‘What has happened to both APO and The CompanY are beautiful anomalies made possible by divine appointment’

On October 5 at the Music Museum, a historic musical event will take place. “In the CompanY of APO Hiking Society,” a highly anticipated concert, marks the first-ever back-to-back performance by two of the most iconic OPM groups — APO Hiking Society and The CompanY. With APO Hiking Society celebrating an incredible 50-year legacy and The CompanY approaching their 40th anniversary next year, this event will celebrate Original Pilipino Music (OPM) at its finest. Both groups boast a rich catalog of hits and have been stalwarts of OPM, with decades of experience in both local and international concert tours.

Fun fact: Both APO and The CompanY started in Ateneo. They write their own songs, and their shows are theatrical, Filipino-centric, and infused with humor. Their image, including their wardrobe, is Filipino-centric. They both started as 12 members. They explore various musical genres and styles in their music. Both groups advocate for honest leaders with integrity.

APO was originally a trio but is now a duo. The CompanY has always been a chamber group focusing on a fuller group sound.

Expect an unforgettable evening as they perform their greatest hits and more. When asked about the concert, Moy Ortiz of The CompanY said, “The fact that it happened within our lifetime, within our careers. Better late than never. APO has always been CompanY’s blueprint in terms of how a career looks like, and they were our first mentors who unselfishly told the truth and gave advice on how to navigate this tricky career.”

Musically, they are unapologetically bringing out the warhorses onto the stage — all the hits and entertaining production numbers. Why save it up? They will share them now while they still can.

Moy shared how his group was influenced by APO: “One year before we formed The CompanY, we were still members of the Ateneo College Glee Club. We auditioned and became the ensemble in Jim Paredes and National Artist Bien Lumbera’s pop opera ‘Bayani.’ Jim and the cast of 1980s superstars treated us with respect and warm friendship. This was 1984. We still had no plans of forming The CompanY, but this was an eye-opener. It planted the seeds of the possibilities of a life in music and the entertainment industries.”

At APO’s sold-out concert at the Ateneo de Manila gymnasium in 1985, The CompanY’s founding members — Moy Ortiz, Annie Quintos, and Tom Calisterio — voluntarily waited in line for three hours to get bleacher tickets for the historic performance. While waiting, the three members verbalized their pipe dream to have a career as long as the APO’s. Thankfully, The CompanY celebrates 40 years together next year. The manifestation became a reality.

In 1991, their debut album “Yon Na!” (Ivory Records) was released on APO’s Sunday show “Sa Linggo nAPO Sila.” Eventually, all of their albums were launched on this show.

In 2006, members of The CompanY — Sweet Plantado Tiongson, Annie Quintos, Cecile Bautista, Jay Marquez, and Moy Ortiz — shared mentorship duties with APO’s Jim Paredes in the primetime hit talent search show “Pinoy Dream Academy”(Season 1).

Interestingly, The CompanY performs a Bebop APO Medley with the songs “Mahirap Magmahal ng Syota ng Iba,” “Doo Bee Doo,” “Yakap sa Dilim.” They have been performing this complex jazz vocal arrangement for decades, both locally and internationally, as a tribute to APO. They also perform a lively Big Band version of “Lumang Tugtugin.” Additionally, The CompanY’s member Sweet Plantado was part of the cast of “I Doo Bidoo Bidoo,” the movie featuring APO songs.

When asked which APO song they would want to have their own version of, Moy quickly answered, “‘Friends In Music.’ It is a beautiful song that resonates with us. It would be nice to do a smooth jazz version of the song. We’ve gained and lost many colleagues and friends in music through our 39 years. We learned from the best of the best. We are grateful for the access and proximity to artistic and musical virtuosity.”

Why “One Night Only”? Moy explained, “APO leaves for their US tour a day after our show. We would like to suggest to them repeats and a local and international tour with this OPM alliance in 2025!”

What about The CompanY? What are they up to after this great collaboration concert?

Moy excitedly shared, “We shall be releasing our 30th album entitled ‘Beautiful Day’ under Star Music Philippines. This is a multi-genre and contemporary inspirational album that we feel is one of our very best in our catalog. We shall also be filming the music videos for the 10 songs in ‘Beautiful Day.’ Our new single, ‘Love Is the Answer,’ will be launched at the concert. And we will also be preparing for the big concert for CompanY 40 on July 12, 2025, at The Theatre at Solaire.

“We truly wish to do more international concert tours in the USA, Canada, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. That is one aspect we feel we didn’t have too many opportunities to explore in the past, or at least not as often as we would have liked. A jukebox musical would be fantastic. DingDong Novenario has already written a slightly ribald rom-com with our hits. Hopefully, that comes to light. We will also be investing our creative energies in more albums with original songs.”

It is the accepted norm that groups were never meant to have long careers. What has happened to both APO and The CompanY are beautiful anomalies made possible by divine appointment and the love and loyalty of their audiences through the decades. They are profoundly grateful to everyone who has kept them in good CompanY all these years.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to witness these legendary groups share the stage. With “In the CompanY of APO Hiking Society,” expect tons of hits, laughter, and stories — a beautiful reminder of the rich catalog of OPM songs both groups are blessed with. Tickets are available at http://www.ticketworld.com.