Ryan Cayabyab is celebrated as an icon in the local music industry. His name has become synonymous to the Italian word, “maestro,” a title of reverence, reserved only for a master musician.
As a fitting tribute for his 60th birthday, the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, as conducted by Gerard Salonga, will be performing The Music of Ryan Cayabyab.
To be held on May 3, at 3pm and 8pm at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tangahalang Nicanor Abelardo, the event marks the orchestra’s first Spotlight Series.
PEP.ph and other members of the press had the chance to sit down and chat with Mr. C (as he is fondly called) last April 22 at the 9501 restaurant, ABS-CBN Compound in Quezon City.
Mr. C shares what he is looking forward to in the show: “I’m excited because some of the original singers who recorded or sang my songs will be there to sing.
“Like Hajji [Alejandro] will sing 'Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika,' Basil [Valdez] will sing two of my songs.
“Celeste [Legaspi] and Mitch [Valdes] will sing the original…they originated Olivia and Katy for Katy.
“Martin [Nievera] is gonna sing my very first song I wrote for him which is 'How Can I?'
“Yun, exciting! I’m excited to hear them sing. Of course, Celeste will sing 'Limang Dipang Tao' and that’s what I’m excited about also. I wrote the arrangement for her about thirty years ago.”
Other special guests include: OPM (Organisasyon ng mga Pilipinong Mang-aawit) President Ogie Alcasid, Piolo Pascual, The Ateneo Chamber Singers, Mass Appeal Choir, and jazz-vocal group Baihana.
But the Maestro clarifies he won't be seen on stage since he will be enjoying the show as a part of the audience.
He says, “Gerard is the one conducting my music. I just gave much of the material. And I know naman Gerard.
“I’ve been telling you how high I have a regard for this guy and I’m really very excited to find out. I’m going to watch. I’m not gonna be there [on stage].”
Gerard reveals, “Well, it’s gonna be his popular songs, of course. Mickey Muñoz, our executive director put together a really good selection of his greatest hits, if you will.
“And it’ll be my first time to conduct a concert of his music. Always wanted to, now is my chance. And I’m really looking forward to it. He was my first real music teacher.”
Gerard revealed it was Mr. C who trained him before he left to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where he graduated summa cum laude.
WISH FOR OPM. On his 60th year, Ryan Cayabyab professes his wish for the local music industry: “Ang wish ko the next generation, yung susunod sa amin na generation will place the Philippines in the world music map.
“Kasi right now as performers... Dalawang side ng music, for example—performance and creative.
‘Sa performance ang masasabi lang natin, ang mga nandun world-renowned, would be people like Lea Salonga, si Apl de Ap, si Charice Pempengco, sila Arnel Pineda, and all the rest of the locally, where they are known, yung mga na-Kim [in Miss Saigon], yung mga nag-Gigi [in Miss Saigon], sa West End, sa Broadway, medyo nakikilala na sila, mga Filipinos yun.
“Pero yung creative, I’m talking about songs or music, composed by Filipinos, naghahanap tayo, nagwi-wish tayo na hopefully the next generation will be able to put our country in the world music map.
“Isang wish yun na sana hopefully in the future masasabi natin na yan yung grupo na yan from the Philippines, sila ang nagpasikat sa…
“Ang wish ko kasi is even like create The Beatles from England, kung meron tayong magagawang ganun or like the ABBA from Sweden.
“Hindi dahil sikat. Dahil naka-contribute yung music nila sa ekonomiya ng bansa nila. Can you imagine yung group like ABBA, andaming nai-contribute nyang pera sa bansang Sweden nung sila ay kasikatan.”
Asked whether there is something the government can do to support music, Mr. C emphasizes that audiences themselves can help the art community grow even stronger.
“When our government, our state, even our people…kasi ang gobyerno naman, basically tayo din yun, e.
“Pagka tayo yung nagsabi sa gobyerno, sasabihin natin na importante yung kultura sa 'tin, na…alam niyo ba kung sinabi ng gobyerno, ‘alam namin importante ang kultura pero kailangan din natin na palaguin ang ekonomiya natin para mabigyan natin ng serbisyo ang ating bayan, ano.’
“Hindi pa siguro naiintindihan ng karamihan sa 'tin na ang musika, or even ang culture, even ang art, pwedeng mag-contribute ng malaking pera sa bansa. Kung alam lang natin kung papano.
"So yun na nga yung sinasabi ko, kung nagawa nila, nagagawa ngayon ng Korea na naeexport nila ang kanilang K-Pop na ang laki ng kino-contribute…Not necessarily, siguro hindi lang yung music, ano.
“Kung yung interest na yun, yung Korean tourism…because people like this type…like the Koreanovelas, like the Korean cars, in short, these industries eventually attract other monetizing industries.”
The Maestro believes that the time is ripe for the Philippines to make its mark in the global scene.
