Blown away by music heroes

MANILA, Philippines - Top-rating and longest-running noontime program, Eat, Bulaga!, recently highlighted local musicians playing different instruments in its latest talent competition, Music Hero.

While there is still the ongoing Lola’s Playlist, which features kiddie singers crooning the songs of yesteryears, Eat, Bulaga! started its Music Hero contest in August 2016 and has since discovered the best keyboardist, violinist, acoustic guitarist, flutist, lead guitarist and even drummer.

Recently, the show staged the grand finals of Music Hero’s best bass guitarist. Three individuals displayed their impressive flair for strumming their electric bass guitar and everyone obviously delighted the judges.

Nineteen-year-old Leo Reyes from Albay played Earth, Wind and Fire’s September. Sixteen-year-old Jay-R Corre from Montalban, Rizal rendered Jennifer Lopez’s Let’s Get Loud, while Zild Benitez, also 19 and a second year college student from St. Benilde, rocked to POT’s remake of Yugyugan Na.

For the One Song Challenge, the three finalists rendered the upbeat Play That Funky Music.

Judges for the contest were local bass guitarists of popular bands. They were Karel Honasan of Yosha, Sheldon Gellada of Hale, Dok Sergio of Pupil. They were joined by UST Conservatory of Music guitar faculty member Arthur Basilio and Asia’s Nightingale Lani Misalucha.

While the contestants were performing, the judges were stomping their feet, snapping their fingers and obviously rocking to the groove. “There was miniscule difference in judging,” commented Sheldon, who apparently had a tough time determining the winner.

Meanwhile, Dok said they were “extremely blown away” by the performances of the teenage bass players. To him, all were “skilled and equal.”

However, there was only one winner and that was Zild Benitez, the sole musician who played an OPM tune, though that was not mention as his edge. Whatever it was that made Zild nail the competition, one thing is for sure, he was a great, young bass player.