Another bite (yummy!) of Hotdog

Bandang Pinoy, Lasang Hotdog, The Hotdog Tribute Album" is the sort of album any producer worth his salt dreams of doing. It features performances by some of the hottest Pilipino acts around and it has music by Hotdog. That means hits from the golden time of original Pilipino music like Bongga Ka ‘Day, Beh Buti Nga, Pers Lab. But the best thing about the entire production is that it is also open season on those great Hotdog tunes. Pick out one and then you can do anything you want. You can rap it, rock it, or get mushy with it. Just keep the lyrics and most of the melody intact so it still comes out like something by Hotdog.

Hotdog was probably the most innovative Pinoy band of the 70’s. Back then, original Pilipino music meant kundimans by Pilita Corrales or Eddie Peregrina’s plaintive ballads. If you want some edge you can go to the Juan de la Cruz Band which was incredibly sharp. There was nothing in between. That is until Hotdog came along.

Leader and lead guitarist Dennis Garcia and his brother, bassist Rene, had a gift for tapping into the language and lifestyle of the youth. It was a mix of English and Pilipino. It was American pop sensibility diluted with Filipino idiosyncrasies. It wasn’t new but no one had dared set it to music until Hotdog came along. After the album Unang Kagat was released, there was no stopping the dam anymore and Filipino pop music was never the same again.

That was nearly thirty years ago and we have all lived lives surrounded by Hotdog music. Manila, O Lumapit Ka, Annie Batungbakal, Ikaw ang Miss Universe ng Buhay Ko and many more. But while we listened to the songs, there were others who while they were growing up were also writing their own, playing and singing their own melodies and dreaming of one day creating something as affecting and enduring as Hotdog music. These are the artists featured in Bandang Pinoy.

The production is uneven, which is only to be expected when working with such a diverse group of talents. But what is the best of this collection really depends on individual tastes and your personal association with these Hotdog songs. Check out the entire album to find out which ones get your gut. As for the rest, hope that somebody else will take those songs and do them right in the near future.

I say that the prime pick is Parokya ni Edgar with a blazing Beh Buti Nga. These guys show every sign of moving on to bigger things as musicians or is it just because they happen to be Atenistas? Cooky Chua’s take on Pers Lab is every bit as sweet and innocent as the original by Hotdog’s first girl singer Ella del Rosario. And then there is Chill, whose rap version of Dying to Tell You proves that Hotdog music is still as hip as ever.

Of course, there is also every chance you might enjoy the rest of the songs. Manila by the Eraserheads; Langit Na Naman by Barbie’s Cradle, Panaginip by the Brownbeat All Stars; Bongga Ka ‘Day by Color It Red; Ikaw ang Miss Universe by True Faith; Oh Lumapit Ka by Aquarella; and Annie Batungbakal by Ascolto.

The last cut in the album is the title track and it is a new composition by the brothers Dennis and Rene written expressly for this album. And to bring the whole package to a fitting end, Bandang Pinoy is performed by, who else, but the Hotdog. This time around the band returns the compliment to the various artists from different music labels juggled contracts and schedules so as to be able to participate in this noteworthy project.

Incidentally, the producer of Bandang Pinoy, Lasang Hotdog is Toti Garcia Dalmacion, who is the nephew of Dennis and Rene. He is the son of their sister Susan. This lucky young man grew up in the midst of Hotdog music and no one else is more deserving of this chance to usher those songs towards a new era with a new surely appreciative audience.

Now, how about getting all these artists plus others together for a concert tribute as well? Nothing beats doing the music live if you are paying tribute to somebody. Besides, Hotdog might even show up to perform. That will really make the show very special as nobody does Hotdog music like the Hotdog.