Sept. 18 | SATURDAY NIGHT, live and alive, as always. What made the night more special was the launching of ‘ETO NA — Special Edition, Jeff Pagaduan’s first album! Completed last year, Jeff Pagaduan’s album was shy of release as typhoon Ondoy submerged in deep mud and great loss the studio where his album was mixed. This year, it could not wait any longer.
Starting off with Triangle Trauma‘s fresh round of heart-pounding songs, the audience, rumored as Jeff’s friends and family —we believe they came on their own volition— kept craving for more. Escape the C provided the breathtaking shrills coupled with the hyper-energetic slamming on native drums. And then came the ‘Las Bungangeras’ of Dakila Cutab (a.k.a. ‘el batutero’). “Gwapo o Matalino?” was the piece presented by replacement ‘bungangeras’ Frances Escape, Jeng Plata and Tere Cutab. Diwa de Leon‘s background orchestrations and solo with his native two-stringed ‘hegalong’ transformed the place to a mini-theater where you imagine your movie while the music score progressed to scenes after scenes of non-stop action.
‘Eto Na, proclaims the formal arrival of this other music man who plays his guitar with deftness, producing all the vibrations from strings and taps all over his guitar; it is the first cut in the album and was the first song Jeff P. aired that night. With his guitar and his voice filling this ‘mini-theater’, his lyrics send messages of longing for change, for a lost friend, or for something new —a brighter tomorrow that can be achieved by pro-active involvement in one’s state of affairs.
Glen Ternal also voiced his youngish views on what he perceives of his world.
Jeff is one of the artists who willingly agreed to help Save the HQ, together with Diwa, Frances and her ‘escapist’ band, Glen, Indak Oryantal, Unitiima World Beat and all the others. For those who still want to buy the album, you may contact Jeff Pagaduan. There are only a few copies left.
Our congratulations to Jeff Pagaduan for his album launch. It was truly special.
