THE ashes of Maria Cafra former bassist Dennis Glenn Fabunan, and the son of the late-Filipino rock icon, will be spread around his parents’ farm house in Pangasinan on his birthday on Monday.
Likewise, the Fabunan family is requesting his friends and those who knew him to continue praying for his soul.
“We will spread his ashes before sunset in the afternoon of his birthday. Dennis mentioned before that Pangasinan is already his home, and that we would want to return his ashes to God where he truly belongs,” his wife, Jowena said in an interview.
Fabunan’s mother, Susanne Fernandez, on the other hand said it was hard to see her son go first, but spreading his ashes feels like he is still with the family.
“I preferred that his ashes would be spread around the house, for me to know that he is always around us and with us. I am sure that Dennis would prefer that too and be happy about it,” Fernandez said.
Fabunan died of cardiac arrest on January 29. He was 41 year old.
Hi wife said they were attending their 11-year-old daughter’s school activity where Fabunan played basketball with fellow parents, when he collapsed. They tried reviving him, and brought him to the hospital but all efforts failed.
Fabunan grew up and breathed music since he was 12 years old playing guitar in Church and drums in his High School years.
His late father, the original Maria Cafra bassist, Jose “Jun” Fabunan Jr. influenced his passion for music, and he followed in his footsteps by acquiring a Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Guitar Education degree in Philippine Women’s University.
“Papa discouraged me from taking music as a course…he said that there is no money there,” Fabunan once said. Despite that, Fabunan defied Jun’s wishes and pursue Music.
While teaching children how to play guitar in an International School, Fabunan had played and collaborated with different bands on the side.
Fabunan was versatile playing with different instrument such as drums, piano, guitar, and bass. However, like his father, he fell in love with the bass guitar, and focused more on plucking the bass strings.
His first band as bassist was The Wuds. In 2010, he encouraged his retired uncle Resty to go back on stage and revive Maria Cafra.
After years of persuading and begging, his uncle finally had the courage to go back to performing. Dennis Glenn then took over the strings in lieu of his late father.
After his bittersweet stint with Maria Cafra, he left the music scene and worked in the corporate world, with stints in Manila Ocean Park and Enchanted Kingdom. However, his heart was with playing and creating good music, so he went back to not just playing with the band, but also working for different big broadcasting networks in the Philippines.
He worked in ABS-CBN as a freelance sound engineer and music arranger for Tawag ng Tanghalan, and other shows that involve music. He had a short stint with GMA Network as a Senior Audio Editor. He was also a freelance music arranger for TV 5’s Filipino singing contest Singaling.
He was a sound engineer for a gag show called Quizon City which is being aired in Net25.
He went far and wider on his music, touring Australia with the iconic band Hotdog. He was part of Love Rock Production, playing for International artists like Stephen Bishop, Dunhill, among others.
Fabunan was supposed to play for International American singer Deniece Williams this April.
His last contribution to music and media was with the Dubbing Booth Company and Certified Voice Artists, mixing and scoring anime shows which were shown in Netflix, and other countries. He was the one who mixed and scored the anime series called Ultraman, and international children show called Blippi.
“For such a young man with many achievements and engagements, he was a big loss in the Music Industry. He is sorely missed,” Fernandez said.
Aside from his great talent, Fabunan was a humorous and loving husband to Jowena; a doting father to Jaco Denise; a thoughtful brother to his siblings, Richard, Grace, and Sara; and a caring son to Susanne and his step father, Felipe Fernandez Jr.
He was known for being humble about his achievements, someone who was willing to help other budding musicians, or anyone who needed work.
Image credits: DennisGlenn De Leon Fabunan/Facebook