The 'secret' behind Vince Camua's 'Yun Lang

A few issues ago, Funfare wrote a short review of upcoming singer Vince Camua’s CD, noting that Vince sounds like Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera and Richard Poon all rolled into one, and that “he sings even better than Richard Poon.” One of the songs on the CD is ‘Yun Lang which, I didn’t know, has a “secret” behind it as revealed by Pete Lacaba in an item he posted on his egroups.

Read this (from Pete):

This seems to be a well-kept secret, since it doesn’t get mentioned by my friend Ricky or in the press releases for the album: the above-mentioned “Yun Lang (Tagalog version of That’s All, also on the CD),” is the salinawit that has been posted on this egroup, which I hereby re-post for the benefit of our new egroup members.

SALINAWIT NO. 6 (out of 88 salinawit so far):

‘YUN LANG

Sa himig ng “That’s All”

Salinawit: Pete Lacaba

Tunay na pagmamahal sa habang-buhay,

’Yan lamang ang aking maiaalay,

At ang tanging puso ko,

Nakalaan sa ’yo.

Yun lang, yun lang.

Alay ko sa ’yo’y pamamasyal sa araw

At kamay na kakapitan sa ulan

At mainit na dibdib

Sa gabi ng taglamig,

Yun lang, yun lang.

REFRAIN

Ang iba ay maraming pangaku,

At handang ibigay ang mundo.

Matamis na halik at pagsuyo—

’Yan lang ang maihahandog ko.

Kung pangarap ko ay ibig mong malaman,

Ang isasagot ko’y simple lang naman—

Basta’t sabihin mong ako,

Ako lang ang mahal mo.

Yun lang, yun lang.

Vince Camua’s version of ‘Yun Lang is the first officially recorded cover of any of Pete’s salinawit. By “officially recorded,” I mean it’s the first-ever salinawit that has been granted permission to record by a music publisher (in this case, Warner Chappelle Music), with the corresponding payment for “mechanical rights,” that is, the rights to put the salinawit in a commercially released CD.

In fairness, ’ika nga, the well-guarded secret had earlier been revealed by Krip Yuson in his column, Kripotkin, in the September 15 issue of The Philippine STAR. Krip wrote of the night when I first met Vince Camua in person (the person who had been in touch with me before was his record producer, Mike Jamir):

“Called to a caucus at Richmonde Hotel’s Exchange Bar, where our fave chanteuse Girl Valencia performs while generously allowing semi-pros to share the stage with her, I joined Billy Lacaba and Charlson Ong at a table. Pete was busy entertaining a GMA 7 TV crew sent by Jessica Soho to claim footage of the instant Salinawit gig that night.

“Vince Camua showed us his new CD, Spells of a Young Crooner, produced by Vamp Management, Inc. (VMI), and which had the first officially recorded Salinawit number, ‘Yun Lang for That’s All. It had taken a year to gain copyright permission from Warner Music, and of course a fee for the Tagalized cover.”

Although Vince Camua’s version is the first officially recorded one, ‘Yun Lang has more than once made it to YouTube in the past two years.

(Thank you, Pete, for sharing the “secret” with Funfare readers. ‘Yun lang! Hehehe!)

An inspiring angel story

Here’s another interesting reaction from reader (engineer) Larry L. Septimo who has an inspiring “guardian angel story” to tell:

Funfare’s recent feature about Guardian Angels struck me. I can’t help but e-mail you and inform you on what you have done to me with that feature. Let me relate to you my story.

I lost a son on April 22, 2007 in a tragic accident. He was only five years old when we lost him. We named him Abram Paul; Abram culled from the original name of Abraham and Paul because we revered Pope John Paul. Surely, a very religious name which he lived up to since his untimely death. He was such a kind son and very affectionate.

He died in a place called “Pueblo El Salvador” (Town of Salvation). He even asked his mom before he died why he can’t be Sto. Niño when he is also kind, thereafter mimicking the crucifixion before leaving our home to that place. My wife didn’t notice anything unusual with that act since she just thought that those were part of his curiosity and being inquisitive.

Looking back, we realized that all things religious with him has something to do with him being indeed “God-sent.” This has somewhat healed our grief and longing for him. We even placed in his tomb marker the words “Our Guardian Angel.” We could accept that God lent him to us for a purpose...a purpose that we may yet comprehend, but in God’s time we may decipher his purpose for being with us for a very short time.

For quite sometime since his death, I engrossed myself in books and articles about life-after-death and near-death experiences, and anything that would somewhat give an answer to our thought of how he might be, of where he could be, questions that have remained unanswered. Family members have dreamed of him being an Angel. He’s got fluffy white feathers, gaily playing with clouds, running and flying swiftly. We can’t help but be stricken again with loneliness and grief on learning those stories.

Ricky, your article has given me a sudden jolt. Part of our questions have been answered. We affectionately call Abram, Poi. And he is in your list of Guardian Angels as Poiel (Dec. 27-31) and his feast day is within my birthday, Dec. 29. I felt a sudden rush of relief and disbelief of the coincidence. Imagine of all the angels’ names, the one similar to my son’s, will be with me on that day.

Naysayers may claim that this is just plain coincidence. But for us, who are still in the grieving/healing process, the near impossible and the fantastic tales about angels surely add to our healing process and eventual recovery.

God Bless you, Ricky, and thank you very much.

(Attached is the last picture of Poi taken during his graduation in April 2007.)

A poem for LT, other widows

And last but not the least, here’s a poem titled And God Said (author not mentioned) from reader Paz Kendall, dedicated to Lorna Tolentino (who lost her husband Rudy Fernandez to cancer last June) and other widows:

And God Said

I said, “God, I hurt.”

And God said, “I know.”

I said, “God, I cry a lot.”

And God said, “That’s why I gave you tears.”

I said, “God, I’m so depressed.”

And God said, “That’s why I gave you sunshine.”

I said, “God, life is so hard.”

And God said, “That’s why I gave you loved ones.”

I said, “God, my loved one died.”

And God said, “So did mine.”

I said, “God, it’s such a loss.”

And God said, “I saw mine nailed to a cross.”

I said, “God, but your loved one lives.”

And God said, “So does yours.”

I said, “God, where are they now?”

And God said, “Mine is on my Right and yours is in the Light.”

I said, “God, it hurts.”

And God said, “I know.”

(E-mail reactions at [email protected] or at [email protected])