At sunrise we move/for a new world is upon us! Let’s give praise and thanks to the winds/as we sway and dance to the rhythms of a beautiful life. These are beautiful words about a life, joyously fulfilled and translated from the original Visayan lyrics of the song Biyaya, as written and performed by Bayang Barrios in the new album of the same title.
Bayang, formerly of Bagong Lumad and the singer-songwriter behind the Metropop finalist Bagong Umaga recently experienced the heavenly bliss of motherhood. Just like other mothers before her, she decided to do something special to celebrate the event. And she did it by doing what she does best: Writing and recording songs.
The result is the album aptly titled Biyaya. I do not know how it translates into Visayan but it is surely not that different from Tagalog where biyaya is a grace or a blessing. The CD was initially conceived as a collection of Tagalog and Visayan lullabies but because Bayang is one of those artists who refuse to be intimidated by boundaries or limitations, she came up with more.
Independently released by the newly-formed Mayumi label, Mayumi being the name of her daughter, Biyaya retains the lullaby’s soothing, restful tones. That is some of the time. There are laments like Salamat Bai and Dahong Laya, playful tunes like Lukso Sigaw Bitaw, Dali Na Day and Nangangalahati, inspiring anthems like Biyaya and Bagong Umaga and passionate love songs like Susi ng Puso, Kung Di Rin Lang Ikaw and Palasyo Ng Pag-ibig.
Bayang’s heartfelt husky vocals ties up the package. This is particularly striking in the rather short cut titled Mayumi. This is the album’s true lullaby. Bayang may have gone off-tangent with her original design for the CD but she hit the jackpot with this one. Although composed with Visayan lyrics, which I do not understand and performed a cappella with remarkable simplicity, it is one of the album’s standouts. Sleepy time for baby Mayumi must be quite a treat with a mother who sings such songs like Bayang does.
Bayang launched Biyaya with a special performance at the Matina Town Square in Davao City last Aug. 23. This will be followed by shows at Eastwood City in Libis, Quezon City on Sept. 20 and at The Outpost Café in Cebu City on Oct. 18. Dates of a bar tour that will include Conspiracy Bar and Garden Café, Mag:net, ‘70s Bistro, Penguin Bar, Ten-02 Bar, Saguijo and 6UG Bar will be announced soon.
Payong and company
You must have heard them on the radio. I mean the Tagalog adaptations of foreign hits like Rihanna’s Umbrella as Payong and Leona Lewis’ Bleeding Love as Sugat Sa Puso. These are well-made translations from an album titled Hip-Rap which contains similar selections performed by the artists billed as DJ Sundalong Bata & Miss Ganda. Both of them do a great job and the Tagalog lyrics, which unfortunately, are not credited to anybody, are grammatically and musically correct, engaging and hew close to the originals.
However, I see the popularity of these recordings as cause for alarm. Though done all the time in regions where English is not widely spoken, native language adaptations of songs went out of style in the Philippines with the Manila Sound explosion of the ‘70s. The years before that were what I would describe as the dark ages for Filipino music. These saw local producers doing either covers or local versions of foreign hits and singers gladly recorded them. But when it was discovered that our songwriters could create hits with their own works, the trend shifted towards Filipino originals. That was how it had been until Payong came along.
I don’t know if this trend will catch fire. You know how Pinoys are, acoustic sells and everybody does acoustic, bossa sells, everybody sings bossa. So everybody might just start recording adaptations. I also don’t know where it will lead. Hopefully not back to the dark ages. Meanwhile, I do not see any reason why we cannot enjoy Payong and company.
Other songs in Hip-Rap are Low (Lawlaw); Beautiful Girls (Ms. Binibining Ganda); Crank That (Sundalong Bata); Sorry Blame It On Me (Isisi Mo Sa Akin); Clumsy (Lampa Ika’y Mag-ingat); With You (Sa ‘yo); and Don’t Stop the Music (Wag Mong Pigilan Awit ng Tugtugan).