gary g.

after dinner with rose in chubby china, i was walking towards landmark when my feet took me to music one. i haven't bought a cd for this payday yet and so i went through the racks, hoping to see something nice. i remembered seeing blue's mtv a few days ago and so i took their one love cd off the rack. i went to the opm area to check if janno gibbs' cd was already there and though his album, seven was still not available, there was another album that had his new hits.

and then i saw it. gary granada's cd.



so, goodbye janno and blue... maybe next month.

i have been a fan of gary granada's songs since i first heard bahay. i remember that was during our history class in first year high school. i was so taken by the song --- its simplicity, its message and the awareness that it brought. then ate tetet came home one day with a tape (yes, a cassette tape) of gary granada live! we spent nights listening to it and that was the first time i fell in love with kapag sinabi ko sa iyo. and if you were fortunate enough to have watched the musical lean (based on the life story of student activist lean alejandro), the songs were written by gary granada as well! when i was in japan, i was able to exchange emails with gary granada through his website. he is actually a very good writer, not just of songs but of essays as well. he manages to inject humor even in his discussions of national issues.

yes, i am admittedly, a big fan of gary granada... a very talented but under-rated songwriter and singer. a true legend in the filipino music genre indeed.

==========

bahay

...sa init ng tabla't karton sila doo'y nakakulong
sa lilim ng yerong kalawang at sira-sirang gulong
pinagtagpi-tagping basura, pinatungan ng bato
hindi ko maintindihan bakit ang tawag sa ganito ay bahay...

...baka naman isang araw kayo doon ay maligaw
mahipo nyo at marinig at maamoy at matanaw
hindi ako nangungutya, kayo na rin ang magpasya
sa palagay ninyo kaya ito sa mata ng Maykapal ay bahay...

kung ayaw mo na sa akin

... kung ayaw mo na sa akin wala akong magagawa
hindi mo na kakailanganing magdadalawang salita
kung ayaw mo na sa akin sabihin lang ang totoo
para miminsanan na lang din luluha ang puso ko...

... kung ayaw mo na sa akin masakit man ang totoo
kung ayaw mo na sa akin, ayoko na rin sa 'yo!

hanggang kailan, hanggang saan

... hangga't buo pa ang daigdig at puso ko ay may pintig
hangg't mayrong saysay ang kasaysayan
ang tagginaw at tagtuyot, ang tagpanglaw at taglungkot
sa piling mo'y aking makakayanan...

==========

these are just fractions of the whole album that are really really worth listening to. and if, in case, you do see a cd version of gary granada live! please please do tell me.