Flips = Flop in Pop

So Korean pop is in.

And Manila copied them again.

Nothing wrong with copying.

After all, Koreans copy Americans all the time.

But Koreans copy good.

Real good.

They give those they copy a run for their money.

And they don't even speak good English, while we take pride to be Asia's most fluent English speakers!

We don't.

And I am sick of this same old story.

Frustrated.

Ashamed.

Instead of merely COPYING foreigns, we should start COMPETING.

I am not the type to complain without action. Hence, I am experimenting on something.

RIVERSYD is an upcoming independently produced co-ed Filipino pop act group from the Kapampangan region by my Kamaru Productions.

The project aims to give Pinoy Pop Music a whole new twist -- keeping up with the global trends in popular music while channeling the sounds and visuals that make us distinctly Filipinos.

Composed of three boys and two girls, RIVERSYD is all about loving your own culture, empowering the marginal, and embracing change.

The current members are:

ROCK-O of Angeles City, Pampanga

JET of Angeles City, Pampanga

AER of Porac, Pampanga

JO of Angeles City, Pampanga

and RYDE of Capas, Tarlac

Catch their debut music videos late this year, "Shades" and "Para Toot". Below is the sample music for "Shades" (no vocals recorded yet). Notice how we tried to fuse indigenous sounds with modern hiphop and trance. Music composed and arranged by Diwa De Leon.

Will we be able to pull this off? We'll see.

-Jason Paul Laxamana

Cultural Activist