Noel Cabangon sings the oldies

I came upon Noel Cabangon’s new album release Byahe a few weeks ago. To my surprise, the CD is made up of OPM oldies from the Manila Sound era. Wow, Cabangon, formerly of Buklod and now a successful solo artist, known for his original works, has joined the revival circuit. To his credit, the album shows him to be an excellent interpreter.

Byahe makes me think of how we never fully appreciate the singing voice of a singer/composer, because we are always more engrossed with what he is singing about. This is like, this guy singing is not an actor or a robot, mouthing somebody else’s words. He feels what he is singing about and that doubles the impact of the song. I never thought of Cabangon as a singer but it turns out he is.

I thought of the same thing while listening to Bob Dylan’s new Christmas album. Dylan is considered one of the greatest music artists of all time. He has written so many meaningful songs. A lot of people will agree though that Dylan will never win a singing contest. But then I heard him do Hark The Herald Angels Sing, which he of course did not write, and he makes it sound like he has created Christmas magic.

That realization brought to mind our own experience with Freddie Aguilar. Freddie singing his own Anak was great. But Freddie doing Constancio de Guzman’s Bayan Ko was doubly moving. Why, that recording even helped end the Marcos Regime. Singer/composers do have the edge.

So now we have Byahe by Cabangon. If I remember right, this is not his first entry into the remakes category. I remember him singing Juan de la Cruz Band’s Himig Natin in an old album. Byahe, however, must be the most mainstream he has ever gone in his entire career. Cabangon has gone pop and in the process given some of our all-time favorites a dose of his folk sensibility. And thanks to his own style, he has also made old songs very current.

He starts out on the right foot with Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko by Rey Valera for the then 13-year-old Sharon Cuneta. I hear hints of Jack Johnson in the breezy tone that works very well with Cabangon’s clear vocals. It is a song that brings on the smiles and should make a good single.

Another winner is Kanlungan by Romeo Dongeto of Buklod with Aia de Leon of Imago. For those who might think they are not familiar with the song, it is better known as the pana-panahon commercial jingle also by Cabangon. The duet version is a dream and has me thinking of Aia and her beautiful voice going light and pop in her own oldies album.

More songs follow and what Cabangon does with them surprises the listener. You will surely marvel at what he has done with first Metropop Grand Prize winner Kay Ganda Ng Ating Musika composed by Ryan Cayabyab and performed by Hajji Alejandro. You’ve never heard this one this way before. Come to think of it, it was really brave of him to take on a showstopper like this one.

Included are two of Cabangon’s originals Ang Buhay Nga Naman and Dito Sa Kanto which features Chito Miranda of Parokya Ni Edgar. Nice but they do not have the chops yet to stand up against the classics. Think of the moving Tao, composed and popularized by Sampaguita or the sad Pagbabalik by Lolita Carbon for Asin. I can say the same thing about the sweet simplicity of Pag-ibig, which Danny Javier did for the Apo Hiking Society.

Byahe is a little gem of incredible brilliance. The only drawback is it also made me realize how we are still mining the Manila Sound era for hits. Careful, we might soon run out of songs and the current supply is not only scant, it is of very poor quality.

Byahe also includes Tuloy Pa Rin by Ito Rapadas for the Neocolours; Binibini by Jose Lansang and Luke Gaston for The Rainmakers; Ang Aking Awitin from the Metropop composed by Edgar Quintero and Randy Ray and performed by Bong Gabriel; Di Na Natuto by Apo’s Danny Javier and popularized by Gary Valenciano; Kung Kailangan Mo Ako, another Valera song; Ipagpatawad Mo by Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon for VST&Company; and Pinay by Florante.