Elmo brings Francis M back to life

MANILA, Philippines - Elmo Magalona can easily be categorized as a budding celebrity, living, or even struggling, under the gigantic shadow that his father casts. And it doesn’t help that among the Magalona boys, Elmo resembles his father the most.

At 19, Elmo’s features are that of a younger version of the late Francis M with a softer jawline and a wider and rounder set of eyes. It’s no wonder that girls his age swoon over the tween like he was some divine reincarnation of an icon. Well, with a first name like “Elmo” (e.g. that little red puppet with an orange nose and a high-pitched voice on Sesame Street) and “Magalona” for his last name, it would be easy to see where and what this kid was poised for.

But to say that we already know where the whole son-of-an-icon story is headed is to be careless, probably even reckless. This kid’s got other stuff in store for him.

Recently, Elmo has partnered with Oishi for Oishi’s O, Wow! campaign. Together, they’ve set off to create surprises or “O, Wow! moments” for people of all shapes and sizes — including Elmo himself. From surprising schoolchildren with bags of Oishi falling from a helicopter in the sky to arranging simple family get-togethers, Oishi’s O, Wow! campaign has been creative in cooking up new gimmicks for everyone.

Restored and re-edited

Last week, they launched a restored and re-edited music video of Francis M’s obra maestra Kaleidoscope World. As a twist, Oishi, with the help of technology, director Jose Ticsay, producers Top Suzara and IJ Garcia (who are all good friends of Francis), and a visionary crew of audio-video editors, placed Elmo in the song’s music and video collage.

On the big screen, it was a seamless edit — Elmo fit perfectly in the video. We see him and his dad running together, horsing around in a duster dress together, and of course, singing together. It was hard to distinguish which ones were real and which ones were edited.

Near the end of the video, we see the biggest surprise — a recording of the late great Francis M carrying a baby Elmo, dancing in a circle, followed by another shot of the grown-up Elmo, doing the same thing again with his dad. It signified the song’s full bloom, like a full turn of the kaleidoscope. In a heartwarming way, it said that Elmo wasn’t living under his dad’s shadow. Instead, he sees the light through his father and the legacy he left.

Perhaps, it was the best way to dispel the naysayers of all the familiar criticism of the late legend’s son. And it was also the best way for the late Francis M to say the last word — that there was no bigger obra for him than his family.

SUPREME: How do you think your dad would’ve felt if he were here right now?

ELMO MAGALONA: Before, I used to say, “I hope Dad’s happy with what I’m doing now,” or “I hope he’s proud of what we’re doing now.” But now, I’m really 100-percent sure that my siblings and I are making him really happy wherever he may be right now. Also, thanks to technology, Oishi, and the people that help us out; nakikita at nae-express namin ‘yun ngayon.

How do you think the Magalona family makes your dad’s memory proud?

Hindi kami mapaghihiwalay sa isa’t isa, eh. Everyone is important. All of us have key roles — kumbaga meron akong strict ate, cool ate, at kuya na second idol ko, next to my dad, and I have younger siblings who keep me entertained at times. And of course, our mom who’s been there since day one. Sometimes, di ako makasama sa friends ko. Pero sumasama ako sa pamilya ko at complete kami, okay na ako ron.

How do you see this growing in the future?

Everything is getting better, especially with our family. Because of these things, we connect more with each other. It makes us stronger as a family. We really try our best to continue the legacy and honor both our parents.

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