I did nothing but tinker with my laptop all day. I got a writer’s block the size of a boulder and I can’t do anything productive but stare at the screen. So I did the next best thing, I updated some of my links and web content.
lonzo site changes
I was thinking of drastically altering the theme for this blog but discarded the thought. I happen to like the clean, uncluttered look.
That will be all for now, I think I need a shut-eye.
Last Friday, I got out of the office early and went on a lookout for a new pair of office shoes. I was able to pick out a suitable style but got disappointed when I was informed by the attendant that they ran out of size six. I know… nothing can dampen a woman’s spirits more than a failed shoe hunt. *Sigh*
Anyway, I wandered off to the record bar to kill time before shuttling my sorry ass home. Willy R’s newest singing attempt was playing when I got inside the store. I like listening to music but I draw the line at trance and novelty songs churned out by noontime shows. If that would make me a snob, I don’t care sh*t. That said, I don’t usually buy music CDs as I prefer to gravitate towards the DVD section whenever I’m inside a record store being the movie buff that I am. Most of the time I am quite content listening to rock tunes over radio.
Mercifully, they switched the house music and I heard “Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko” being piped in. The song was the first track of Noel Cabangon’s newest album, “Byahe” (which means travel or journey in Filipino). It was a revival of a Sharon/Valera classic but it was sang with a wistfulness that really touched my oh-so-jaded heartstrings. It brought back memories of my dearly departed grandma, who loved that song so much because it reminded her of lolo, the love of her life. I had long been planning to buy a copy ever since I heard it at NU 107 but I’d often forgot whenever I went out.
So last Friday I finally bought myself a copy of “Byahe” and was quite surprised to find out what a gem it was. Aside from “Kahit Maputi…”, Noel Cabangon revisited his hit “Kanlungan” by dueting with Imago’s Aia de Leon. This song was a staple in my audio arsenal whenever I am asked to make video tributes for retiring colleagues, so hearing the song being re-interpreted with Aia’s voice melding beautifully with Noel’s was an absolute delight. Love it. Other notable tracks were his takes on Lolita Carbon’s “Pagbabalik” – a personal favorite because it’s the first Tagalog song I learned (I think I was five at that time), “Pag-ibig” , “Ipagpatawad Mo”, “Tuloy Pa Rin”, “Ang Aking Awitin” and “Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika”.
Sure it was mostly covers but unlike other artists who muddle 70s and 80s classics, Noel C’s interpretation of the songs were moving. Must be because he’s a singer/composer…maybe this enables him to have a unique “feel” for songs even if the songs were written by someone else.
Brilliant.
This one’s a real keeper. 