As Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Jaime Laya promises to add dimension to the musical consciousness of Filipinos by introducing new concepts in arts and culture that would appeal and encourage the participation especially of the youth sector.
“Kanto Canta,” a music competition which was introduced last year by two of the youngest members of the CCP Board of Trustees, Michelle Junia, also known as Nikki Junia, now CCP Vice Chair, and Stanley Seludo— will be revitalized and restaged anytime soon with Laya still overseeing it.
“Kanto” music is literally ordinary music in every street corner.
Another project worthy of a reprise soonest is the “balagtasan,” a joust of sort in poetry and using rap to come to terms with modernity.
In a symposium Laya attended at the Pandesal Forum at the Kamuning Bakery on Wednesday, he said that culture and the arts in the Philippines must be all-inclusive.
These two projects suit the objectives of bringing arts and culture to the masses especially the young people.
Laya clarified that the CCP is not an elite hall exclusive, an impression built only for the culturati and the culture vultures.
The use of anime and digitization, he opined, would erase the wrong notion that CCP is meant only for the rich and the classy.
Laya, who serves as the Chair and President of Philtrust Bank and Treasurer of the Opera Guild of the Philippines, said “Kanto Canta” is a search for innovative musicians.
“The idea of Kanto Canta is that it needs to be original composition and use indigenous musical instruments like the nose flute, guitar or bandurya,” explained Laya.
He said that the competition last year had produced outstanding musicians of various genres who also managed to get commercial contracts.
Participants in the “Kanto Canta,” said the former Central Bank Governor during the Marcos, Sr. administration, will submit a music or performance video shot in any “Pinoy kanto” or area and uploaded on YouTube.