Ogie extols Pinoy music as Nakakalokal

Ogie Alcasid is one of the fortunate ones. He has never been in want of success as a singer, songwriter and as an actor/comedian/presenter. He has conquered films, from the Gamol flicks with Andrew E to Boy Pick-Up The Movie to I Do Bidoo: Heto nApo Sila to Desperadas and many others. On television, he has done many years of Bubble Gang and Tropang Trumpo, plus hosted Family Feud and is now a Tawag Ng Tanghalan hurado. 

Ogie had hit songs right from the very first time that he ventured into songwriting and singing like Nandito Ako and Peksman. Since then, and he started 30 years ago, he has, grown steadily in talent and stature as a musician. And now with contemporary classics like Kailangan Kita, Ikaw Ang Aking Pangarap, Hanggang Ngayon and many others, Ogie is surely destined for a place among the greats of Filipino music.

But there is something that has been eating at him throughout all these years. I believe this has something to do with the size of the Filipino music market and the limitations that the situation imposes on production budgets even for the big stars. Ogie, despite all the hits, had never recorded with an orchestra.  As a boy raised in a home where Mantovani records were played and who got taken to the Cultural Center of Philippines (CCP) to watch concerts, he often wondered when it would happen.

Ogie has recorded with almost every sort of accompaniment possible in the course of his career, a guitar, a piano, a four-piece and a really nice 12-piece band on several occasions but not yet the complete orchestra with a maestro conductor. On those times when he would listen to recordings by singers with an orchestra, he would imagine how grand his songs would sound when arranged for all those instruments.

Then came 2016 when Ogie made the move to return to ABS-CBN, site of his early days on television with the Game Na Game Na show. And by a happy coincidence or let’s say to his good fortune, ABS-CBN has a well-known orchestra often featured in concerts and led by the young conductor Gerard Salonga. I do not know if Ogie wondered if the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra has ever made recordings, but if they hadn’t, it was a sure thing that they would soon enough what with Ogie’s music and the singer suddenly available.

And so here it is, Ogie’s dream has finally come true. The album is Nakakalokal performed by Ogie with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Gerald. Take a look at the album cover and find an Ogie beaming with pride over this accomplishment. All of the songs included are compositions by Ogie himself, who not only picked out some of his best but also worked on several new songs just for the album.    

The title track Nakakalokal is a play on the Filipino adjective, “nakakaloka” or “driving me crazy.” The added “l” at the end puts on the local touch and as Nakakalokal, the song now extols the charms of Filipino music. The rousing tune even includes some notes from Ryan Cayabyab’s Kay Ganda Ng Ating Musika. The mood is upbeat and you can now expect this song to start introducing events that showcase local music.

For the big ballad and most likely future soap opera or movie theme, Ogie offers Ikaw Ang Tanging Pag-ibig Ko, which gets the full orchestra treatment. There are also Akala Ko, ‘Di Na Muli, ‘Di Ka Pababayaan and a bouncy ditty Do You Wanna Dance With Me that could have come from the disco days of the ‘70s. 

But, of course, all those who love Filipino music will be enthralled by Ogie’s new versions of his big hits Kailangan Kita, Ikaw Lamang and Ikaw Ang Aking Pangarap. His vocals are in fine form and admit it, having that orchestra really makes a lot of difference. 

And because this is a very special project, Ogie has brought along his wife Regine Velasquez-Alcasid to sing with him those famous themes that he composed for the movies that starred Regine. This duet medley features three of Ogie’s best, Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw, Pangako and Hanggang Ngayon, all sounding more beautiful with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic. Truly a dream come true.