I know storm Cosme was a curse for many people, but the wind and the rain really made me sit down in our balcony and stare at the sky.  As always, music started playing in my head, and I couldn't stop it. Drums -- bass drums. And vibraphones. And  twinkling pianos. And plucked cellos.

 You'll probably hear some of these sounds when you watch Joel Ruiz's feature film debut "Baby Angelo" at the Cinemalaya soon. I'm working on the score as well as the songs for the film. I also just finished re-arranging an existing song for Paolo Herras' new film "The Fortuneteller." And a few weeks back Auraeus Solito had me arrange the Cherie Gil hit "Boy" for his new triple-X rated (heheh) "avant-gay" opus. Exciting new films by talented filmmakers -- glad to be working with great minds!

Meanwhile, my own personal work keeps getting shelved to a later date. I "tested" my new piano instrumental (tentatively titled "Southern Afternoon") at an informal gathering last month. It went quite well. I'm also listening to Oscar Peterson for inspiration -- that guy can turn the piano into a wind instrument! We also put Johnny Alegre Affinity on and Wdouji rather frequently these days to calm our minds. The music is like shiatsu for the brain.

Thanks to my Candid Records family for their patience! 

PS: Axel, please read my reply to your query on the shoutbox below. 

 The same thing must be true for all creative people everywhere. The moment any of their songs, photos, stories, drawings and visions arrive on the internet, people treat them like public property. Songs, photos, stories, drawings and visions that took time, energy and sometimes a lot of money to produce. And what do they get in return? They're lucky if they even get as much as a request to grant permission for usage of their work (or a simple credit that proves authorship of the work).

That said, I'd like to give props and credit and an (I'm-now-stabbing-my-face-with-papercuts) apology to At Maculangan who shot the album cover of my EP "Katakataka" as well to the rest of the art community here in Manila whom I've been given the honor to have worked with at one time or another but whom I've failed to give the proper dues (monetary or otherwise) they deserve for their artistry (because I'm lacking those dues myself, he he). God knows we should all band together and unionize so that we can all acquire the leverage to cut better deals for ourselves. Or at least give each other the moral support whenever we're feeling too diyahe to ask people (our friends, even) to value our work more, monetary AND otherwise.

Enlisting the services of artist-friends for the "friendship rate" (presyong kaibigan) is sooo Filipino! It's time we changed that to this equation:

World class artistry = friendship rate PLUS standard industry rate!

This way, artists will have a better incentive to give you their best work, not because of the money, but because you value them enough to give them good money! It's the valuing and not the money that artists want to get from you.

But what if you value them but.....don't have the money?

Well...the "IOU" or pay later system often works. Barter doesn't work  (at least for me) because value systems are different from artist to artist . It doesn't make sense, for example, to offer to arrange original music in exchange for a consultancy service. The first service used up a lot of time and electricity while the second one merely used up time. It can't be music for music for me because even two artists from the same field use a different set of standards. It can be, however, music for a paid 2-day vacation or a couple of dinner meals in a good resto. 

Artistry should be our currency to gain entrance to the good life, not to a museum of beautiful clutter (which is what artists tend to offer to their fellow artists).

I'm sorry for all the beautiful clutter, people.

Will clean it up! 

2007was pretty good to me. Two of my songs ("Lately I've Been Lonely" and "Manhid") were licensed by Star Cinema for the movie Paano Kita Iibigin starring Regine Velasquez and Piolo Pascual with Bb. Joyce Bernal at the helm.  "Manhid" was produced by Regine herself for the OST of the movie. Another song ("Sayaw Sa Hangin" - from the Katakataka album) was licensed for Dennis Trillo's album, the first outing from Regine's own Indi Music label.  I love the vocal harmonies she layered it with. Regine's quite a formidable producer, and I hope Indi Music continues to fly.

I had several scoring gigs here and there, most notable being a couple of episodes for the drama series MMK. First time to work for TV. Roda and Ginny and Alma and Lindsay and everyone there are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.

The head honchos from my label were in town last December. Was thrilled to finally meet British producer Alan Bates in person! We talked at length about their plans for me and how Isha can be made to fit in their overall scheme of things. Too bad our musical showcase at a bar in Ortigas was marred by an incident involving a couple of white-collar types who'd had one drink too many. 

Anyway, now working on demos for my next album - the concept keeps changing though but hopefully me and the new GM, Mr. Reck Cardinales, can finally nail it down soon. Can't wait to get back into the recording studio with my band The Look!

