Another ‘toyo’ song from Joshua Feliciano

A lot of songwriters have lately been waxing rapturous about Filipino women. We have had songs and raps about the Filipina Girl, Dalagang Pilipina, Binibini, Catriona, Ivana, Chinita Girl, Marikit, etc. And those songs have been hitting it big. Pinoys just love singing about the beauty of the Filipino woman.

So what do you think will happen to a song that says something else? I mean something that is not very complimentary like Toyo, the latest by the young singer and songwriter Joshua Feliciano.

Toyo in this case is not the ubiquitous food seasoning named soy sauce. I do not know the source of the term but when somebody is described as “may toyo” that means he is not really all there in the head. Not crazy. Just not right in the head or being difficult for the moment.

The first time that “toyo” made it into the hit charts was at the onset of the Manila Sound era way back in 1976. The late Snaffu Rigor used the word in his lyrics to the Willy Cruz composition T.L. Ako Sa ‘yo, which was the debut recording of the group Cinderella. The girl was said to be “may toyo” because of being in love with somebody unsuitable.

“…Kalyeng liko-liko ang takbo ng isip ko/ sabi ng lolo may TOYO ang utak ko/ sabi ng lola humanap ng iba/ may porma’t mayaman/ T.L. wala naman/ Ewan ko ba kung bakit type kita…”

Other “toyo” songs came along over the years. This is not really a surprise because the term is in everyday use wherever Tagalog is spoken in the Philippines. When at a loss for words to describe an unexplained snit, “May toyo ka” is the usual reaction.

Skusta Clee had May Toyo Ka. Agsunta sang Ms. Toyo. Jr. Crown featuring Thome and Bomb D rapped Tinotoyo. There are probably others but Feliciano has turned out to be more eloquent in his description of “toyo.”

He sings, “Nalilito na ko sa ‘yo/ eto na naman tayo/ Nag-iiba na naman ang kanyang anyo/ Nagiging halimaw, aswang o mambabarang/ pero ‘wag ka/ mahal na mahal ko ‘yan/ Minsan ay hindi man kita naiintindihan/ Lahat man ng paalam ay ‘di mo pinapayagan/ Ngunit isa lang ang laging kinakatakutan/ T. O Y. O./ Tinotoyo na naman ang girlfriend ko…”

Only 18 years old, Feliciano is already showing solid music skills, including spot-on expressive vocals. He comes from a family of musicians and has been performing since he was a kid. He released his first extended play album when he was only 14. Take note, he wrote, arranged, produced and performed every cut.

Among Feliciano’s early hits were Paano Ba?, Ligaw and Pagkakataon.  As you can deduce from those titles, he likes to compose romantic love ballads and he is very good at it. However, he suddenly took a different turn with Toyo.

Maybe it was the result of being in quarantine. Kids do get bored when cooped up and in Feliciano’s case the result of that is one of his best works. Toyo is real, hilarious, witty and Feliciano performs it like he is having lots of fun. Well, he also calls for patience and understanding among friends and lovers when faced with toyo situations. Listen and you, too, will have some laughs while agreeing with what he has to say.

Other new single releases you will enjoy listening to are:

Ligaya, a reggae take on the Eraserheads classic by the eight-piece collective that calls itself, We Got. This one is sure to be a party staple and how nice to find out that the recording was produced by an ex E-Head, Raymund Marasigan.

Nakikinig Ka Ba Sa Akin, a light rock ballad that is another sure bet for the hit lists by the band Ben&Ben, whose songs seem to get more and more romantic these days. Take note, this one is the follow-up to Sa Susunod Na Habang Buhay.

Iguhit Natin ang Gabi by Sean Cedro. This alt-rock love song is Cedro’s first effort as a singer and songwriter after composing tunes for the likes of Katrina Velarde, Magkaibang Mundo and Matteo Guidicelli, I Just Wanna Be Your Man.