“Right now, I must say, tamang-tama, I think pwede na nating sabayang lumipad, e. Kayo din, I’m sure nararamdaman niyo, lumilipad ang ating bansa, e, nakikilala na siya.
“Ngayon na hindi lang sa beauty contest, hindi lang sa kantahan, kundi sa sports. Okay alam na natin si Manny Pacquiao, unti-unti yan…
“For example yung sa Winter Olympics nga, si Michael Martinez, nakakatuwa. Meron pang yung isa pang Pilipino, e, na figure skater, e, na taga-Amerika pero Pilipinas ang ibinabandila niya hindi yung kanyang pagka-Amerikano, magaling din!
“Well anyway, what I’m saying is, sabayan natin kasi parang palipad ang bansa natin. Wag natin siyang hilahin pabagsak, kailangan natin siyang tulungang lumipad.”
Mr. C also stresses the great role that musicians play to revitalize the music industry.
“Before the government siguro, there must be a private sector, o kami [musicians]. But definitely, siguro kung hindi muna magawa ng gobyerno kailangan kami muna, ipakita namin yung ways kung papano magagamit ang music para maging isang viable industry for the country.
“And how is that? I don’t know yet. Don’t ask me now but ang point ko is, if groups like The Beatles, during their time, they’re bands, they’re young people.
“Eto, I must tell you, na ang music industry is really for the young. That’s why I keep on saying, yung susunod na generation namin. Kasi kami hindi na kami yun, e.
“Siguro makakaturo na lang kami or maiinspire na lang namin yung mga susunod na generation, tutulungan namin sila kung paano nila maabot yung mas mataas na uring music na pwede nilang ilaban sa ibang bansa.
“Ngunit nasa sa kanila, yung generation na yun, yung mga mas bata, nasa sa kanila yung impetus, nasa sa kanila dapat yung pag-iisip na lalaban kami sa mundo.
“Katulad nung Michael Martinez, katulad nung iba pa no. Lalaban sila kasi malakas ang fighting spirit nila.”
“KOREAN INVASION.” Mr. C considers Korean pop culture as a good example of successful global marketing.
He points out, “The music industry is for young people. Ang market niya mga bata.
“So isipin natin, if we’re talking about the KPop industry, ano dun? Bakit alam nila kung papaano nagkaroon ng connection, kung bakit nagkaroon ng audience, mass audience na bumibili?
“Ano yung alam nila na hindi natin alam? Siguro we have to find out—ano yung mga bagay-bagay na yun na kailangan nating pag-aralan.”
Gerard shares Cayabyab’s fascination with the “Korean invasion.”
He relates, “We were talking about that earlier, the KPop thing. We were talking about what goes into music.
“Cause the elements are very basic. Music lesson, elements of music: rhythm, melody, all that stuff.
“And the different combinations and proportions create a different sound, di ba? Just like food, right? The Koreans know something we don’t.
“Cause if you strip all the marketing, strip all that stuff, what’s left? It’s the stuff you’re listening to, obviously, that’s what’ll stick, right?
“And there’s something in it that people like. It’s working, you don’t know what it is. If we copy it, we’ll be behind.
“It’s because the people creating the content know what works and we do not. It’s cause they were trained and we were not. They know how it works.
“Look at this, their cars are great now, their phones. It’s that same kind of mind. Mixing art and science.
“They got it figured out so let’s not act like we’re surprised, cause we really shouldn’t be. I mean we buy their phones, we buy their TVs, we buy their cars, why can’t we buy their songs?
“And we all wanna look like them, what’s up with that? We bought into their aesthetics already. So buying their songs, it should be not surprising for us.”
BE COMPETITIVE. The bottomline, Mr. C believes, is for Pinoy musicians to continually improve their craft.
He cites an incident involving Parokya ni Edgar frontman Chito Miranda who expressed disapproval over The OPM Development Act of 2014.
Also known as House Bill 4218, it will require foreign acts performing in the Philippines to pay a “Reciprocal Equity Fee.”
Chito posted on his Twitter account, “Kelangan natin gumawa ng magagandang kanta kasi papakinggan yan ng pinoy kahit gaano pa kasikat ang mga banyagang kanta.”
Mr. C agrees: “Tama si Chito, e. I share that view that kailangan sa amin mag-umpisa kami, we have to think of ways, we have to devise ideas or create productions na competitive.
“Dapat hindi kami laging complain nang complain na, ‘Hindi, wala kaming pera kaya sila ganito ganyan kasi ganyan.’ For me, ha, the way to do it is improve our productions, improve what we are doing.
“It’s a free market so we really have to improve our works.
“We should not sit down and keep on saying ang galing natin, ang gagaling ng singers natin, ang gagaling ng musicians natin, we export yung musicians natin dun sa cruise ships and all that, everywhere.
“So? Bakit wala tayo nung ganun, no? Maybe there’s something na we’re not doing.”