Inviting you all to come watch the Philippine leg of the Candid Music Jazz Festival on December 14 at Teatrino, Greenhills. I'll be performing a couple of songs including one from my upcoming album of reworkings of jazz standards.

More updates in the coming days!

Aside from performing jazz music, I also write songs in Filipino and in my own style. You may check out www.m2kmusic.net, click on the songwriters link, look for my page (Isha Abubakar) to listen to some of the songs I've written outside the jazz idiom.

 
But the projects keep coming in. I just finished several scoring projects, arranged a song for rock group 6cyclemind, and now working on studies for a station jingle. I hope the blessings continue to pour!

A new music site I helped develop will be up soon and will feature an information page about Isha plus streaming samples of some of her songs. Will keep you posted! 

 i've received many requests to have my piano instrumental "1992" available as sheet music. i'm at a loss since i'm an oido player and i don't know how to notate. if any of you guys can transcribe it yourself i'll be more than happy to take a look at your work! :)

 still busy with more scoring projects and...the rock musicale, finally, is on its way! we're having our first show on october 26 in angono, 27 in teatro marikina, 28 in brgy. tonsuya, malabon. free admission. the stars are mostly theater people, and our lead will be essayed by a wonderful dancer, tassi. i've also met a wonderful keyboardist/singer named abby, who is a member of a prog rock band called fuseboxx. so happy to be meeting all these talented people!

by the way, last night i glimpsed imago's performance on the sharon cuneta show. aya was just radiant, singing their infectious new single "taralets." i've only spoken to her once, as game-mates in Game Ka Na Ba? but every word she told sharon cuneta about them sporting a more positive outlook and their music changing along with it feels very true and in sync with what i've glimpsed of her personality.

anyway, update update: i've been working on some new tunes and i've been getting good feedback for an original song i wrote years ago, entitled, ehem, "kris aquino."  this woman elicits the extremes of emotions - you either love her or hate her. the persona singing the song happens to "love" her, so...check out my other site candidisha.multiply.com coz i'm posting it soon. thanks!

we just taped the birthday episode of jazz vocalist Lynn Sherman and it was a riot! the musicians and the guests (most of them, at least) were in costume! Lynn herself was in a fabulous Wonder Woman costume especially created for the occasion by her inimitable stylist Odit Sarte. hope you can catch the show this sunday, august 20, around 9-930 pmish.

 if you're a Tori Amos fan (like I am), Toriphile Alden Copuyoc and myself are hatching a plan to celebrate the Goddess' birthday on August 22. we will hold a small listening/ dvd viewing party at Black Soup in Marikina Shoe Expo, Araneta Center, around 7 pm. call 4398838 for details or post your inquiries on this site.

I also got to wear the producer's hat a few times this month. The inimitable May Bayot recorded a song I wrote for the AIDS awareness musical we're working on. Powerful, full-bodied alto, thrilling to hear :) And one Saturday this month, I got a chance to produce Bayang Barrios for the next batch of songs. Bayang is fun to work with. Game pa rin kahit sinisipon at inuubo! She loved the songs especially those that revolve on a mother's love for her child, being a new mother herself to 3 month old Mayumi. Type din ni May yung mga lullabyes because they hit so close to the heart. I love it when songs produce that effect on people :)

Then I'll be back in the studio to work with Makiling Ensemble and Ms.Pilita Corrales for music for an indie film called "Pandanggo." We were beset by scheduling problems but hopefully everything is ironed out by the production team. Can't wait to meet Ms. Corrales!

July 19: WOMYN's NYT @ Rock Ola (Penguin) Cafe, Malate, with Carol Bello Bandidas. 9 pm. 150php with one free drink. Carol and Libay have built their own galaxy with their networks from the NGO and academic community, at masaya ito. Visit dahondahondyaryo.blogspot.com for the poster.  I'm performing my set with a talented songwriter-guitarist named Ace Cada (who also fronts electropop band Bagetsafonik).

July 28: "Eat, Drink and Be Senti" @ Bespoke Furniture Store, Marikina Shoe Expo, Araneta Center Cubao. 9 pm. Artist-chef for the night is Seleena Cordero, former resident chef ng Asian Development Bank and who is leaving for Canada with her family soon, hence the senti show title :) Now selling tickets at P300 per head inclusive of food, drink, and of course, the show. Please call 4398838 c/o Lani or Gian of Black Soup. Promises to be a very laidback night, in a venue full of beautiful chairs...