The show was supposed to take place on September 19 at Teatrino in Greenhills, but it got rained out by Typhoon Mario. It was rescheduled to October 9 at the same venue. It got rained out again...though this time not by precipitation, but by the thunderous applause of a most appreciative and responsive audience who packed the small lounge to hear arguably the country's best folk singer, Noel Cabangon, in a unique concert show entitled Noel Cabangon Sings Your Playlist.He certainly did not disappoint. From the first chord of Seals and Croft's Summer Breeze to the last rousing chorus of Ako Ay Isang Pilipino three hours later, Noel Cabangon proved that not only could he fill the big shoes vacated by Heber Bartolome, Florante, even the controversial and certainly distracted Freddie Aguilar, but his musical footprint was unique, compelling, and now immortalized in the Philippine music scene.
The stage was simple enough...designed to look like a barn where a bunch of wanna be cowboys got together to jam. The gifted musicians...a percussionist who even wore the de rigeur Stetson hat, a guitarist who could caress his lead guitar into rhythmic bass notes when needed, and a keyboardist who looked suspiciously like a younger Maricel Soriano...never wavered, never faltered, providing melody, rhythm and percussion to Noel's seemingly unending repertoire. Midway in the show,
a laconic Tots Tolentino performed three duets with him, and toward the end, a young starlet and aspiring singer named Lara came out to do two numbers with him as well. Hey, even a member of the audience gamely stood up and vocalized with him And I Love You So, originally sung by Bobby Goldsboro and later made even more famous by Don McLean.
The duets were nice, but really not necessary. Noel could hold his own on his own...and I doubt that the audience would have tired of him, the way they responded to him.
The concept was interesting enough...a sheet of selections showing the songs that Noel was prepared to sing from his playlist to make it the audience' own, accompanied by little stubs and pencils for people to jot down their requests from that list.There was an actor named John garbed in a waiter's uniform, providing a bit of humor and theatrics ( thanks, Melvin Lee for very competent directing!) in truth acting as a bit of an emcee and moderating the requests that kept coming. Again nice, but really not necessary.
There was even a gift for all guests...a copy of his latest CD, Acoustic Noel, where he sang many of the hits written and previously performed by others like Ogie Alcasid, Aiza Seguerra, to name a few. Finally, still not necessary, but really nice.
But the best part of the evening, was the singer himself, Noel Cabangon. The unassuming vegan sang, at times plaintively, but always effortlessly (he didn't even break a sweat!), unpretentiously, and always, soulfully. He needed no gimmicks to make music...just his guitar, and his voice, and the moment was magic!!! He sang songs by James Taylor, Carole King, Kenny Loggins, John Legend, Dave Matthews, the Apo Hiking Society, Gary Valenciano, and more as well as his own compositions. He sang them all equally well, and did not try to be a copycat or sound alike of anyone, least of all his main inspiration in his art and craft, James Taylor. He brought his own spin and flavor to any song he sang...but I must say, his Filipino folk songs were brilliant, revealing how only Tagalog verse can still inimitably express the nuances of the heart.
He reminded me of Joan Baez and the folk warblers of Woodstock, who sang their hearts out in the hopes of saving human existence beginning to go to pot, literally and figuratively.
He reminded me of American country singers, masters of the guitar, and the loving turn of phrase that sounded like it was spoken rather than sung, it was so natural and conversational. Like them, he transformed an everyday relationship into a romance, the ordinary into the extraordinary, and the extraordinary into an epic tale of passion and pain, love and loss, lost hopes and second chances.He reminded me of my youth, the days of activism in the State University, when musical poets like himself would simply but passionately protest, and sing of life, love, and a better world.
Noel Cabangon Sings Your Playlist may seem to be just another hit show, but the man has his advocacies...he dedicated the show and part of its proceeds to the promotion of OPM; his humor, though as soft spoken as himself, showed some teeth with satirical and sardonic topical quips about political brouhahas like haciendas and air conditioned piggeries; and his encore exhorted a new modus vivendi for his fellow countrymen to be better citizens, and to finally, proudly, passionately be Filipino!
Three unbelievable hours of acoustic harmony and heaven later, Noel Cabangon smiled sheepishly and quietly, bidding all a good night. It was definitely one for the books, a concert that didn't seem to want to end, the music indelibly imprinted in the memories of an appreciative audience, and a folk icon, though already born, became urban legend.
