During this year’s Pinoy Playlist Music Festival, the Ryan Cayabyab Award was granted to Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, Mel Villena, and Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata for their contributions to Filipino music. Acts such as Jed Madela, The Company, Pundaquit Virtuosi, and more paid tribute to the three Ryan Cayabyab Awardees by performing select pieces from the awardees’ respective bodies of work.
Bolipata was recognized for his work in Filipino music education and his service as a Trustee for the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Executive Director of the Miriam College’s Music Center for Applied Music, commissioner to the Philippine National Commission to UNESCO, and more.
Villena’s contributions to jazz education, musical arrangement, mentorship, and the like were also recognized by the festival’s curators. In addition to this, he was also lauded for his work as the President and Chairman of the Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino (AMP) in elevating and professionalizing the working conditions of artists and the renumeration for Filipino musicians.
Velasquez: Courtesy of @reginevalcasid
Velasquez: Courtesy of @ogiealcasid
Finally, Velasquez-Alcasid was recognized for her 37-year long career of championing Filipino excellence through her performances as well as her mentorship of numerous emerging and established talents in the country’s music industry.
The Pinoy Playlist Music Festival was held at the BGC Arts Center last September 30 to October 1. It featured a diverse lineup of performers across different genres and generations as well as panel discussions about various topics in the music industry. The event was curated by the National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, The Company’s Moy Ortiz, multihyphenate Noel Ferrer, and writer Maria Isabel Garcia. Previous Ryan Cayabyab Awardees include legendary singers and Filipino music pioneers Pilita Corrales and Basil Valdez.
