TRACK #3: Now You're Healed

If my memory serves me right, I’ve collaborated with Jandi on 10 songs to date: 3 Christmas tunes, 5 U.S. tour anthems, 1 song by Fr. Manoling with some 4 others (Jandi and myself included) working on the lyrics, and 1 contest entry I wrote with Chito Salazar but which Jandi agreed to perform on competition night only after revising the lyrics himself. Diva.

Because he is quite a gifted writer, I give in to Jandi’s strange requests, especially now that he is based in Virginia and I in Manila. It is difficult drafting songs together when we are so far apart; that’s why we go out of our way to make things work. I would first compose the music, which I’d then deliver to him for his lyric-writing. But during the 90s, sending audio to the U.S. was a nightmare—I would resort to mailing him a cassette or sneaking the tape in the baggage of traveling relatives. After a week, he would fax me the words, but because I needed confirmation on the phrasing of some verses, he would call at odd hours to sing me the song.

Fortunately, technology evolves quickly, and now it is easy to develop a demo and send it to Jandi from my laptop. Whew. And neither of us has to pay for courier or long distance charges, or even deal with irate relatives. That’s how it went 3 years ago when we wrote NOW YOU’RE HEALED for Bukas Palad’s 2004 U.S. Tour.

Those days, I was already heavily influenced by Kirk Franklin, and was aiming for a soulful gospel ballad sound. I wanted a simple but powerful refrain with a distinct R&B groove—one that could stir listeners emotionally with its melody and move them almost physically with its rhythm. After working on my demo, I sent an mp3 file to Jandi’s email address and waited nervously for the customary week; it was early March and Bukas Palad was set to leave for the U.S. in April.

The wait was well worth it. Based on Matthew 8:23-9:28, Jandi’s wonderfully provocative lyrics recount four miracles performed by Christ—three stories on how Jesus healed the afflicted, and one on how Jesus calmed the raging storm. But more importantly, the lyrics remind us how those who witnessed these miracles were saved by their profound faith. Two refrains read:

“Do you believe He’d bring her back to life?
Back in your arms that fight each strife
that ushers in the peace God wills for her in life?
Your grieving heart sought Him out—
Now she’s healed!

“Do you believe he’d stand and walk again?
Your faith in God had triumphed when
You brought him slowly down to trust in God again.
Your humbled heart shouted out—
Now he’s healed!”

The song also voices out our deepest desire to be healed by Christ during our personal storms:

“Without a warning come the fiercest storms that change
the calm and quiet that we have known.
That’s when we feel alone—when waves of doubt surround
to cause us fear like we have never found.
You, our mighty Lord, save us Lord!
Please let the tide subside deep inside.
Help us, be our guide!”

Performing the song in 2004 was no easy task. I have this bad habit of arranging vocals in a way that makes singers physically feel what the lyrics convey. So you can already imagine what Bukas Palad goes through when we sing about “the fiercest storms.” Because the melody and message are quite intense, I feel it inappropriate to sing the song lightly. And because the arrangement is designed to communicate such passion, the experience can be exhausting. In fact, when we whisper the last line, “Now you’re healed,” we are literally drained and relieved, and can only thank God we survived. And that’s what we did last Saturday when we finally finished recording the vocals of NOW YOU’RE HEALED.

NOW YOU’RE HEALED is an ardent demonstration of faith via song. The track will not be soothing and solemn. It will disturb and provoke. But hey, it’s among my favorites from the ones Jandi and I have collaborated on.

NOW YOU’RE HEALED
Disc: Inspirational
Music: Norman Agatep
Lyrics: Jandi Arboleda
Vocals: The Bukas Palad Music Ministry
Instrumental and vocal arrangement: Norman Agatep

TRACK #2: Sa Batong Ito

I think I’ve just coerced myself into writing about all 20 tracks of Bukas Palad’s soon-to-be-released 20th anniversary album. While I am not going to run out of material for sure, I worry that I may lose steam in the process. So let me take the effortless route and tell you about one of the easier tracks to discuss—a song, which to me is perfectly solid: SA BATONG ITO.

It is one of 5 winners of the BAYAN, UMAWIT songwriting competition mounted last year by BP. Written by Fr. Benito Justiniano, SA BATONG ITO was among the pile of CDs and audio cassettes assigned to me for first auditioning. Having been attracted to what I heard, I introduced the song to the rest of the panel during our deliberation session in short-listing entries to the contest. After that forum, the song was given semi-finalist status.

