A tribute to Mang Levi

Some 30 years ago, Pilita Corrales made a drastic career change when she recorded an album of Tagalog songs for the then rising Vicor Music Corporation. It was drastic because, the pretty mestiza was until that time, known for her rendition of Spanish songs, Historia de un Amor and local originals in English like A Million Thanks to You. Besides, while she was fluent in English, Spanish and Cebuano, she had a difficult time speaking in Tagalog.

It was quite a challenge but Pilita was not called "Asia’s Queen of Songs" for nothing. She was up to it. Besides, the songs were beautiful and no artist should pass up the chance of recording an album of native songs at least once in his career. But to everybody’s surprise, the strange combination of Spanish-Cebuana singer and Tagalog songs worked. Not only that, Pilita’s sweet voice and expressive singing style brought something new to old compositions. The music buyers thought so too and made the long-play album Philippine Love Songs a huge success.

Pilita recorded more of those all-Filipino albums in the years that followed and those are now considered milestones in her career and in the history of Filipino pop music. Some of the most popular songs she did were those with lyrics by National Artist for Music and Literature Levi Celerio like O Maliwanag Na Buwan, a new version of the Ilocano folksong O Naraniag a Bulan. Mang Levi, the leading lyricist in Filipino was often drafted to write new ones for Pilita with every Tagalog album she recorded. Aside from that, she did a lot of Filipino compositions from the past with words by Mang Levi like Sapagka’t Kami ay Tao Lamang with music by Tony Maiquez or Saan Ka Man Naroroon by Restie Umali. Unknown to Pilita and others involved in the production of those albums, her catalogue was accumulating a lot of songs that would later become national treasures.

Vicor recently compiled some of these songs in a tribute album for the departed Mang Levi. Titled Pilita Corrales Remembering Mang Levi Celerio, the collection at last puts in stores 18 memorable recordings no lover of Filipino music should be without. Formerly available only on LPs and cassettes, these tracks have been digitally remastered and can now be enjoyed on regular CD players. A lot of people seem to have regained interest in native Filipino music these days as proven by the success of Ryan Cayabyab’s recording of Great Filipino Love Songs with the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra. Pilita’s is not much different except that you also get her unique vocals.

Listening to the album I am happy to say that the songs still work a kind of magic today’s hits will need another 30 years to conjure. Included are the folksongs Carinosa, Apat Na Dahilan, Salakot, Sayaw Sa Ilaw, O Maliwanag Na Buwan and Sampaguita with new lyrics by Mang Levi. There are the songs he wrote to the music of Tito Arevalo, Ikaw ang Mahal Ko; Ray Alinsod, Ang Pipit, Mahal Mo Ba Ako and Puto’t Kutsinta; Tony Maiquez, Sapagkat Ikaw ay Akin, Kung Nagsasayaw Kita, Awit ng Mananahi and Sapagka’t Kami ay Tao Lamang; Santiago Suarez, Awit ng Labandera; Julian Balita, ’Di Na Iibig; Ben Zubiri, Ikaw Na Lamang (Matud Nila) and Restie Umali, Saan Ka Man Naroroon.

Regine’s The Platinum Album

Incidentally, Vicor has also reissued the hit songs recorded by Regine Velasquez in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s in one volume titled The Platinum Album. A mix of Filipino originals and covers of foreign favorites, the collection highlights her rendition of And I’m Telling You (I’m Not Going) from the musical Dream Girls, that won for her the Grand Prize at the 1990 Asia Pacific Song Festival.

I like the inclusion of the classics like Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, one of the most memorable works by Levi Celerio with music by another National Artist for Music, Lucio San Pedro and the more recent ones, Kastilyong Buhangin by George Canseco, Sa Duyan ng Pag-ibig by Willy Cruz, Anak by Freddie Aguilar and Kahit Ika’y Panaginip Lang by Ryan Cayabyab. Now if you want something that truly mirrors Regine’s singing contest origins, there is the immortal inspirational by Rodgers and Hammerstein, You’ll Never Walk Alone.