Ogie Alcasid, Songwriter of the Year

Ogie Alcasid sees himself primarily as a singer. Why not? He has recorded hits like Nandito Ako.

His fans think of Ogie as a comedian on television who cracks jokes on Bubble Gang and hosts a game show, Family Feud. He is an occasional movie actor whose roles range from the romantic lead opposite Manilyn Reynes to one of Andrew E.’s gamol barkadas.

Nowadays though, Ogie is better known as the hottest songwriter hereabouts. He is that somebody who is expected to join the ranks fo great singer-songwriters like Jose Mari Chan and Rey Valera.

Although Ogie has been singing, writing and acting for more than ten years now, his biggest breakthrough as a composer happened only a year ago. This was when the group Freestyle found itself in search of a song to do with Pops Fernandez in a concert. Pops suggested Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang? which she had previously performed with its composer. The live recording of the song became a huge hit and drew attention to Ogie as a songwriter.

At around the same time, the movie Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw starring Robin Padilla and Regine Velasquez was released. The theme song used in the picture was another one of Ogie’s works, something which he did because his good friend Regine asked him to compose the film’s love theme. And when the time came for Regine to star in a movie opposite Aga Muhlach, it was inevitable that another Alcasid composition would be used. The song chosen was another one of his early works, Pangako Sa ’yo. And once again, the soundtrack became a big seller.

While Regine’s recordings of his songs definitely helped raise awareness about Ogie’s talents, it can also be rightly said that he is capable of performing his own works and turning them into hits. The proof came when Ikaw Sana, the lead cut from his new solo album hit the airlanes. The song is deceptively simple. It is about true love coming at the wrong time. But somehow Ogie managed to put the familiar sentiments into words and music that instantly grab the listener. Truth to tell, Ikaw Sana is so touching even though it is longer than the usual three-minute pop song, radio DJs play it in its entirely. And like most of Ogie’s compositions, it has also become one of those songs that people unconsciously break into anywhere.

A Better Man is full of the same. There are 11 originals in the album, most of them with massive hit chart potential. Ikaw Sana is already a winner. Watch out too for Hanggang Ngayon, which will be the theme of another Regine Velasquez movie; Ikaw Lamang, which is a grand romantic ballad; and A Better Man. Ogie derived inspiration for this one from the movie As Good As It Gets where the script has Jack Nicholson telling Helen Hunt that she makes him want to be a better man.

Now that was a nice, interesting source. Ogie finds inspiration for his songs everywhere but he is not really in need of a movie or a personal experience. Most of the time he simply uses only his imagination to turn simple situations into hit songs. These are usually trite, everyday things, but leave it to Ogie to make them feel and sound like new again. This very same quality is what the best songwriters have in common and it looks like we will be getting a lot of its examples from Ogie.

Other cuts in the album are Ikaw Pa Rin Pala, Sa Puso Ko, Sana, Sana Bukas Mahal Mo Na Ako, Pangako Ko, I Will Be There and I’ll Be Yours Forever. The 12th song in A Better Man is One. This is a Cecile Azarcon composition about spreading love throughout the world. Ogie performs One with friends Jaya, Regine Velasquez and Lani Misalucha.

Meanwhile the tunes Pinoys have been listening to the most these past few weeks are Superman by Five for Fighting; Drowning, the latest single from the Backstreet Boys; Would You be Happier by The Corrs; I’m Real by Jennifer Lopez; In the End by the hot new group Linkin Park; Never Too Far Away by Mariah Carey; All or Nothing by O-Town; I’m a Slave for You, also a new release from Britney Spears; Rock My World by Michael Jackson; and Because I Got High by Afroman.