• Filed under dchs88
  May 4

  Davao dirty ditty now an award-winning song: Hubag, Awit’s best regional song
  By Chris Te Fabian

  HUBAG — a hip-hop song described by some sectors as “dirty ditty” — is now an award-winning song.

  The composition of University of Mindanao alumnus Roseller “Jay” Lagnayo Jr. (aka Mista Silenza) grabbed the Best Regional Recording in the 19th Awit Awards, Philippines’ equivalent to America’s Grammy.

  Hubag performed by Mista Silenza of SIR Matina and his partner Boone Dennis “B.O.N.” Batuto of Toril — more popularly known as the Thavawenyoz — besting entries from Luzon and Visayas, said Arnel Guevarra, the head of Alpha Music in Davao which distributed the group’s debut album of the same title.

  The Davao song topped Cebu’s Puerting Hubaga by the regional novelty icon Max Surban and Nganong Ni Enter by rap group Konigs and Ilocos’ Ugali by Sylvia Gaoiran and Agindidi by Cesar A. Roxas.

  “We dedicate that award to Davao City,” Mista Silenza, a former tenor of the University of Mindanao Choir, texted Mindanao Times yesterday.

  The Awit win is the biggest so far for the group which already received honors in the local level — including the first place in the music video segment and the second place in the music composition segment of the 4th Huni sa Dabaw in 2005 with their R&B track Mao Kaha Kini ang Gugma. Last year, the group also won a runner-up spot in the NCCC songwriting contest.

  Thavawenyoz zoomed to popularity in the local music scene after Hubag was aired over 92.3 WILD FM in its Rap Idol segment which aimed to discover unsigned potential hip-hop act in Davao City.

  When Alpha executives heard the song, they immediately signed up the group.

  Thavawenyoz was also nominated in the Best Novelty Act. However, there was no immediate report who among the nominees — including Parokya ni Edgar (Mang Jose), Aryana (Bop Bop), Boy2 Quizon (Ragarabo) and another Davaoeño guy Gary Granada (Babadap-Badap) — won the award.

  Guevarra said the announcement was made during the pre-awarding rites held Tuesday evening at Ballroom B of Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ortigas.

  The rite was a kick-off to the June 15 awarding night at Casino Filipino Theater in Parañaque City. Awit, initiated by the Philippine Association of Record Industries (PARI), is the biggest music award in the country.

  Other Davao artists still in the June 15 race include the Manila-based Gary Granada (Best World/Alternative Music and Best Jazz Recording), Tagum boy Champ Lui-Pio-led Hale (Album of the Year, Best Song of the Year, Best Ballad Award, Best Performance By A New Group, Album Packaging Excellence Award and Best Engineered Recording), South Border (Best R&B Song, Best Performance by a Group Recording Artists, and Best Song written for Movie/TV/Stage Play), Juris Fernandez’s MYMP (Best Selling Album of the Year), Tagum boy Thor (Best Performance by a Duet), Jinky Vidal (Best Dance and Best R&B).

  Last year, the Best Regional Recording award was also by an act identified with Davao. South Border — headed by Davao boy Jay Oliver Durias – scored the win with their version of the classic Bisaya song, Usahay. (DAUG-CTF)

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