The Vocaloid voice synthesizer technology has certainly gone a long way since Yamaha (yes, the company that makes electric organs and motorcycles) released its first set of “singers” Leon and Lola in 2004. Now, the technology’s biggest star Hatsune Miku, with her trademark turquoise hair and tinny moe-like voice, is the biggest star in the Vocaloid world with sold-out concerts in Japan and around the world.
The current models of Vocaloid available are meant to be used for Japanese and English songs, but a few ingenious Filipinos thought along the lines of, “Hey, since Japanese and Filipino share almost the same phonetic characteristics, how about we make the Vocaloids sing OPM songs?”
And indeed they did, proudly sharing their works on YouTube and other sites. They might not be viral yet, but a lucky few who stumbled upon the covers are amazed at how they were able to pull it off without sounding too artificial. Here’s some of the best Vocaloid OPM covers you can find around the Internet:
Let’s start off with Vocaloid’s poster child Hatsune Miku belting out Jaya’s “Dahil Tanging Ikaw.” Although the composition is a bit crude, Miku’s take on Jaya’s signature birit is a delight to hear.
Here is Miku in a duet with KAITO for their rendition of “Bukas na Lang Kita Mamahalin,” originally sung by Lani Misalucha. This song truly brings out the best in Miku’s ballad potential.
This cover of April Boy Regino’s “Di Ko Kayang Tanggapin” by Hiyama Kiyoteru is actually fun to listen to, if you can get over the song’s jologs factor.
And finally, here’s what could be the biggest Vocaloid project ever: ABS-CBN’s Christmas 2009 station ID song “Star ng Pasko” as sung by 43 Vocaloids!
If you’d like to hear more Vocaloid covers of OPM songs, just search for “Vocaloid OPM” on YouTube or check out the compositions by betacarotinoid and Orochi Herman.
SOURCE: betacarotinoid, Orochi Herman, Jerome Martinez and arashifanboy112 on YouTube
