify Philippines’s Viral 50 Chart with his first single Walls.
He can catch a note and ride a beat as well as any other musician could, but how he will incorporate his “hugot” to the theme of “homecoming” is what the audience should look out for:
“What can you draw from the idea of coming home? Home is not just a place. It can be a person, a feeling [or] homecoming. It could [also] be that moment when you finally find your purpose in life.”
Aside from the Coke Studio on ABS-CBN, support Severo through PolyEast Records and Words Anonymous’ YouTube channels, then stream his songs on Spotify.
Ransom Collective returns
MEANWHILE, fresh out of Season 1, the Ransom Collective returned to the Coke Studio to welcome the new batch of collaborating artists who were revealed at the World Trade Center.
The six-piece ensemble of Kian Ransom (vocals, guitar), Redd Claudio (drums), Jermaine Choa Peck (percussions, vocals), Leah Halili (bass, vocals), Lily Gonzales (keyboards, vocals) and Muriel Gonzales (violin, vocals) shared the spotlight with rising OPM stars Gabby Alipe and John Dinopol of Urbandub.
From then, a lot has changed since the band came together in 2014 and graced the Coke Studio to learn with the OPM veterans.
Slowly climbing to fame, the young group has made strides to create a significant contribution to the local music scene.
Releasing their self-titled EP in 2014, the first song Fools was covered by Urbandub. Fine and well-versed, the band still continues to grow and learn with the long length of time they play together.
“We hope people would hear that we’re sort of changing,” Halili shared, “as we mature from our youthful sound to a more defined one.”
“Our music reflects our experience,” Lily added. “Since Season 1, there have been a lot of things we’ve experienced differently.”
The band is currently focused on touring, and on their individual shows, they aren’t quite ready yet to share the project they have in store for their fans. But the experiences they gained from knowing each other, as well as their stories, drive the music for the young group.
“Just by playing together,” Ransom said, “and realizing what we could do. Building [our] chemistry – it’s just an exciting process.”
When asked what they felt about coming back to Coke Studio and how they viewed the line-up, the band agreed that it was an interesting combination of new and familiar groups, as well as a surprising number of solo artists.
“It’s an honor to be invited back. It’s fun to be a part of [the launch] of Coke Studio Season 2. It’s kind of nostalgic,” Ransom shared.
He went on to say, “It’s a lot different from last year. It was the appearance of legacy OPM bands, with some of the up-and-coming ones. Now, they are trying out different things. I’m really curious to see how the sound of Coke Studio has changed from last season to [this] new one.”
World without waste
INDEED, OPM was the center of attention at the World Trade Center on that big day, but Coca-Cola Philippines Public Affairs and Communications Director Jonah De Lumen-Pernia had been a part of the program to promote the efforts of Coca Cola in pushing for a sustainable future.
“Tonight is about what Coke does and how it brings in the youth for the good work we’re doing,” Pernia said. “One side which is music, and there’s also [another] which is the work we are doing on our footprint on waste from the packaging.”
Just outside the concert hall where Coke Studio held its Season 2 launch, the Coke Studio Tune Cycle was placed to encourage concertgoers to deposit their plastic bottles, which will be made into “eco-bricks” and be donated under the company’s advocacy.
“As a company, we’ve declared a goal,” Pernia described, “of helping collect every bottle and can that we produce. Not a lot of people know that bottle packaging is the most recyclable type of packaging, and what we wanted to do is to give it a second [lease on] life.”
Image credits: John Aaron Macaraeg