‘Mr. C — as the beloved Maestro Ryan is fondly called – has created music for 38 Filipino motion pictures and TV series.’
BY GAY ACE DOMINGO
At the recent “Gen C” musical tribute for National Artist Ryan Cayabyab, held at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, three production numbers were mounted to showcase some of the songs he composed for films. Basil Valdez sang “Paraisong Parisukat” from the 1977 movie of the same title directed by Elwood Perez. The Ateneo Chamber Singers gave their rendition of “Iduyan Mo” from “Aguila” (1980) and Bituin Escalante performed “Hello Joe, Goodbye,” from “Desire” (1982). Both “Aguila” and “Desire” were directed by the late National Artist Eddie Romero.
According to the Internet Movie Data Base (IMDb), Mr. C – as the beloved Maestro Ryan is fondly called – has created music for 38 Filipino motion pictures and TV series. He has won numerous awards for movies, including FAP (Film Academy of the Philippines) Best Music for “Ang Larawan” and “Ignacio de Loyola,” and “Hihintayin Kita sa Langit”; Asia Pacific Film Festival Best Music for “Ang Larawan”; Urian Best Music for “Karnal”; and the Young Critics’ Circle Best Achievement in Sound and Aural Orchestration for “Hihintayin Kita sa Langit.”
The other directors Mr. C has collaborated with include Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, Joel Lamangan, Loy Arcenas, Jun Robles Lana, Paolo Dy, and Marilou Diaz-Abaya and Mario O’Hara, among others.
Every piece of music by Mr. C is special, but it was his melodies for the movies that made him a household name.
In 1977, Sampaguita Pictures returned to producing with “Masikip Maluwang, Paraisong Parisukat” – a drama based on Orlando Nadres’ play about the lives of blue-collar workers.
In the movie, Christopher de Leon plays a rebellious son from a middle-class family who runs away and ends up working as a bodegero (warehouseman) in a shoe store. There he meets characters like the loud-mouthed supervisor, the greedy storeowner, and the beautiful sales clerk (Alma Moreno).
“I was tapped to do the music score,” said Mr. C. “Then, Elwood Perez, told me, ‘Gumawa ka ng kanta!’”
The composer obediently and graciously complied. The genius didn’t have to look far for inspiration as the cramped 1970s shoe store made quite an impression on him. “Ang visual kami ng pelikula ay tumitingin sila (characters) sa butas sa itaas. May square na butas,” said Mr. C. “Tapos, whenever there were orders from the customers, the sales people would wait for the shoe boxes to come down from that hole…”
Basil Valdez was commissioned to sing the moving ballad whose title was shortened to “Paraisong Parisukat.” The said song got a lot of airplay over the radio. It sealed Mr. C’s reputation as a hitmaker, and gave him more than commercial renown. A year later, FAMAS bestowed Mr. C with the Best Theme Song for “Paraisong Parisukat.”
The National Artist for Music also recalled how famous composer George Canseco greeted him when the latter learned about the success of “Paraisong Parisukat.” Mr. C revealed, “Sabi niya, ‘Welcome to the world of immortals’! I didn’t understand it at first. When I asked George Canseco to explain, he said that our songs would ensure that we composers would live on forever.”
The year 1978 was certainly a turning point for then 24 year-old Ryan Cayabyab. The year he won a FAMAS, he also entered “Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika” in the first Metro Manila Popular Music Festival, with Hajji Alejandro as interpreter. The rousing “Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika” eventually won the Metropop’s grand prize and it is a tune that continues to be sung and loved to this very day.
So that’s how a shoe store with a hole in the ceiling opened doors for Mr. C, who, now at 70, continues to create wonderful, inspiring music for Filipinos and people all over the world.
