MANILA, Philippines - Gentlemen, this is one of the best cheesy lines ever: “I love you, I love you. It’s a square.” She (or he, I don’t judge) will naturally reply with a “what are you talking about,” to which the appropriate response is, “Hindi ‘to bola.”
The Apo Hiking Society has long been an inspiration to many, and not simply in matters of pa-cute. The beginning of their legacy as a musical group was found in the voices of 13 boys from Ateneo de Manila High School some time towards the tail end of the ’60s. When other members went on to pursue careers in fields such as education and finance, Jim Paredes, Boboy Garovillo, and Danny Javier were left at the helm. These three men would eventually shape the face of Original Pilipino Music, or what we lovingly call OPM.
What is surprising about Apo is how well their music translates. 2006 saw the release of the tribute album Kami nAPO Muna!, which featured slightly modernized or amped-up covers of Apo songs. It was done tastefully, without losing too much of the original sound, making the withstanding power of the source material even more compelling.
APO’S Ability
Some have said that it’s because of Apo’s ability to talk about things with an ease seen in few musical acts, whether locally or internationally, especially at the time several of their hits were released. Apo composes their songs as though each instance and experience is worthy to be shared — taking youth with a grain of salt (Batang Bata Ka Pa), hoping for more than some lukewarm response to a profession of love (Ewan), commiserating with a heartbroken friend (Kaibigan), struggling to make ends meet (Pumapatak Ang Ulan), or consummating a romance, complete with a smooth saxophone in the background (Yakap Sa Dilim).
But to me, the remarkable thing about their music is that it finds its poetry in its simplicity: “Panalangin ko sa habang buhay, makasama ka, makapiling ka.” Nothing more, nothing less. No matter how specific circumstances change or how the concerns of each generation shift with whatever advancements come our way, Apo captures the root of the significant human experience with absolute, resonant truth. Love is love, pain is pain, and friendship heals all.
It is with this gift that Apo has paved the road for acts like the Eraserheads, the Dawn, Rivermaya, Sugarfree, Ciudad, Itchyworms, Up Dharma Down, Drip, Kamikaze, and Parokya Ni Edgar. Distinct voices and distinct sounds that are rooted in more than gimmickry and catchy turns of phrase; groups whose music has defined and chronicled the progressions of our national culture.
Hope In Our Musicians
It’s because of that road paved by Apo that we find hope in our musicians. Not simply because of the tunes they spin together and the messages they sing, but because it takes a special kind of heart to take a high school boy’s dream and turn it into a lifelong vocation. To turn it into a valid, self-sustaining industry, encouraging those with the same gifts to pursue the vision that has made Apo such a long-standing institution. To understand the marriage of perseverance and passion, without which talent would flounder.
It’s because of the road paved by Apo that we’ve begun to hear brave singles like Gloc 9 and Ebe Dancel’s Sirena on the airwaves — sung from the point of view of a gay boy whose kindness and character reign even as he is beaten by those around him, including his own father. Although decidedly different in genre from Apo itself, there is now room for the idea that a song can prove to be beyond mere entertainment, to express both social commentary and compassion without resorting to preaching. Because someone showed that it was possible; that a song, if written with nothing less than uncompromising honesty, can all at once be relevant and timeless.
Whenever I hear an Apo song, I remember John Lennon being quoted as saying, “My role in society, or any artist’s or poet’s role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.” And every time I listen to Jim’s, Danny’s, and Boboy’s perfectly harmonized vocals, I understand. That is exactly what I hear — my history, my sensibilities, my thoughts, and everybody else with a pulse beating proudly Filipino.
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