Some observers believe that the kind of training they undergo have enabled South Korean basketball talents to shoot the lights out against their Filipino counterparts. Besides, unless you do it routinely and in a way different from others, you can’t calmly hit a three pointer at the buzzer while your team is down by two. A Korean point guard did that 17 years ago, depriving us of at least an outright Asian Games silver medal finish.
That’s not to undermine the efforts of Filipino trainers handling Filipino talents. It’s not about them. It’s about these Koreans with mindset and discipline apparently working out in global competition.
On this note, I have already jumped into the world of K-pop, its capacity to capture the fascination of Filipinos, and efforts being made to bridge the gap between South Korea and the Philippines.
Last Friday at Luxent Hotel in Quezon City, Filipino boy group SB19, trained under a Korean-owned company specializing in entertainment production and talent management, was presented to the media, looking like they went through a lot and out to conquer the world.
Members Sejun, Josh, Stell, Ken, and Justin all expressed sincere intention to serve the Filipino cause, having become the first Pinoy boy group trained under ShowBT Corporation that breathes through the motto “Power to transform culture.” Founder and CEO Geong Seong Han obviously looked upbeat for them.
“SB stands for Sound Break, meaning, they will break into the Philippine music scene with their fresh style and unique brand of music. 19 figuratively represents the gap between the two countries based on area codes,” explains their brochure.
South Korea’s code is 82 while the Philippines is 63. Do the simple math.
Late last year, the group’s ballad “Tilaluha,” lyrics penned by the members themselves, came out, followed up by Go Up last July. The latter is described as a breakout single composed and produced by renowned K-Pop music creator Oh-won Lee.
“The goal of this song is to inspire people, especially the younger generation, to never give up on their dreams,” implied one of the boys.
SB19 is quickly making a headway, with thousands of likes and followers on Facebook and Instagram, respectively. Over 30 media outlets have featured the group and counting, all interested to know how the guys underwent the training process.
The impact can be clearly heard and seen on the way they sound and move. The group is basically a bunch of Filipino boys doing the Korean act that has, well, attracted the attention of the world.
To a purist this should mean like an affront to the ideals of being a true Pinoy act. But wait. SB19 will always think and talk like Filipinos. Nothing can take away their humble Filipino backgrounds and their roots are right deep into the mix. It’s just a matter of raising the bar to meet and live up to the challenge.
For one, these Koreans must be doing something okay that their shots at glory, more often than not, go in.