Frankly, when I listen to a song, I am first drawn to the melody before I am to the lyrics. And this was no exception; SA BATONG ITO does have a powerful hook and energetic spirit. It has that kind of refrain that enjoins all to sing along by the sheer simplicity of its tune and impact of its rhythm. It is moving yet pushing, charming yet commanding. It has all the charisma and rallying power of a speaker who seduces you into action. Couple that with memorable lyrics like these, and you’ve got a winning song:

“Sa batong ito, itatayo Ko ang aking bayan!
Sa batong ito, titipunin ko sila’t babantayan!
Sa batong ito, kaligtasan ay siyang makakamtan!
Sa batong ito, pag-ibig Ko’y laan!”

Weeks after we had declared the winners of the contest, it was time to assign tasks in preparation for our album production. Naturally, I volunteered to arrange SA BATONG ITO as I had an instant liking to it. The challenge, however, was to piece together the voices and to score the music in a way that would enhance the inherent strengths of the song.

So I set myself to work. The choral arrangement you will hear in the album is uncluttered; much of it is in unison and only the final refrains are in full chorus, so listeners can focus on the message and not the arrangement per se. The other objective of course is to make the track as congregation-friendly as possible so choirs that fall in love with the song (as I did) may get to sing it easily and with full confidence. Mind you, however, that the coda is quite grand, to be in synch with the temperament of the song’s powerful message.

The minus one is an interweaving of instruments common to many churches: guitar, piano, flute, organ, shaker. Ok, you will hear an accordion somewhere, but that’s my personal tribute to Fr. Eddie Hontiveros, SJ, who encouraged me to pursue arranging liturgical music. But over-all, the instrumentation is churchy. And why not? The song after all speaks much about the Church Christ built.

SA BATONG ITO will make a great communion or recessional hymn. I can already hear congregations declaring their faith and singing in chorus of God’s promise:

“Sa batong ito, kaligtasan ay siyang makakamtan!
Sa batong ito, pag-ibig Ko’y laan!”

Yes, Alex, I’ll get you an audio sampler as soon as that’s ready.

And kudos, Fr. Benito! I hope to meet you one day.

SA BATONG ITO
Disc: Liturgical
Music & lyrics: Fr. Benito Justiniano (with additional lyrics from Roy Tolentino)
Vocals: The Bukas Palad Music Ministry
Instrumental and vocal arrangement: Norman Agatep

TRACK #1: Ang Pupuno Sa Akin

For most people, a lot happens within a single year. For me, I wrote a song.

It began as a musical strain that I couldn’t get off my head on April 14th, Good Friday last year, as I braved the streets of gloomy Manhattan alone. And on April 8, 2007, Good Friday once again, I was set to let Bukas Palad record ANG PUPUNO SA AKIN for our 20th anniversary album.

You see, BP was on U.S. tour last year, and Holy Week found us in New York City. Having performed on Broadway in St. Malachy’s Church (or the Actor’s Chapel) on Wednesday, the next few days served as time off for all of us.

Lui and I had been staying in the apartment of an old friend and classmate, Erwin de Leon, on 46th street, but on Good Friday, Erwin left early to start preparations for services in the parish where he was involved. Mid-morning and after just a slice of bread and cream cheese, I accompanied Lui to Penn Station on 34th; he, on the other hand, was headed for New Jersey in preparation for our Easter show in Toms River. That left me alone until the afternoon when I was supposed to meet other BP members at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on 53rd (or so I thought). And worse, rain had begun fall.

I no longer know if it was all that walking, or all that fasting, or maybe how hot I felt inside my jacket, which on the outside was terribly damp and cold, but I was beginning to feel heady by noon. Yet I trudged on aimlessly, weaving through Manhattan, dodging the rain, and stopping by every church in sight (there were a few).

It was almost 2pm though that I became conscious of a persistent melody playing in my mind. I nursed it as I avoided puddles on my way to the MoMA. By then, it had been confirmed that neither Rica nor Ali could join me at the museum. Great, it had also been confirmed that the queue to the museum was like 10 blocks long. With simply no energy to stand in line, I gave up the idea and settled for checking out the MoMA’s façade. There, however, a female pushed me in line until I found myself in the museum’s wide lobby. What are the chances?

I probably spent but 3 hours at the MoMA. Not enough, I know, even if I had been there before. Curiously, though there were tens of thousands crowding the many halls (admission was free that day), I heard not a sound. Maybe that’s the effect of being surrounded by the Picassos and Van Goghs and Matisses, and Klimts. Gazing at the canvasses there has a way of showing you the divine and reminding you of your human limitations (and inadequacies). Maybe we had all felt that and could only release a collective and quiet sigh. But in my head, the melody played on with even greater clarity.

