Barbie Almalbis on family life, reunion concert, rocking for 25 years
Female alt-rock icon Barbie Almalbis got nostalgic as she marked her 25th year in the music industry with an album release and a reunion concert with her former bands Hungry Young Poets and Barbie’s Cradle.
Dubbed Firewoman: 25 Years of Barbie Almalbis, she will jam with former bandmates Ricci Gurango, Franklin Benitez, Rommel de la Cruz, Wendell Garcia, and Kakoy Legaspi on March 11 at 123 Block in Mandala Park. The show will also feature some of the country’s finest rock acts, such as Sandwich, Gab Alipe of Urbandub, Clara Benin, I Belong To The Zoo, Kai del Rio and Bird.
The one-night music event is presented by GNN Entertainment Productions, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, Backspacer Records, JB Music, Nova Wellness Store and 123 Block.
Barbie, who by the way has maintained her youthful appearance at the age of 45, harked back to the good old days when she was with her former groups and producing hits, such as Firewoman, Tabing Ilog and Torpe.
She told The STAR in a press event, “You know the other night, I was just like before bed, it was just relaxing and then suddenly, I remembered there’s a song and album by Mr. Big that I love listening to in high school. I just had this desire to like to listen to it and the moment I listen to it, it’s like I was back the way I was before.
“Sometimes, you just have a song (to remind you) kasi especially during that time there was no Instagram, no social media. There’s not even YouTube. You don’t even know what these guys (artists) look like. You just had the tape and the music and then yung imagination. So sabi ko, ‘Oo nga no. Parang songs really have a way of taking you back to that time,’” she went on.
She hoped that on the concert day, the same feeling would be experienced “especially hearing these songs with the same guys that I recorded it with. So I hope that will help take people back in time to happy memories. At the same, just enjoy the night and know that the music continues,” she mused.
Barbie and her ex-bandmates have remained friends over the years. Some of the offspring of her former band members are her godchildren, including rock singer-songwriter Zild Benitez, son of Franklin. She shared, “We’ve been in touch and (remained) friends even if before ‘di ba siyempre mag-bandmates kami tapos hindi na kami bandmates. Of course, that was long ago. We’re all in our early 20s. Parang practically we grew up together so pati yung mga immaturity namin pinagdaanan namin together.
“I think we all understand now na iba na tayo kesa sa dati. Minsan sayang. Ako minsan parang bittersweet sa akin because I’m happy na maka-reunite kami. Minsan binabalikan ko, ‘Sayang ‘no hindi natin tinuloy.’ Parang we could have also made music together. But I guess dun talaga because it was that particular time in our lives. We were all young and just finding our way,” she added.
Moreover, Barbie’s newly-dropped Tower Sessions Live album under Sony Music Entertainment is a “dream come true” for her. “It’s been my dream to be able to record these songs na live version. It’s a different experience when you play it live na sabay-sabay na. Of course, you have to pre-arrange the song na mas maganda siya sa live,” she said.
The album is a mix of old and new tracks, including Firewoman, Torpe, Tabing Ilog, The Dance, Goodnight, Just a Smile and the latest tracks Days Are Long, Silaw, Tigre and Kumpas, which is the album’s carrier single.
On her staying power in the music industry, she credited it to her “amazing team” and the musicians she got to collaborate with.
Barbie was born into a family of musicians in Roxas City and she has been playing the guitar since she was 11. Reaching 25 years in the music business was a “surprise” to her as she “didn’t plan it at all.” She has loved playing music since she was young. Her ultimate dream is to “just continue making music and just playing and writing songs because that’s what I enjoy the most.”
Looking back, she recalled how she felt the “pressure through the years” in the music industry and the “ups and downs” of her career. “Because it’s really not the same. Not every song that you put out will be received the same way right?”
“I guess what helps me again going back to that original reason why I started writing music which is for the joy of it,” she reflected. Besides “the pure joy of writing songs,” what keeps her going are people encouraging her to continue music, including her husband Martin Honasan.
There was also a time when Barbie couldn’t write songs. She recalled, “Parang siguro nagsawa na rin ako sa style. I just needed some inspiration, something new right. So I tried to write for a couple of years but nothing that I was writing came out right. He (Martin) did help me get back on my feet with writing. We started writing songs together. Along with the songs that you can actually hear in this album is a collaboration between my husband Martin and myself.”
“A lot of help from my friends, love for music and always entrusting God’s plan,” added Barbie on getting through the difficult times. “For me, honestly, ilang beses na akong, ‘God, baka tapos na. God, baka iba na yung ipapagawa mo sa akin.’ But, for me, it’s just a daily thing that I ask him to guide me and I’m just thankful that I still got to do it. So praise God for that.”
What Barbie wished to tell her younger self was “to just enjoy the ride, trust God and don’t worry so much.” She also offered this piece of advice to young musicians: “Be grateful where you are like what you are doing and maybe pwede ba yung don’t worry too much (about the future).”
Barbie is now a mom of two to Noa Stina and Liam Israel who also showed interest in music — Stina is into piano while the latter is into guitars.
Being a mom and a wife have made Barbie “appreciate music more.”
“Aside from something that you can enjoy (music) tremendously that gives you so much happiness, yung nostalgia, yung joy, ganyan, but it’s also a tool. I don’t know if it’s just because they are my kids and I’m a musician, but somehow they gravitated towards music,” she said.
“Kahit nagtuturo ako sa kanila before like in vocabulary or math, we used music. We create songs to help them memorize. For example, in a multiplication table, we (would create) a lot of songs. We made use of a song to help them in their school. It also served as a bonding for our family.”
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