Maestro Ryan Cayabyab has recently introduced his new singing group
called RCS (Ryan Cayabyab Singers).
It will be recalled that the world-renowned Filipino composer formed successful vocal groups such as the Smokey Mountain, 14K, and The San Miguel Master Chorale (SMMC). Smokey Mountain trained the likes of Geneva Cruz and Jeffrey Hidalgo while 14K paved the way for the showbiz career of Jolina Magdangal. The SMMC, on the other hand, was considered as one of the premier choral groups in the country during its time.
"I woke up one morning and said I want a new group," narrated the Maestro during the November 26 media launch at the Holiday Inn, Ortigas Center.
Mr. C, as he is more popularly called, explained his reasons for forming the RCS. "Naghahananap ako ng outlet for my new songs
and I said, ‘It's been a long time since I had my own group, a Ryan Cayabyab
type of group.' So I said, I think in just two or three weeks, I announced this
[audition] and then, they came. Word of
mouth yun, e, because many of these people really come from...there's a network
and they know about performing and they came."
Mr. C initially had 170 aspirants during the first auditions held during the last week of June. "Then, I let go of a lot of them. Forty people came the next Sunday, again for auditions, until I came up with seven," recounted Maestro.
These lucky seven are Anezka Alvarez, Katherine Tiuseco, Kyla Rivera, Irra Cenina, Jaime Barcelon, Poppert Bernadas and Vincent Evangelista.
SEVEN UNIQUE TALENTS. When Mr. Cayabyab called for the auditions, the music maestro did not specify criteria to be used in determining who will make the final cut. He even asked the seven members of the RCS to refresh his memory regarding the elimination process."Criteria? What did I tell you? They come in set, 10 each, they all come in and then they sing one at a time. Then, what did I tell you?"
Katherine, whose nickname is Kaich, recalled Mr. C's statement, "I'm looking for something special, I have a particular vision inside my head. If you don't get it, it doesn't mean that you are not magaling, I'm just looking for something specific."
The outcome? Mr. Cayabyab came up with a group composed of diverse individuals, each offering their own unique talents.
"As a matter of fact, I didn't want all of them to be the same. I was looking for unique and strategic voices. It's like this, no two of them are alike in a way, iba-iba, because I wanted to create a group na talagang iba-iba sila," explained Mr. C.
How would the Maestro describe the RCS?
Mr. Cayabyab detailed the qualities of his handpicked singers. He said, "What do I remember? I think Irra, he had the most... pagpasok pa lang... ‘Boom! Okay, pasok na 'to agad.' Yung mga ganun, yung malakas ang dating.
"Poppert, I found his voice... I've never heard that kind of voice for a long, long time. Tapos sasabihin niya tubong Davao siya? Totoo yun, very native ang dating.
"Anezka, alam niyo kapag si Anezka, unang pasok pa lang niya makikita mo, ‘Wow!' Kasi sa lahat sa kanila, yung damit niya, power-dresser siya. Pagpasok pa lang niya, talagang damit, ayos, ‘Tingnan mo ako, iba ako.'
"This guy [Jaime], youthfulness. Everytime pumapasok siya para itong mga 15-year-old guy pero with a voice that is so mature. So alam niya kung paano niya gagawin.
"Kyla has not only the voice [but she's also] a great dancer. I've never seen anyone audition na talagang she had the moves. She is the resident designer, she designs, and mixes and matches the clothes.
