March 2009 Archives

Francis Magalona was a hero and an inspiration to those lives he has touched. I was in tears watching such artists as Gloc9 cry unabashedly in a televised tribute on "Eat Bulaga" on Saturday. My heart also went out to his children, especially the young ones who may not yet realize their loss. I admire his wife Pia Arroyo-Magalona a lot because of her strength amid all the pain I'm sure she's going through for the sake of family. Maxene likewise for her vow to continue keeping his dad proud. Francis is special to most because of his passion towards whatever he does, be it as a rapper-musician, TV host, actor, and lately, as a photographer and entrepreneur. He puts his mind and soul in all his undertakings and do whatever it takes to make his creations something to remember. There's this one incredible performance he did as a guest in Gary V's "Major Impact" concert in 1990 that changed my view of Kiko. Before this, I only thought of him as just another local artist mimicking American popular music, in his case, the emerging genre of rap at that time. But when I witnessed him first hand at the ULTRA, I had since been in awe of his talent and dedication to his work. As Gary finished his set, the lights went out. Despite the darkness, the audience could see those on stage. It was Francis's turn to perform "Mga Kababayan." What we saw was a touching sight...Francis himself preparing his props, instruments, and other equipment for his number. Then when that familar ethnic-inspired beat was heard in extended play, people started to get excited. And when the voice "Ma-ma-mga-kababayan..." was heard, everyone was in pandemonium. What surprised me was the crowd's reaction to his music. Then when he stepped in to do his number, the crowd went berserk and danced and sang to his music as if it was a personal anthem. For a moment, I thought, it was a Francis M concert. After this, he did an incredible duet with Gary that brought the house down. Gary shared this video on his "showdown" with Francis in his own YouTube channel and also presented it on "Eat Bulaga" last Saturday. Since this concert, I thought Francis would become the biggest thing in Philippine music. He achieved even more--he became an inspiration that made other lives better, not only his own.