“Until that sometime, somewhere…
We just have to be content with stealing glances
Content with saying nothing, smiles that are always wanting…”
Sometime, Somewhere” is, perhaps, one of my all-time favorite compositions of National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, who I still fondly call “Mr. C.” The song, given life and elevated to a musical pedestal by the esteemed, enigmatic and enduring Basil Valdez, is deep, soulful and sad. “Sometime, Somewhere” was part of Valdez’s album called Corner of the Sky, released in 1980.
Come February 28 and 29, Valdez will be singing “Sometime, Somewhere” in a very special concert, titled And the Story Begins, at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of the Resorts World Manila where Valdez and Cayabyab will be joined by Lani Misalucha.
It’s a musical casting coup coproduced by Calvin Chua’s CCC Productions, a wonderful way to end the love month, and we are more than excited to see the three iconic musical personalities perform onstage.
Valdez, who recalled that “Sometime, Somewhere” was featured in one of his rare television specials shot in the United States, told us that he will open the show with original Cayabyab compositions, like “Kahit Ika’y Panaginip Lang,” “Paraisong Parisukat” and “Nais Ko.”
“Heto ako’t sumasamo
Dinggin ang aking pagsuyo
Isang libo’t isang paraiso
Inaalay ko sa ‘yo…”
“Paraisong Parisukat” was the first-ever Cayabyab song that was recorded by Valdez and the singer remembers the year clearly: 1977. “It was the theme song of a movie with the same title,” Valdez shared. The movie, directed by the great, but now inactive, Elwood Perez, from the original story and screenplay of the late Orlando Nadres, starred Christopher de Leon and Alma Moreno, with some of local cinema’s gems: Eddie Garcia, Nova Villa, Anita Linda and Bella Flores.
“Kahit na di na gumising pa,
Huwag lang malayo sa piling mo
Iniibig kahit ika’y panaginip lang…”
A classic Filipino love song about a love that will never be, this original Valdez-Cayabyab collaboration includes the voice of Bambi Bonus, a respected music artist of the ’70s and ’80s. The song has been borrowed and recorded by music artists of different generations, including Regine Velasquez, Jolina Magdangal, Richard Poon and Nyoy Volante.
“Nais kong malibot ang mundo sa kanyang kasuluk-sulukan
Nais kong makita ang paligid kong puno ng kagandahan
Nais kong makadama ng kakaibang damdamin kahit minsan man lang
Habang ako ay may buhay, wala nang hangarin pang tunay
Nais ko…”
Backup vocalists Babsie Molina, Elise Cortez and Sylvia Macaraeg played a big part in the success of the song “Nais Ko,” and the three ladies have been Valdez’s chorus girls for many decades now. The song is a favorite in singing competitions and music festivals up to this day.
Now in his late ’60s, Valdez will be rendering the songs of other music masters, like those of George Canseco and Willy Cruz, for the two-night concert, but these original songs of Cayabyab will surely be special.
Valdez and Cayabyab have collaborated on many different songs that had different stories, but mostly about longing and loving. And these songs, like most of our own love stories that we will never ever forget, have truly become immortal.