Cebuano singer, composer dies

CEBU, Philippines - A popular Cebuano recording artist in the 1960s died of Hypovolemic shock due to upper gastrointestinal bleeding at a government hospital in Cebu City last week.

Jaime Salazar, 66, died on his hospital bed at the Cebu City Medical Center on June 12 after three days of confinement. Salazar’s live-in partner, Maybelene Calumarde, said her husband has been complaining of abdominal pain since 2007 but did not bother to see a doctor.

Calumarde, 52, said her partner would normally tie a belt around his waist hoping to relieve the pain every time he feels it. Salazar had been bedridden since May until they have decided to bring him to the hospital on June 9.

Salazar, a native of Valladolid, Carcar, started his singing career in 1965 when he got discovered after winning a singing contest of DyRC.

Since then, Salazar journeyed to fame and won several times in the Cebu Popular Music Festival, a project of the Cebu Arts Foundation, Inc., a brainchild of First District Rep. Eduardo Gullas.

As a recording artist, Salazar has recorded seven albums. Among the songs he popularized were Sonata, Samtang May Awit Pa Sa Gugma, Ang Langit Day Nahibalo, Ikaw ang Kinabuhi Ko, Sa una Natong Panagkita, Yutang Natawhan, Damgo Koy Kawang Lamang, Balik na Pinangga, Paabuton Ko, Mga Tipik sa mga Damgo, and Panumpa.

Salazar also sang the known Visayan classic songs Ikaduhang Bathala and Matud Nila, which were originally composed by Ben Zubiri in 1941.

His body now lies at Sto. Niño Community Chapel in Kinasang-an Pardo. Interment will be at the public cemetery of Barangay Valladolid, Carcar City after a 12:00 noon requiem mass at the Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church in Pardo on Friday. — (FREEMAN)