Mr. C to new artists: Never stop learning

MANILA, Philippines - On the eve of his 60th birthday, the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra is holding The Music of Ryan Cayabyab, a show that will showcase some of the renowned composer’s best and well-loved songs as performed by their original singers with the help of a 70-piece choir and a 42-piece orchestra.

The artists to be featured in the show is an eclectic mix, from singers from the ’70s and ’80s such as Basil Valdez, Celeste Legaspi and Hajji Alejandro to contemporary singers like Ogie Alcasid, Piolo Pascual and Bugoy Drilon. It’s a fitting tribute to the 59-year-old musician, whose contributions to Filipino pop music, theater and even reality shows have become an integral part of the local music history.

“By featuring some of my music, a lot of them from the past, hopefully a lot of the younger singers will still remember these songs. Because I’m not only pushing my songs, I’m pushing also part of our music literature,” said Mr. C, as he is fondly called in the industry, in a media gathering recently.

He shared that during his time as a young musician, he would study and perform old songs by Nicanor Abelardo and Francisco Santiago, both known for their kundiman songs. Now, aware that some of the younger singers are not even familiar with his compositions, he feels it is his songs that have to be dug up by music students and young artists.

“It’s also in our mission to propagate OPM kasi nga the young people hindi na kilala si Mr. C. So, in our future concerts, that will be our mission: Reintroduce the classic songs to the younger generation,” said Mickey Muñoz, managing director of the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra. The Music of Ryan Cayabyab show is the first of the orchestra’s planned Spotlight Series.

But the maestro would not want to weigh in on how the singers of today would stack up against the older artists. “For me, the artists would know the value of what they’re doing. They know their true value. They cannot be not good because if they are not good, they won’t be there,” he said. Because of this, Cayabyab cannot complain about the popularity of the likes of Anne Curtis and Daniel Padilla, actors who dabbled in recording and performing, or the dominance of K-Pop all over the world.

“The reason why they are very marketable is because they have an extra charm or extra something. Yun ang nagpro-propel sa kanila. Kahit sabihin natin na, ‘Bakit ito, ang gagaling pero hindi sumisikat?’ That’s how it is. There are those who become popular, and there are those who don’t but that’s the way it is,” he shared.

Still, Cayabyab has high hopes for Filipino music, even as he admitted that the local music industry is still trying to cope with the digitalization of music. “My dream is that, the next generation will be the ones who will place music from the Philippines on the world map,” he said.

How can the Filipino artists propel Filipino music to greater heights? “For me, I keep on telling all my students, ‘You cannot stop learning,’” Cayabyab said. “The reason why I teach everything I know is because the person can always branch into something else and understand it in a different way. We want the next generation to be better than us. It’s true: The generation next to us should always be better because they’re the ones who are bringing the next generation with them.”

What’s the secret to his success? “I always think that I’m a work in progress. We only stop when we die. There are so many things to learn and so many things we can teach.”

(The Music of Ryan Cayabyab is on Saturday, May 3, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the CCP’s Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo. Tickets are available through Ticketworld at 891-9999 and ticketworld.com.ph.)