As part of BusinessMirror’s campaign to promote everyone’s safety and well-being during the global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have invited established and independent artists to perform at least one song in their own homes while urging everyone to stay indoors.
Pinoy Rock legend Resty Fabunan first emerged in the Olongapo bar scene back in the mid-1960s with the band, The Psyclones. By the 1970s, he would later rename the band as Maria Cafra (after the popular Philippine bird) and along with the Juan dela Cruz band, Petrified Anthem and Anak Bayan, helped define the sound that became known as Pinoy Rock.
Aside from iconic tunes like “Tayo’y Mag Rock & Roll,” “Cool Ka Lang, Pare” and “Buhay Gapo,” Maria Cafra also became known for their legendary live sets that are characterized by Resty’s electrifying and spectacular guitar solos.
The flaming guitar on the cover of their self-titled debut album is also one of the most enduring images of the Pinoy Rock era. The hard-rocking. opening track from that album, “Kumusta Mga Kaibigan” also became Maria Cafra’s signature song.
In light of the prolonged lockdowns that left most people wondering how their close friends and loved ones are doing, the song’s message and renewed relevance is not lost on Resty.
Now in his 70s, Resty’s musical sensibilities remain sharper than ever. For SoundStrip Live & in Quarantine, Resty has rewritten “Kumusta Mga Kaibigan” and transformed it into a modified and enhanced quarantine anthem.
For this video, Resty has also enlisted the help of his tech-savvy friends and family members including Arnel Dayrit for the recording of the song, grandson Leroi Fabunan and daughter-in-law Ann Cherica Minimo for taking and editing the video using a mobile phone as well as eldest son Oliver Fabunan who acted as lightman.
“Lolo Resty could not have done this without them. That’s one good about this lockdown. We’re all in this together,” he quipped.
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