By 5:30pm I was sipping some chowder in a tiny café, I think on 4th ave. I was the only diner. And by 7pm I was on the subway headed for Hudson St, where I intended to stroll around our office headquarters there. With the rain still pouring, I chanced upon another church and decided to step inside. Of course, the service was in Spanish and I understood very little, though I began to hear words now accompanying the music still lingering in my head.

In a place where family I had not, on a day when friends I had none, and surrounded by people whose language I knew close to nothing, it was relatively easy to write a song. With hardly any food in my system much less blood in my legs, you could say my body was running on empty. How easy was it then for anything to fill me on Good Friday. Today I look back and would like to think it was the divine taking over the humanly inadequate.

Many months later, though I had never written the notes to it, the music remained fresh in my head. I needed only to add a bridge to complete the song before I made a demo early this year. And because I knew I could never express eloquently the thoughts I had which accompanied the music, I sent the demo along with some scattered ideas and phrases to Lui—who after all was the only BP member I had seen on April 14, 2006. And so in February, he wrote:

Aanhin ko ang lahat
Ng yaman dito sa mundo
Kung wala Ka naman sa puso ko
Anong halaga sa buhay
Ng tagumpay at parangal
Makuha man ang lahat
Hindi rin sasapat.
Ikaw lang ang pupuno
Sa kulang ng buhay ko.

On Good Friday this year, I completed the song’s minus one. ANG PUPUNO SA AKIN will soon be recorded by two of my favorite BP singers.

ANG PUPUNO SA AKIN
Music: Norman Agatep
Lyrics: Lui Morano
Vocals: Cholo Mallillin, Ching Ching, and the Bukas Palad Music Ministry
Instrumental and vocal arrangement: Norman Agatep

The business of producing Bukas Palad's 13th album

It was supposed to be a matter of business.

Monday morning. I stepped into our conference room to meet with executives who were interested to secure our company's marketing services. As expected, everyone around the table offered his or her business card, and I was not prepared to break the custom. But neither was I prepared for what I was about to hear from the lady in the corporate suit after she had read the name off the white piece of board I had handed her.

"You are the composer, right?" she managed to ask as we firmly shook hands.

Noting the puzzled look on her colleague's faces, she reminded them of how they jokingly called attention to the holy hymns she would play in her cubicle, and how they would ask her if they had just entered some chapel or if she had become a minister overnight.

"Well that's his music," she quipped while pointing an accusing finger at me. "And I've been playing it since Ash Wednesday."

Not wanting to be blamed for anything, I could only give off a nervous laugh, move quickly into the day's agenda, and draw their attention to the powerpoint slide flashing on the conference room wall. Business as usual.

It's been two days since that Monday morning, and in between I've made it my personal business to revisit the songs that my prospective client has been internalizing since February 21st. So yesterday and today, in the privacy of my car, I've been filling my ears with songs in Bukas Palad's last two albums, Let Your Praises Be Heard and God of Silence.

I no longer remember the last time that I listened to these CDs, but hearing them again was like taking 20 steps back from an engulfing mural, seeing the big picture for the first time, and being awestruck. I do not even know what it was--the melody, lyrics, instrumentation, voices, or performances--that hit me. But hit me hard it did, and move me in ways quite profound. Perhaps it was the pairing of certain elements in a song. Or the sheer artistry of combined sound. Or the spirit behind each decibel heard. No one knows for sure; not even I, who have been producing Bukas Palad's music for the last 2 decades.

And here I am, at it again.

Bukas Palad is currently producing its 13th album since we formed in 1986, and anyone involved in such productions will tell you how debilitating the work can be. It is so easy to be overwhelmed by the tasks at hand--the songwriting, vocal arranging, minus one making, actual recording, cover designing, and other processes in churning out just one CD. It is so easy to be critical of the quality of each note sung, the loudness of an instrument played, the thickness of the reverb used, the photographic style employed, the color scheme of the liner notes chosen. It is so easy to lose oneself in attempting to produce the perfect album. Yet easier still and far more rewarding to find oneself when listening to the final product--while driving one's car through an empty street during Holy Week. It's like taking 20 steps back and seeing the big picture for the first time.

We are set to launch our double-disc album of 20 songs representing 20 years of Bukas Palad by mid-June. Frankly, I'm not sure we will meet the deadline comfortably, nor am I praying that we do. What I do pray for instead (and hope that my friends join me here) is that as we work feverishly on this project, we do so with the same talent and passion that God has gifted Bukas Palad with. That when the songs are finally ready for your ears (whenever that may be), you shall find God there. And maybe, if you do find God in the music, you will get to tell me all about it.