THE Philippines will be hosting its first-ever MTV Music Evolution that will bring together the biggest names in local and international hip-hop and rap music, as part of the celebration for Visit Philippines Year 2015 (VPY 2015).
Sponsored by the government-run Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) with support from its audio partner, Dolby, the Philippines 1st MTV Music Evolution will be held on May 17 at the Quirino Grandstand, in historic Rizal Park in Manila. TPB is the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
In a media briefing last Thursday to launch the event, Mark Whitehead, executive vice president and managing director for Viacom International media Networks Asia, said: “The Philippines has such a strong music influence and has become a popular entertainment destination. With a successful history of partnering with tourism boards around the world, we are naturally thrilled to be collaborating with the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippine Department of Tourism to bring MTV Music Evolution to our fans in the Philippines and around Asia.”
Viacom International, a division of the listed Viacom Inc., owns and operates MTV. The latter is a premier youth entertainment brand, which originated in the 1980s as a 24/7 cable-TV channel featuring music videos of singers and bands, and youth-oriented TV shows.
Performing at the event is the Grammy Award-winning hip-hop act Naughty by Nature; the Philippines’s most celebrated rapper, Gloc-9; and the country’s hottest hip-hop act, Abra. The event will be taped live and globally televised under the MTV World Stage series, reaching an international audience of more than three-quarters of a billion households in over 160 countries. Other musical performers will be announced soon.
In a press statement, Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr. said: “We Filipinos like to entertain and perform for people. MTV Music Evolution will not only put the Philippines on the map of international music, but it will also serve as a global stage for the world to witness what Filipinos do best. The Philippines is a musically passionate country. And through our partnership with MTV, young people from around the world will now have the opportunity to share this passion and experience why and how the music culture is even more fun in the Philippines. This is, indeed, one of the exciting events to look forward to during our Visit the Philippines Year 2015.”
For his part, TPB COO Domingo Ramon Enerio III told the BusinessMirror: “With VPY 2015 and events like the MTV Music Evolution Manila, the Philippines is emerging as a preferred destination for top-class acts, with more than adequate facilities and professional services to ensure their successful staging in the country.”
The DOT is trying to attract some 8.2 million foreigners to visit the Philippines this year, and spur 34.1 million domestic travelers. It also aims to generate some P1.56 trillion in tourism receipts for 2015.
As a run-up to the event, MTV will show viewers themed programs under its “MTV Hip Hop RAPresentz,” featuring 30-minute artist specials consisting of music videos and live performances of the hottest regional and international hip-hop acts today, as well as the icons of the genre who helped to shape and transform hip-hop music over the years. These include Abra, AK-69, Eminem, Gloc-9, Iggy Azalea, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Missy Elliott, Naughty by Nature, Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, Zeebra and 2NE1.
Locally, these specials will be aired by MTV starting April 2, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m., 6 p.m., and 1 a.m.; Saturdays at 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 8:30 p.m.
Whitehead said: “MTV produces the most-talked-about live performances and events, so fans can anticipate engaging youth experiences in the coming weeks to discover the evolution of the hip-hop music genre, while celebrating all that Philippines has to present to the world. We can’t wait to share one of the biggest music events in Manila with the world on May 17th!”
He added: “With the Philippines rightly poised for a rapid growth with a strong audience base, it’s an exciting time to be in our business, and an even better time to be an MTV fan and to have more fun in the Philippines!”
VPY 2015 is the anchor marketing campaign of the DOT and TPB this year. It features a calendar of events and activities “that are an exciting mix of all the outstanding work of the Filipino people in painting and the graphic arts, cinema, performance art to include music, dance and theater arts, as well as the unveiling of many more historic treasures, natural wonders and unforgettable adventures,” Jimenez said.
Aside from the MTV Musiv Evolution, other major international events during VPY 2015 include Madrid Fusion-Manila from April 24 to 26; the yearlong Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial and senior officials meetings, which will culminate in the Leaders’ Summit in November; the Philippine Hot Air Balloon Fiesta; and sporting events like the Iron Man and Xterra Triathlons, CWC International Wakeboarding Competition, and the Mount Apo Boulder Face Challenge.
Image credits: Image credit MTV