MANILA, Philippines ? The success of Korean acts like Wonder Girls and 2NE1 has inspired Viva Entertainment big boss Vic del Rosario to create the new record label Pinoy Pop (P-Pop), with the hope that its five-member group, Pop Girls, will also make it big in the international market.

?The Wonder Girls are introducing a new sound to Asia ? much like in fashion where you have to follow the trend sometimes. The concept is to create high-end music with a local feel. What we?re doing now is trying to use that formula locally,? said international music producer Marcus Davis, who along with Christian de Walden, is helping Del Rosario run the P-Pop label.

Original work

?I?ve worked with other music companies here,? said the US-born Davis. ?In the four years that I?ve been here, there were a lot of covers and revival albums. What we now have is an original work. We?re proud to represent it.?

The all-girl group, comprised of the Lebanese-Filipino twins Lai and Mar Bustria, 16, Nadine Lustre, 15, Rose Van Ginkel, 13, and Schai Sigrist, 14, had its debut performance at Sarah Geronimo?s highly successful concert, ?Record Breaker,? at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Pop Girls recently launched its 13-track, self-titled CD, with original dance tunes like ?Crazy,? written by Marcus and Amber Davis, and ?Crushy,? by top choreographer Geleen Eugenio.

?These girls make a good unit because where one is weak, the others are strong. Rose has a very high and powerful voice. Schai?s is very soft and has a pretty tone. The twins are good with harmony. Nadine, the lead singer, has a spunky personality,? explained Davis.

Mar, Lai, Nadine, Schai and Rose were chosen from more than 50 hopefuls who auditioned. Each of them signed management and recording contracts with P-Pop.

First step

For the Pop Girls to make it big worldwide, Davis said the first step is to make the group locally acceptable. ?We plan to build a fan base for the girls here. Once they have that following, we hope to create an image for them that?s more international. That?s what other groups are doing. As a result, people listen even if they don?t understand what these groups are saying,? he pointed out.

David said his group is well aware of how difficult it would be for pop groups to make it locally. ?The Pop Girls will not just be a flash in the pan. Just like the Wonder Girls, we hope that people all around the world will support them.?