6 Cyclemind bags SOP Artist of the Year plum

GMA-7’s Sunday variety show SOP held its 2006 Music Awards at Center Stage, Mall of Asia, yesterday.

6 Cyclemind came out the biggest winner—taking home Viewers’ Choice for Artist of the Year and Viewers’ Choice Song of the Year for “Sandalan.”

“Many people expected Kamikazee to win,” admitted lead vocalist Ney Dimaculangan, about the Artist of the Year award. “Actually, lahat ng [nominated] doon sa category [deserving naman] e… Hindi namin ma-explain kung bakit, di ba? Siguro they like the song and nakaka-relate sila. Yeah, that’s it. Ganoon kasimple lang naman ‘yon, di ba—if they like the song, susuportahan nila. And siyempre flattered naman kami na sinusuportahan nila.”

The two awards are the band’s first ever.

Meanwhile, it was a double celebration for Ely Buendia. His band Pupil won Breakthrough Artist (Group), and his composition “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (with his former band Eraserheads) won the Revive ’06 award for Rico J. Puno, who sang the song for the Eraserheads tribute album.

“Frankly, siyempre surprised ako,” says Ely, a soft-spoken lead vocalist who shot to fame with Eraserheads. “Lahat kami sa banda... dahil ‘yon nga. Matagal na rin ako sa industry. Kanina I was rooting for Callalily. Label-mates namin sila sa Sony-BMG e. Gusto ko mga songs nila. Technically, hindi kami breakthrough e, kasi Mongols started 2001. Bale nagpalit lang kami ng pangalan, pero of course, masaya pa rin na nakatanggap ng award.”

Ely has only good words for Rico J. Puno: “Si Rico idol ko yan e. Sobrang honored na kinanta niya ‘yong song, tapos ‘yon nga nanalo rin siya.”

“Pinasikat uli ako ni Ely!” exclaimed Rico. “Today’s hits are tomorrow’s classics. Tulad ng ‘El Bimbo’ na yan. I consider it a classic.”

With the music trend going to tributes, Rico says he is open to collaborating with new artists and giving life to his old hits: “Bakit naman hindi? Ako, I will be very very honored to have an album sung by, interpreted by… number one, si Ely Buendia, ‘yang Orange and Lemons, ‘yang mga Kamikazee, Parokya ni Edgar!”

Winners of the SOP Music Awards also include Lovi Poe for Breakthrough Artist (Solo), BJ Forbes for Maximum Dance Blast (“Capuccino”), and Shamrock for Favorite Themesong (“Alipin”).