This was a background music of McDonald's old TV commercial. It was sung by a Pilipino artist I admire, together with the rest of the artists who use their music in declaring love for the nation. I find Noel Cabangon as a nationalist artist. He was the composer of the song Tatsulok, popularized by another Pilipino artist Bamboo.
I tried to translate this song in English, in the nearest possible translation I can think of. It was a challenge to translate the word "panahon" because in tagalog (or Filipino dialect) the word either means "time" or "weather". I found the former to be most fitting translation for the song.
I was still living in Quezon city when I first saw this artist. I came to appraciate him more when our parish, Sacred Heart of Jesus, was able to invite Noel during a show or concert of all the church choirs. Two of my closests friends worked with the parish and that is where we go to during Sundays in Kamuning. My friend and I watched the concert, staged inside the church. The presentation was great!
Noel Cabangon sang this song live accompanied by his own guitar. It was really marvelous. There I learned that prior to being a popular singer, he used to be a parishoner of that church and he spent most of his childhood days in Kamuning area. Perhaps, he was even referring to Kamuning, as his "cradle" when he sang this song.
I am not really sure but one thing is guaranteed: he is a good artist and it's too hard not to admire him.
In 2004, one song did not only wet the nation's appetite for hamburgers, but also became the anthem for the new OPM acoustic movement. The song "Kanlungan" or more popularly known as "Pana-panahon", became an instant radio smash and was included in every "acoustic" compilation albums released during that year. However, unknown to a lot of people, the gentle voice behind the song is no flash in the pan. The singer-songwriter, Noel Cabangion, has been around since the mid-eighties. In his college days, Noel became part of Buklod or the Bukluran ng Mapagpalayang Musiko. It is through Buklod that Cabangon established loyal followers. His music speak of the many artistic, social and political advocacies he carries as a member of Akbayan, Amnesty International and Greenpeace. Noel doesn't just sing purely for entertainment. He believes that his talent is a tool to generate awareness on just about any issue, may it be political, environmental or social. Respected by his peers and revered by the new generation of rock musicians, Noel is recognized as one of the most influential figures in the Pinoy music scene, in fact one of his past hits with Buklod, "Tatsulok" was covered by Bamboo.
Now signed to Universal Records, Noel Cabangon takes the sonic road trip down memory lane, with his brand new album aptly titled "Byahe". The 15-track CD features Noel's heartfelt rendition of OPM classics from the seventies and eighties plus 3 original tracks, including his collaborations with Chito Miranda of Parokya Ni Edgar and Aia De Leon of Imago. Produced by Noel Cabangon and Ito Rapadas, "Byahe" will further establish Noel as a force to be reckoned with in the local music industry.
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