KAMI nAPO MUNA ULIT News and Views

Just got this nifty forest green-washed album direct and over-the-counter of the Universal Records' executive office as I was commissioned by my editor to secure some copies for references and promotions. It's a hard-won moment procuring this album, having sat for considerable time beside the cold and polished corner of the office and wishing for a cozy couch to lay my snoozing eyes. Nonetheless, it's consoling enough owning one. It's like purchasing an album with a bill of a hundred percent discount, though it's mine for free!

What's the central concern anyway. KAMI nAPO MUNA ULIT, if we have been vigilant, is the phenomenal sequel of the previous album KAMI nAPO MUNA which stars the hottest contemporary rock acts such as Parokya Ni Edgar, Kamikazee, Orange and Lemons, The Dawn, Sandwich, Itchyworms, Kitchie Nadal, Barbie Almalbis, Sugarfree, Sponge Cola, Imago, Moonstar88 and many more.

The second album KAMI nAPO MUNA ULIT runs in the same token but with new culled rock artists, new line of song entries and a figurative new look packaging, save that they are both grateful tributary albums to the ever musical triumvirates of the Philippine music industry, the APO Hiking Society. This new digitally packaged album was a brainchild carried on in cooperation with Universal Records, MYX, ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN Interactive. And was a brave thought redeemed by the promising rock bands of these days, respectively Kamikazee back-to-back with Parokya Ni Edgar, Mcoy of Orange and Lemons featuring The Spaceflower Show, Itchyworms, Sponge Cola, Silent Sanctuary, True Faith, Hilera, The Bloomfields, Radioactive Sago Project featuring Raimund Marasigan, Up Dharma Down, Imago, Paramita, Concrete Sam, Dicta License, Chillitees, Shamrock, Scrambled Eggs and APO All-Star. The songs that were revivified were American Junk, Salawikain, Princesa, Saan Na Nga Ba'ng Barkada, Tuyo Na'ng Damdamin, Wala Nang Hahanapin Pa, Mahirap Magmahal Ng Syota Ng Iba, Love Is For Singing, Syotang Pa-Class, Kaibigan, Show Me A Smile, Isang Dangkal, Heto Na, Tuloy Ang Ikot Ng Mundo, Hanggang May Pag-ibig, Just A Smile Away, Suntok Sa Buwan and Lumang Tugtugin.

The songs that were mentioned were priceless jewels of the airwaves since APO's existence circa 1974 revisited and excavated to life by our present rock sensations. This precious record is now available at record bars and outlets for you to prove how the jingle of the treasured past was given new color the way our present rock acts did. It's perhaps an all natural phenomenon that songs of the past are songs hanging in the mid-air of the past because of the fast influx of new sensational elements in our society, more in particular music and entertainment. The faster the change, the faster we want it things to be – and music is getting even with it. So, from the simply mellow-classical APO archetype musical pieces come a grand tribute album KAMI nAPO MUNA ULIT that hailed their novelty at the contemporary mainstream of music.

To mention a few, Parokya Ni Edgar doubled by Kamikazee took American Junk more defined with crispier tempo and metallic guitar hard-drive. Salawikain maintained it's exciting beats with exceptional instrumentation and a share of semi-reggae blows by Mcoy of Orange and Lemons featuring The Spaceflower Show.

Itchyworms are doing their own thing on Princesa with great chorus and natural rockers blend. Saan Na Nga Ba'ng Barkada was at the level-up with Sponge Cola's simple but spicy vocal merges. Hilera's performance cannot even be compromised with barely three members aboard the band. Sure they won't make it unmanageable to pick gals to love, though they said it in Mahirap Magmahal Ng Syota Ng Iba.

Radioactive Sago Project featuring Raimund Marasigan champions in their narrative of Syotang Pa-Class with a speck of humor. Silent Sanctuary seems to rehydrate ones soul in Tuyo Ng Damdamin with their fusion of classical instruments such as cello and violin. True Faith is just getting truthful in Wala Nang Hahanapin Pang Iba with a simple sounding waltz-beat rendition and chorus.

Love Is For Singing really with these Beatles and Beach Boys driven musical gents plus a configured musical instruments to that of the 60's, say Rickenbacker guitar used by Jayjay which is same guitar brand used by Beatles themselves. Up Dharma Down is friendlier with their own style of Kaibigan, having a vocal with a sense of Bossa Nova effect.

Blame it to the inventiveness of these individuals and the people behind them that this explosive finale came into being. Other details are more definitive as you check it out and pamper yourselves a copy of the record. As to APO Hiking Society who has given these young-blooded individuals a chance to enliven their music as well as to these young men their career, this is where “lightning strikes twice in the same place,” as what APO said in their album dedication.

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