MANILA-Nearly a decade apart from each other, two ABS-CBN fantasy series inspired different generations with stories about inner beauty versus physical judgment-and a common theme song that today remains memorable, thanks to a “torch” version that updates its fairytale ”Original.
“Sabihin Mo Sa Akin,” written and composed by Vincent de Jesus, was the theme song of both “Kampanerang Kuba” in 2005 and “Mirabella” in 2014. The former marked the first lead role of Anne Curtis as a Kapamilya, while the latter similarly served as the launching series of Julia Barretto.
The song about facing judgment and yearning for love was especially composed for “Kampanerang Kuba,” a musical series that featured dozens of original songs throughout its 6-month broadcast.
“Kampanerang Kuba,” an adaptation of the 1973 film starring Vilma Santos, was the late Wenn V. Deramas ’genre follow-up to the pioneering fantaserye“ Marina, ”whose phenomenal run ushered in a wave of fantasy offerings on local television.
De Jesus recalled that Deramas approached him after a show by the Philippine Educational Theater Association, where the latter had been a long-time member, to collaborate on updating “Kampanerang Kuba” as a full-on musical.
“He approached me. ‘Vince, we have a project for Anne. I like musicals. ‘ ‘Wow, musical! That’s hard to do! It’s a headache, it’s expensive! ‘”De Jesus told ABS-CBN News.
“It’s a difficult genre to shoot for TV,” he said, pointing out what’s been termed as the “hand-to-mouth” practice of taping that was prevalent at the time. “You shoot in the morning, you shoot at night. E, what if there’s more to sing? There is more choreography. You can make a music video, you can record it, there are more effects! ”
Despite what he had anticipated to be a challenging undertaking, de Jesus agreed, recalling his excitement over “Kampanerang Kuba” as ABS-CBN’s next big-budget release, and the novelty of would-be superstar Curtis as a Kapamilya. Aside from those, Deramas had been a previous collaborator, and a friend with theater as their common background.
Deramas’ broad peg: Disney. “I want three original songs per week. You also made the theme song, ”the composer quoted Deramas as saying.
IN 2 HOURS, COMPLETE MUSIC & LYRICS
The theme song was the first in what would become a 48-part list of original tunes he wrote and composed for “Kampanerang Kuba.” Without a script, and with only his conversation with Deramas as his basis, de Jesus started work on “Sabihin Mo Sa Akin.”
In “Kampanerang Kuba,” Curtis played the hunchback bell-ringer Imang, whose goodness manifests physically when a magical candle is lit.
Recalling the premise he had based the song on, de Jesus said: “You are a hunchback, your face is still deformed, there is still slurring. In the eyes of the common man, he is hard to love. Because people, very judgmental. In the physical viewer. She becomes beautiful. Being beautiful, she doesn’t just look beautiful physically - it allows you to see the beauty in her. Her beauty is becoming literal. ”
Written from Imang’s perspective, the song is a reflection on self-worth, as the character compares herself to others and starts to question why love has been elusive for her.
“’Why to others, they have it easy?’ That’s what Imang thinks-‘The hurry for everyone. Me, simple acceptance you can’t do. ‘ ‘What do they have? You tell me.’ He is not self-pity. She’s finding her worth. ‘Why is your premium so good? I am a kind, hardworking and loving child. ‘ That’s basically it, ”de Jesus explained.
The melody, which de Jesus composed at the same time he was writing the lyrics, was rooted on Deramas’ vision of incorporating a Disney touch to the series.
“When you say Disney, it appeals to all ages, basically,” de Jesus explained. “The melody should appeal to the young, the old, whatever gender, whatever orientation, whatever religion. Maybe, easy to the ears. Radio-friendly, if you would call it. Sing-able. The one that the average person can sing and he can relate. The song should be aspirational, inspirational. Ats aka sweet. Fairy tale. ”
Fortunately for de Jesus, his earliest works included musicals for children’s theater. He was, in fact, professionally trained for that genre. He also created shows for teenagers as part of ABS-CBN Foundation. “I’m soaked in children’s projects,” he said.
In less than two hours, de Jesus finished both the music and lyrics of “Sabihin Mo Sa Akin.”
“But those two hours, it took me 40 years to get there,” he shared, referring to his career not only as a composer, but also as a musical scorer, musical director, playwright, actor, and theater educator. .
“In everything we do, you do what you do and you make it seem easy. Like, ‘I can do this even when I’m asleep.’ But your journey as who you are now, that’s how long you work. To get to where I am now, it took a lifetime. All they see is our output. It only took two hours, but it was a long journey, ”he said.
For his first output for “Kampanerang Kuba,” de Jesus got instant approval from Deramas. “He loved it very much,” he recalled.
Within the first week of the series’ airing, Bernadette, the transformed Imang, sang “Sabihin Mo Sa Akin.” In the sixth episode, the character performed the song as her talent showcase for a pageant. (Seen at the 25:10 mark of the video below.)
De Jesus ‘trivia, which he now shared with fond laughter, pertained to Curtis’ yet-to-be-developed confidence in singing at the time.
