Top Suzara picks up where he left off with Freestyle
When Top Suzara left Freestyle in 2005, many thought it was for good.
For nearly two decades, the singer-songwriter focused on a solo career, stepping away from the shadow of the popular ‘90s band for which he wrote OPM staples like Before I Let You Go and So Slow.
Now, almost 30 years since Freestyle’s beginnings, he is back where it all started.
“I left Freestyle in 2005. I didn’t know what I was going to do, bahala na. Later that year, I started writing songs at home. I started recording for myself lang. Ang bilis ng mga pangyayari, all of a sudden I had an album that was going to be officially released and then launched on ‘ASAP.’ I was also part of ‘ASAP.’ That became my Top Suzara chapter,” he recalled during an intimate press interview.
What he didn’t expect was regaining ownership of the band’s name and once again leading Freestyle some three years ago. “Hindi ko naisip. Gulat na gulat nga ako noong napunta sa akin,” he said.
“That’s why the thought process, since it’s now with me and in my hands again, there has to be a reason why. I want to do good… to do right by it.
“Hindi naman ito parang wala lang for me, it’s not a simple thing. It’s a meaningful thing. Because it has a meaning, sabi ko, kailangan ko mahanap yung justice kung bakit biglang napasakin after 17 years. So sabi ko sige, I’ll continue this. Maybe, it means picking up where I left off.”
That meant rebuilding the band with new members — IJ Garcia (keyboards/vocals/musical director), Ian Tan (bass/vocals), Bouy Manalo (guitar/vocals) and Gibson Viduya (drums/vocals) — and focusing once again on original music.
“Before naman din yata yung Freestyle in my absence… I don’t know… do you remember a Freestyle (original) song during those times? No? I think the focus was not to make original songs but to do shows.
“My first focus really is to write songs and then we dedicate time and energy to bring those songs to a live stage. It’s the best way to share… After that, social media platforms.”
Top is the lone member left from the original lineup. “Of the original squad, I’m the only one who’s (left). For my part when we started in Davao, I was done with college. Fresh out of college, towards 96 to 97, I named Freestyle with my original bandmates. And then we became a recording artist in 1997 towards 1998.”
For him, songwriting has always been Freestyle’s backbone and the reason they are still being listened to.
“Because it’s about writing songs, I would say it’s the songs. I think one factor in a band standing the test of time, No. 1 commitment, professionalism of course, and the relationships. But if those fall off the table, so to speak, I think it’s the songs that help an artist stay and stand the test of time. It’s what makes an artist an artist who’s known for songs that have become or are becoming classics,” he explained.
Freestyle today, he also said, feels different from its early years. “Before, we had our songs from that time. But this time, we have those plus new music. We have new songs to share live on stage. I will say, our live sound is different. So yung solid presence sa stage… musically, it feels different. The energy and vibe on stage, when we’re playing together now, it’s different from the vibe and energy that we had before.”
This evolution is reflected in five new tracks since 2022, including the latest single Surrender You, which they debuted live at their It’s About Time concert last weekend at the Newport Performing Arts Theater.
In today’s crowded OPM landscape filled with younger and trending acts, Top said Freestyle isn’t concerned with competition. “I think the pressure is relative, it’s perspective base. From my vantage point, kami, internally, hindi ko masyadong iniisip kung ano ang nangyari sa kapaligiran namin, sa industriya. We also observed because we’re also fans of all these new bands. We have our favorites. Nakaka-inspire nga, nakakatuwa,” Top said.
“But the pressure kasi — we don’t do it to compete. We do what we do and that’s all we know how to do this. And we can never please everybody. Basta we do what we can and do it the best that we can do it.
“And we hope that when we share it, it resonates with, at least, one person. If it does, with at least one person, it was all worthwhile. The most important thing is the connection that we make.”
That connection was felt in full during their sold-out “It’s About Time” show over the weekend. Afterward, the band thanked fans on social media:“When the lights went down and the first note played, magic filled the air. From unforgettable solos to the crowd singing along, every moment was pure emotion. Thank you for being part of this night — your energy made the show come alive.”
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