Seizing the Moment/Ex-CJ Panganiban's book

“Seizing the Moment” is by Joseph R. Atilano, an authority on popular music.

Exactly a week and a half before the sudden passing of local rock icon Karl Roy, I felt a strong urge to contribute a piece about him. I distinctly recall waking up and thinking: “I should write about Karl Roy.” Or if I were lucky, an article with an interview portion would be great. At the time I wasn’t exactly sure why I felt that way, but the thought crossed my mind on more than one occasion to do so if the opportunity arose and if I could get in touch with him. But this thought was different because I felt that time was of the essence and it was almost like there was a deadline I had to beat. At that very moment, I wasn’t yet aware of the severity and seriousness of his illness and knowing of only one surgery he had had a couple of years ago, I had assumed he was already fully recovered and back in full swing. That is what I had believed since Karl Roy was actively performing in the bar circuit and was a regular in a number of popular venues. He was always one of those local musicians I’d hear about and how intense he was as an artist on stage. He was almost like an “urban legend” in a way and I mean that with all due respect, because it was nearly impossible not to know of anyone who had not heard of his music. It made me respect him a lot.

I had seen him perform only three times since 2003. The first one was at the now defunct Rock Radio Café located in Alabang where he performed alongside with the original line-up of his band ‘Kapatid’ with Ira Cruz, Nathan Azarcon and a drummer whose name for some reason, escapes me now. Most of my attention was riveted to the frontman — Karl Roy — who captured everyone else’s attention likewise. Karl was the main attraction of the night. I was floored by his performance. I saw how he really enjoyed performing in the truest sense of the word. Needless to say, that night left a strong and lasting impression on me. When Rock Radio Café closed down a year or so after, it was in Saguijo where I was able to attend his next two gigs in the years 2006 to 2008. I wasn’t aware that his health had worsened because I didn’t really notice any big changes from the time I first saw him perform in 2003. He displayed such level of intensity that I thought he would be around for a long time and would always be there if we wanted to see him. I can’t recall precisely, but that was the last time I was able to attend a ‘Kapatid’ gig.

Fast forward to a few years later. I finally got the news that my very first contribution was going to come out in this very newspaper and that it would be on Christmas day. I found out exactly on Christmas eve that great news. I was so excited, happy and I felt blessed to have this privilege of being able to write on what I am passionate about and that is about music. I quickly logged on to my Facebook account and at the spur of the moment I ended up sending a message to my growing up heroes in local rock that my contribution would be coming out the very next day, Christmas day — even though they weren’t my friends and I knew the chances of them replying would be close to zero. But among the four messages I had sent, Karl Roy was the only one who replied to me and it was around two days later that he did. He was commending me and his encouraging reply uplifted me even more. Now his message is in the archives of my Facebook account and it is a message I will never delete because it will always give me a sense of pride knowing that he took the time to reply to me!

When Karl Roy passed away, it just made me feel worse I not having acted sooner on that sense of urgency I had felt earlier, and not finding more ways to get in touch with him. After his death, I read most of the articles about Karl Roy in the newspapers by people who knew him and by even those writers who had never met him or who knew him well. But it was a contribution from Wolf Gemora in another major newspaper which shared a particular memory of Karl and provided some insights into his life as well. Also, the piece by columnist Luis Katigbak befitted Karl Roy. It really shows how many lives he has touched in one way or another. It was through their articles that I felt Karl Roy was being properly remembered and his life was being celebrated since death is not a subject almost anyone would want to speak of but a reality that all of us will have to face when the time comes. But the manner by which the people who knew him handled his passing and shared stories and recounted their own times they had with the late Karl Roy was the proper and respectful way to do it. When the news came out, I was shocked and saddened just like everybody else. Because even though I wasn’t part of his inner circle of friends, once you are part of the music community and support the local bands in any way you can, you will feel the loss regardless, and Karl Roy was and always will be an important music figure and an influential one as well. I just wish more people had written about him when he was still alive. It is one of those things that I can’t help but think about and ponder over. One of those questions in my mind is why it is only now that more people are talking about him, showing him more importance and acknowledging his artistry. Because aside from a few features in past magazines about him, I don’t really recall anyone in the newspapers — aside from a select few who knew him — who have given him importance. I just find it sad and this is my own personal opinion.

Hopefully, Karl Roy’s death will remind us to refocus our attention on the other local rock icons who are still around and performing. They need our attention and acknowledgment for all their contributions to local rock and OPM in general. In fact, in a death, families, friends and fans left behind are moved to extol the good and happy things they remember about the person, and not to lambast and desecrate the person’s memory to those who hold him dear and sorely grieve his absence.

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The highly respected and admired ex-CJ Artemio V. Panganiban kindly sent me a copy of his book “With Due Respect.” I have not had the time to finish reading it; meanwhile, herewith is part of the foreword by the late Isagani Yambot who was himself highly respected and admired by his peers.

“While many of the columns deal with technical matters of law, they are written in simple, understandable language that uses a minimum of legal jargon. Because of their simplicity of style, clarity of thought and unassailable logic, the columns make for interesting and instructive reading. Indeed, those who failed to read some or many of the columns will gain a better insight into the troubled years of 2007 to 2010 by going over this collection.

“This is a book written by a moral man, a Christian who not only practices the forms and rituals of his faith but also lives it, and through his columns, spreads the gospel of righteousness, morality and goodness.”