Take this journey

The CD’s art cover features a man — with a suitcase for the guitar beside him — in a pensive mood looking at the vast ocean. He could be either on the deck of a ship or at a port. The album inlay presents six more of his pictures obviously taken in various candid poses and places in Denmark. One could be led into thinking that “Byahe,” the album’s title, is about this particular travel; but as you glance quickly at the names of the 15 musical tracks you’ll have an inkling that it just rightly describes singer-songwriter Noel Cabangon’s own journey as a musician.

To most Filipino artists, byahe means practicing their craft in greener pastures abroad. It could take them months or even years of backbreaking gigs to earn what they couldn’t in their native land. By his own admission in the album’s prologue, Noel says that the years of straying away from home had made him realize just how the word byahe has evolved for him: it sums up all his painful experiences, learning to fall in love, his deep love and longing for his country, and being homesick most of the time.

The songs on the album, he continues, are the tunes he grew up with (except for Kanlungan which he collaborated with Imago’s Aia de Leon) and which have moulded him as a musician from the time he picked up his first a guitar to where he is now: Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko, Tuloy Pa Rin, Binibini, Ang Aking Awitin, Di Na Natuto, Ang Buhay Nga Naman, Kanlungan, Dito Sa Kanto, Kung Kailangan Mo Ako, Ipagpatawad Mo, Pag-ibig, Pinay, Tao, Pagbabalik and Kay Ganda Ng Ating Musika. In short, “Byahe” is his life’s musical journey, one that Noel wants us to take with him.

The album has been making the rounds of music rooms in the country for some time now, and has in fact gotten good reviews, but I only got hold of it recently through a friend’s prodding: “Check it out and tell me what you think.” I’m glad I did. It is, in my humble opinion, one of the best recorded OPMs that I’ve ever heard. Unpretentious and engaging, Noel’s voice is soothing to the nerves and easy on the ears. As his voice floats melodiously on the soundstage, his guitar provides musicality and enhances the gentle vocals, adding body and glow to the whole exercise.

I’m not surprised. Noel is a pedigreed and respected musician who has been sharing his creative work with the world since the mid-‘80s. While in college he was associated with Buklod or Bukluran ng Mapagpalayang Musiko where he gained a loyal following. His music advocates artistic, social and political causes, reflecting what the Akbayan, Amnesty International and Greenpeace stand for.

I was introduced to Noel’s music in 2004 when Kanlungan or Pana-panahon hit the airwaves and became an instant hit. It soon became the national hymn for the new OPM acoustic movement and was included in every acoustic anthology albums released that year.

Noel’s “Byahe” is an audiophile must-have. Not only can you relish his soothing music, it can also prove useful in evaluating your sound system’s mid-range integrity. It should sound palpably real with Noel’s voice just a breath away. In a high-resolution system, you should be able to discern not only the sound of his guitar, but also his fingers touching the strings as he plucks them to produce harmonious tones. Take his journey and be prepared to reminisce, in vivid sonic form, over the years that have gone quickly by. You’ll be surprised to realize that at the end of the musical spin, Noel’s journey is very much yours, too.

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For comments or questions, please e-mail me at audioglow@yahoo.com  or at vphl@hotmail.com. You can also visit www.wiredstate.com  or you can tweet audiofiler at www.twitter.com  for quick answers to your audio concerns.