My kababata did it again!

If there’s anything that I am very proud of my rustic hometown, Mangagoy, Bislig City, it’s that even when it is right in the middle of a great jungle in Mindanao, it has never failed to produce some of the best and the brightest in the Philippines. And what I am prouder is that my kababata, JUDE THADDEUS GITAMONDOC, who hails from John Bosco District has managed to do what most of us music lovers would dream of — compose music and write lyrics for the biggest stars in the Philippine Music industry. And not once nor twice, but THRICE.

The first set (2 songs) was for Gary Valenciano: Wait Forever and In Another Lifetime. These two songs hit the billboard charts so high that Jude was nominated in the Awit Awards. You can search for it in Google! Here’s the video of Jude’s song for Gary V:

The latest song was for everyone’s girlfriend - KC Concepcion. Jude wrote the lyrics and composed the music for IMPOSIBLE, by KC Concepcion. Here’s the video:

Hey Jude, we’re looking forward for more songs! Congratulations!

Andy Mckee

My bro, Rod, sent me a message to check out Andy McKee…a musician who makes magic with his guitar. Years ago, I only bow down to Tuck Andress’ (of Tuck & Patti) with his rendition of Man in the Mirror. Now, there’s 2 of them.

Check out Andy Mckee’s performance:

Reminisicing Eraserheads

Finally, I can enjoy songs from my youth breathed to life anew with the latest of what OPM rock has to offer. These are songs that has accompanied me in my youth and has been so much part of me that every song the e-heads sang invokes a spirit of youthful delirium.Yes, I just bought JAM 88.3’s ultraelectromagnetic jam…a revival of eraserheads’ greatest gathered by the latest OPM rock sensations and spicing it up with their own influence. So sad wasn’t able to mingle with kids in UP during its release. It would have been a helluvan experience for me…syempre pa headbang headbang at pa sira ng mukha para mukhang metal. Tapos, suot ng t-shirt na itim tulad ng mga palaboy na black squad na tumatambay sa kalye kung alas diyes na ng gabi. Tapos, maintain ung agitated-look-na-hindi para magmukhang nakatira kay shabs-shabs o kaya nakatoma.

Hehehe. Memories.

Nakakatuwa ngang i-look back ang high school memories with e-heads. I remember ayoko nung 1st album nila…hindi ko kasi naiintindihan ung medyo upbeat na music nila. Ung 1st year pa kasi ako, metallica, guns n’ roses at bon jovi na ung pinapakinggan ko. Eh ibang-iba ung kanta ng e-heads sa 1st album nila…tapos, parang jologs pa. But after a while, nakakatuwa palang kantahin at ang dali-dali pa ng chords. During that time kasi, neophyte pa lang ako sa paggigitara at sakit sa kamay ang chord na F. Sa e-heads, ung chords ng sikat na kanta nila naglalaro lang sa variations ng G, A, D.

Aba, after a while, memorize ko na lahat ng lyrics at chords…at natutunan ko na rin ung F…tapos, sumunod na ung B, Bb, at ung ibang chords na tinotorture ang pointing finger. Gumaling na ako sa gitara dahil sa eraserheads!

And i finally find myself waiting for CIRCUS. Tapos, sumunod na rin ugn CUTTERPILLOW at ung FRUITCAKE album…

Tapos nung pumasok ako sa seminaryo, un na rin ang time na lumabas ung JULIE TEARJERKY album nila…tapos, bigla ba namang nagdisband ang mga gago. Sayang, sila pa naman sana ung nag bulldoze sa OPM landscape during that era.

Oh well…memories.

Salamat nga pala JAM 88.3!

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Note: This is a repost of my old blog.