Saturday, March 7, 2009

[thoughts] [who is ronjie?] FrancisM

FrancisM. adj. 1. being the Man from Manila. 2. short for Francis Magalona. 3. Father of Filipino Rap.

"Yo-yes-yes-yo! RIP to the Man from Manila." a friend "shouts" on his FaceBook status.  I replied "word! the news still hasn't really sunk in for me though. pero it seems there are a lot more people than i would've thought have been affected somewhat. funny, my brother and i were just trying to remember the lyrics of 'loving you' just days ago. hope his family'll do just fine."

The thing is, Francis Magalona, FrancisM, the Man from Manila, the Mouth, Father of Pinoy Rap, Jose Rizal idolizer, is one of my very first pop idols and one of my first Pinoy pop/music idols.  I wrote rap and soul songs too back when i was like 14 years old.  Well maybe not because of him at first but - he was Filipino rap back then.  And I am Filipino.  (But my songwriting back then sucked, by the way.  Ehehe.)

Now I'm thinking... He's already the second "idol" who passed away so early in his life. The first one was Kurt Cobain, vocalist, songwriter, and band leader of Nirvana. This happened back in ca. 1994.  Back then, I was still really so into Nirvana music. Being in the US when he put a shotgun hole thru his mouth, closer by a few thousand miles to where he was at - it was like... damn. I really felt the loss. It was cold back then. You sort of feel just a little bit of what Kurt Cobain was going through - that Seattle freezing, depressing cold which has pulled the trigger for many others up there.

Anyway, so it hasn't really sunk into me. But to me this guy was a pioneer. Of Filipino rap that is.

Unfortunately... We sort of had a brief "misunderstanding" at one point.  I did say "sort of."

I was a member of this online community back in '95 or '96 and he became a member too.  At that time, he released I think his third album, "Meron Akong Ano?," I think.  It was a rock-rap album.  He effectively became now the rap vocalist/leader of his own rock band.  Goodbye posses and homeys.  Back then - as you could imagine, rock was in, rap was out, at least here in the Philippines, thanks to the Eraserheads, etc.  In the international scene, there was the Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, and there was the death of Nirvana because of Kurt Cobain's suicide.  It wasn't until Diddy and friends burst into the scene in '97 when rap had a comeback.

Being the Father of Filipino Rap, and yet here he was, he was giving in to what's in, converting from rap to rock.  To me, apparently he was doing it for money.  Of course, I was still a young kid back then (17/18?) and of course, he was a husband and father and he had to provide.  Heck, I was into rock also and wasn't a pure rap-fan anymore.  I lashed out at him in the chatrooms.  I was like a kid who got angry at his dad for something like, "why don't you give me this toy? you have money naman," not knowing that dad has a budget.

Anyway, January 1996 came when the Foo Fighters, Beastie Boys, and Sonic Youth went into town.  The Eraserheads was the front act.  Guess what - Francis M had a collaboration song with the E-heads.  People were throwing water bottles at him when he rapped for the E-heads' song "Super Proxy."  Those ignorant young fools.  To me, it was such a great night.  Foo Fighters - one of my top favorite bands of all time.  Beastie Boys - another favorite band, a rock-rap band actually.  Sonic Youth - one of the early pioneers of experimental rock music.  Eraserheads - another favorite band and one of the greatest Pinoy bands of all time.  and FrancisM.  Oh that rapper boy was still in me.

I forgot which band played first but there was a lot of head-banging and moshing back then.  In between bands, I saw FrancisM somewhere up in the next upper seats.  I climbed up the wall and popped up in front of him and his wife and someone else.  I introduced myself (as "Radyo" - my nickname at the online community; he was "Freeman" there, by the way) and he introduced me to his wife and that other person.  We had a little chat.  Man, have you had that - the feeling of being in front of your "idol," chatting with him and even with his wife, shaking hands with him, and stuff?  I can't believe it up to this day.

We also had these "eyeballs" (face-to-face parties) of our online community and he was there and well we had a chat once again.  He was rubbing elbows with the online community's owners of course.  Or it was the other way around.  It's all so surreal.

By the way, my grandma had a boyfriend once whose name was Francisco Magalonzo.  Ha ha - just trying to make myself smile. :-D

"Loving You" (duet with then girlfriend and now wife Pia Arroyo-Magalona)

Francis: 
It was just last night when we had a fight.
And I know I was wrong, and I knew you were right.
Now I'm back again, to make amends.
So darling, won't you like to dance?
Together we can take the night by storm,
Let's dance, let's stroll in the early morn'
Babe, please listen to my voice,
Because of you [forgot the lyrics]... I've got no choice.

Pia:
Bad, bad boy, do you think I'm a toy?
Waiting hours [forgot the lyrics] did you enjoy?
[now I really forgot all the lyrics here]

Chorus:
Loving you, baby, is the right thing to do.
Loving you, baby, is all I wanna do.
Listen to the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5Ok_wIvGds

Here's my all time favorite Francis M song (song-wise; but it's not my song now. :-P ).  I even have my own version of this song (as in I sang the song and arranged the music), but we'll get to that later on. :-D
"Cold Summer Nights"

Verse:
I keep on blaming myself
I should've eaten my pride
How can I convince you?
Is it a matter of time?
Many times I've hurt you
With your foolish ways, oh girl
Now I know I have to pay the price[?]

Bridge:
Is there a way for you to turn around?
Turn around and come back, baby?
Oooh, baby, can't you see?

Chorus:
It's been cold summer nights, since you drifted apart.
Cold summer nights, since you walked out that door.
Cold summer nights, ooooh, here on my own.
I miss you babe, but I need you here.

Rap:
It's been cold summer nights girl, I really miss you
Rock my world, I wanna touch you and kiss you
It's my fault, I never called you at home,
I'm on the phone wishing you would call, "I'm all alone."
Is there a way for you to turn around and
come back to me?  I hope you'll understand.
That I'm your man and together we can
Kiss and make-up 'cause you know I can't stand...

Chorus:
Cold summer nights, since you drifted apart.
Cold summer nights, since you walked out that door.
Cold summer nights, ooooh, here on my own.
I miss you babe, but I need you here.
It is now summer here in Manila.  It's going to be a cold one.  We all miss you, Francis.  God bless your soul.  God bless your family and all your friends and loved ones and fans.

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