“When we recorded it for the teleserye, Anne still couldn’t do it. ‘Didn’t she become a concert queen? We admitted it-she had a ghost singer with her voice, from the theater, ”de Jesus said.
The other reason for enlisting a ghost singer, de Jesus explained, was a matter of practicality, given the demands of filming a series, full of special effects, that airs five times a week.
“It makes it easier for him that he has not yet run to the studio in Quezon City to record and run to the very faraway Laguna or Batangas, where they shoot. The ghost singer will sing, Anne will study while she is in the car to the location. By that time, he will just lip sync, ”he said.
DISNEY VS TORCH
As an official recording, “Sabihin Mo Sa Akin” had Sheryn Regis, then just a year into showbiz after her “Star in a Million” runner-up finish, as its singer. That version would become a popular ballad at the time, owing to it being heard nightly on primetime television for half a year.
Nine years later in 2014, de Jesus’ composition would return as a TV staple, again on primetime, as the theme song of “Mirabella,” similarly about a young woman (Barretto) who magically transforms.
Whereas Imang’s physical change reflects her inner beauty, the wood-skinned Mira sheds her complexion-with the help of a mysterious flower-to carry out her vengeful plot against those who have discriminated her “cursed” form, as Bella.
Aside from de Jesus’ composition being used as “Mirabella’s” theme song - admittedly to his surprise - he was also involved in the fantaserye as its musical scorer.
This time, “Sabihin Mo Sa Akin” was recorded by Klarisse de Guzman, who, in 2014, had just finished runner-up in the first season of “The Voice of the Philippines” months prior.
The new version may have the same lyrics about self-worth and longing for affection, but is a stark contrast to the Disney-inspired original, observed by Jesus.
First, he compared the voices of Regis, a “high soprano with a bright voice,” and de Guzman, a “mezzo-soprano with a darker tone.”
Referring to Regis, de Jesus said: “When he sings a happy song, no one is happy anymore. You seem to see the sun clearly. When he sings sad, there is nothing more sad. He hits both happy and sad, and in between. She has a very bright voice. ”
De Guzman’s voice, meanwhile, has a different texture, de Jesus said. “Mas buo. Although Klarisse is a belter - the height of her chest - her range is lower. ”
A lower range of singing voice, de Jesus emphasized, does not mean a singer is any less talented. “Feeling that other people, you are better if your voice is higher, which is not true,” he said. “We only have our own vocal range. There’s soprano, there’s alto, there’s tenor, there’s bass. That is really the world. Some are tall, some are not tall, some are white, some are dark-skinned. ”
On top of Regis and de Guzman’s contrasting voices, the different arrangements of the two versions of “Sabihin Mo Sa Akin” make one decidedly sound “sadder” than the other, de Jesus pointed out.
“Sheryn’s version is more fantasy. I think he just won then, so you will finish really high, like there is a contest! ” de Jesus said, referring to Regis placing second in “Star in a Million.” “My song also allows the singer to really build and soar and fly, and then drop.”
“Klarisse, it looks like a torch. You know that torch singer who just sings in a corner mourning? Her texture is dark, so the sadness in Klarisse’s voice is different, as compared to the sadness in Sheryn’s voice. ”
Putting into visual terms his comparison of the 2005 and 2014 renditions, de Jesus said: “Sheryn, who is in the middle of the coliseum, lots of light, has an audience! Klarisse, there in the corner, was alone, ‘Poor me.’ That’s her interpretation, it’s more lonely, it’s more personal with Klarisse. ”
MEASURE OF SUCCESS
Having scored over a dozen ABS-CBN series and films (many with Deramas as collaborator) and with a prolific career in theater-“Himala: Isang Musikal” and “Changing Partners” are his more recent stage creations-de Jesus is no stranger to acclaim and mainstream recognition.
“Sabihin Mo Sa Akin,” for instance, counts among his more popular tracks-having enjoyed primetime airplay across generations, and which has since become a frequent singing-competition piece.
But for de Jesus, the measure of fulfillment as a composer isn’t drawn from numbers or the ubiquity of his tunes.
“I remember - and this is true - when I was young, I accepted to be a composer not to be famous. That’s how we train in theater, e. ‘Why are you composing songs?’ Because you want to tell a story, whatever story it is - love, advocacy. Whatever it is, your objective is to tell a story, ”he said.
“For me, when people understand that, at least one, that means I did it successfully.”
De Jesus waxed sentimental as he recalled, with a mix of amusement, that a teen student of his once told him that he remembers “Sabihin Mo Sa Akin” as his favorite song when he was 3 years old. “Ouch! That’s my sign! ” the composer quipped.
Turning serious, de Jesus surmised that even just one person considering his song as a favorite, is an indication that he accomplished a good “marriage” between the lyrics and the melody, allowing for an emotional connection with the song that is effortless, not forced .
“When you worship that, whatever your objective is - angry song, happy song, love song, love song in town, with the dog, with the sweetheart, with the mother - when you stick to that and it’s effective… Your lyrics are effective, the your music, and your singing is also effective, you are successful, ”he said.
“When I achieve that, even if it’s not a number 1 hit, I’m happy. And I say that with all honesty. ”