A hitmaker’s tale

CEBU, Philippines - As early as his toddler days, Cebuano singer-composer Rommel Tuico breathed music. He still fondly recalls how grandpa would prod him to clamber up any vacant table and sing for anyone who’d care listen.

His elementary years saw him taking part in the school choir and rondalla. High school had the young boy strumming the guitar for the Boy Scouts. The passion for music didn’t die down when he entered college – he not only became member of the University of Cebu (UC) Chorus, this too was where he would meet fellow cultural group stagehands who would eventually form themselves into one of Cebu’s most esteemed and long-lasting bands.

Rommel, former vocalist of the Stagecrew band, briefly muses on the early days of the group formed in 1995: “We experienced using combo lata. We had no instruments of our own because we couldn’t afford to buy. Most of us original members didn’t come from well-off families, so it was really difficult in the beginning.”

Slowly but surely, the band persevered. “We submitted entries in songwriting competitions of radio programs. We would win in some, until Stagecrew was slowly getting recognized in Cebu. In 1997, 99.5 RT named us Artist of the Year,” says this talented musician who hails from Daanbantayan but grew up in Barangay Barrio Luz, Cebu City.

“When Myke Sarthou came into the picture and decided to manage us, I think that’s when we began getting our big breaks. He was brilliant; he had lots of ideas. At the end of the day, I believe that if a band just persists no matter how long they’ve been together, and if they’re actions are geared towards reaching a certain goal, it will eventually succeed,” he adds.

Stagecrew did eventually succeed, first gaining national recognition for singing the theme song of the 2002 Star Cinema movie “Jologs” titled “Next In Line.” The band also appeared in the teen film. Rommel considers this feat the highlight of his Stagecrew days.

He narrates, “Even before I graduated from a Customs Administration course, I already landed a regular job with the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue.) Eventually, I resigned so I could focus on Stagecrew. Of course, everyone around me -- friends and family specifically – discouraged me to pursue music as a career. They preferred my job with the government because it was more stable, as agencies like the BIR would be the last to go bankrupt. They convinced me to just do music gigs on the side. But I was stubborn. I told my father, ‘Thank you for the education you gave me. You’re obligation is done. I’m okay now. I can take care of my life.’”

It was in 2010 that with a heavy heart, Rommel decided to leave the band he was part of for a good 15 years.

With a young family of three kids to raise, Rommel found the perfect job of still playing music and making decent bucks at the same time.

“My family’s needs were increasing, especially that the kids were of school age. There was this opportunity to go abroad as a cruise ship singer, so I grabbed it. But I really asked permission from my bandmates. I told them that being in a band is not forever, so while we’re still together, let’s cherish the moment. I was the third to leave the band, and it was such a hard decision for me.”

Contrary to what many think, Stagecrew has not disbanded and still exists, although not with its original members, according to Rommel.

His new bandmates aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line were Cebuanos too, thus Rommel found it easier to adjust.  “It’s just that the type of music preferred by cruise-goers was eighty percent different from what I was used to performing with Stagecrew. Our set list would range from the 50s to the present,” he says.

During his free time at sea, Rommel says he had all the time in the world to pen compositions. “Even before, I always make it a point that I have a pen and paper within reach when I’m lying down in bed. So when I decided to come up with a solo album, I scanned all of my previous compositions and chose the best ones.”

It was one of these Eureka moments inside his cabin where the current Cebuano novelty hit “Dili Tanan” was born. Just exactly what is the story behind this seemingly nonsensical-on-the-surface chart-topping tune?

“I was inspired by John Lennon’s song ‘Love Is Real.’ It goes, ‘Love is real/Real is love/Love is giving/Giving is love.’ He just swapped the words, and I thought that concept was interesting. I thought of a Bisaya word or phrase that I could also interchange in the same way. Until I came up with my first line, ‘Dili tanan laki gwapo/Dili tanan gwapo laki.’ From that, I played on with other phrases,” explains Rommel.

A cruise ship bandmate introduced him to a computer software that enables one to record songs with equal, even better quality than that of a recording studio. This was how he got to record his compositions, “Dili Tanan” included, and come up with an entire album called “Smells Like Urban Max Is Back.”

“When I came home for a vacation last December, I mass-produced the CD and gave one copy to Wild FM. They asked me what I wanted them to play and I said ‘Dili Tanan.’ They told me some listeners would request for it because it was funny. Two months after I left Cebu for another ship contract, people messaged me in Facebook that the song was a hit in Mindanao, Bacolod, and even Manila. My friends would tell me that they’d be in Colon, and many of the stalls were playing the song. I also got a lot of requests for guestings and interviews once I came back home.”

The song turning out to be a hit was quite unbelievable for Rommel, who reveals he was just playing around with the lyrics. “But the most concrete proof for me that the song was really popular was when I landed at the Mactan airport. The Customs police inspected my passport and when he saw my name was Rommel Tuico, he asked me, ‘Ikaw gakanta anang Dili Tanan, sir?’ I asked back how he knew the song and he answered, ‘Alangan kusog kayo imong kanta diri sir,’” he narrates with amusement.

Rommel further says, “Actually, ‘Dili Tanan’ is the least song in my album that I expected would be a hit.  Duwa-duwa ra gyud to. If you listen to the chorus, I couldn’t think of any other line. Like, what’s the sense of this song? Thus, I just came up with, ‘Dili tanan maoy akung giulohan/Niining kantahang walay tumong ug way padulngan/Ang mga lyrics gibali-bali ug way hinungdan/Busa paghilom, paminaw ug katawa na lang.’”

Hoping he’s not just a one-hit wonder, Rommel has another catchy song that’s timely for the nearing October barangay polls. “Eleksyon Rapsodi,”  he calls it, which he sings partly to the melodies of “Leron Leron Sinta” and “Paruparong Bukid.” He wrote this supposedly in time for the May elections, but decided to modify the lyrics and made it generic so that it can also be applicable for any election season.

Presently, Rommel plans to locally strike while the iron is hot. Gigs and invites to perform have swamped him left and right, and he’s basking at the opportunities to share his music. There too is precious time with the kids (ages 12, 10 and 8) and wife that he has to make up for.

Laughingly, he shares, “Mularga ko balik inig magkalisod nasad.” (FREEMAN)