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Himaya band records soundtrack of 'Caught in the Act'

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Leah C. Salterio

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt=" Himaya band. Handout" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/entertainment/12/15/00.jpg"/><figcaption>Himaya band. Handout</figcaption></figure></div> MANILA -- Most singing groups have members who are understandably of the same age or born perhaps around the same decade as the others. Interestingly, a mixture of genres and even eras made the members of Himaya Band survive for 24 years now.Himaya is a Visayan word that means “glory” or “praise,” as lead vocalist Alvin Barcelona said. “We were looking for an ethnic name, at the same time, described the type of songs we started doing, praise and worship, mostly Christian music,” Barcelona told ABS-CBN News.The band started in 1997, when bassist James Aguilos graduated from high school. The half-Visayan Barcelona requested Aguilos to form a group to just play and perform for the community.The original members were only four -- Barcelona, Aguilos, lead guitarist/vocalist Mike Nuez and drummer Gab Espinosa. Five years ago, lead vocalist Aio Barcelona and keyboardist Jeric Mison, the group&#x27;s youngest members, joined Himaya.For more than two decades now, Himaya has been touring the country. They were never out of the music scene. Apart from staging concerts nationwide, Himaya has released original songs, produced music videos and recorded their albums.“One big advantage having a band with different generations is we are very diverse,” maintained the younger Barcelona, Aio. “We have multiple experiences, tastes that we can bring together and collaborate. We collaborate even in our thoughts.”Himaya’s music evolved through the years. The band continues to cross over as a Christian praise and worship group to a secular inspirational pop-rock band.“We became a worship band,” the older Barcelona said. “We developed writing and praise music together, doing independent albums and sessions with professional artists.“When James and I started in the &#x27;90s, in a way, may sarili kaming tunog. We covered songs of Sugarfree, Bamboo, Kamikaze. Now, we sing Coldplay, Ben&amp;Ben, even Juan Karlos and IV of Spades. We learned to evolve while maintaining our integrity.”As the band extends its reach to a wider audience, their followers also increased. “Lumaki at dumami ang nag-iimbita sa amin,” Barcelona said. “For more than two decades, we have been doing concerts around the country.“We need to be up-to-date with the millennials. I’m very thankful that my son grew up to be a musician and with his distinct taste in music.”Outside Himaya, Aio also writes worship songs. He is also part of the band, Feast Worship, purely for the community. His songs are being sung worldwide in international praise and worship gatherings and events.“I’m very proud of my son. It’s a blessing that he is also on board Himaya,” Barcelona said.Barcelona noted one disadvantage is that you cannot easily pinpoint where Himaya’s audience is. “The advantage is, everybody is easily an audience. Young people will not get alienated when watching us.“In a concert, mag-ama, mag-ina, pamilya, we have something for everybody. Sa schools, pati mga tatay ng students, sasayaw sa VST and Company or Gary V. Pero for the younger ones, si Aio can readily render Coldplay.”Perhaps one of the most enduring and active bands for about two decades now, Himaya has been performing around the country in schools, companies, secular and religious concerts and events, with audiences numbering to thousands of people from different ages and walks of life.The band has been onstage at the Mall of Asia Arena, Araneta Coliseum, PICC, Music Museum and in major venues in cities and provinces, performing with such artists as Freddie Aguilar, Joey Ayala, Bayang Barrios, Lolita Carbon, Noel Cabangon, Nyoy Volante, Top Suzara, Geneva Cruz, Giselle Sanchez and Ai-Ai de la Alas.“We toured around the country and performed in major concert venues,” Barcelona beamed. “From MOA Arena and Music Museum to coliseums in Zamboanga and Palawan. We’ve been touring schools even in the Davao region. We also do corporate events, seminars, parties.”At present, Himaya is promoting their songs included in the soundtrack album of “Caught In the Act,” released by Star Music. The movie opened in cinemas on Wednesday.Barcelona penned four of the six songs on the soundtrack album -- “Nariyan Ka Lang Pala” sung by Andi Abaya, “Sabihin Ko Na Ba” by Bamboo B., “Huwag Muna Ngayon” by Jhassy Busran, and “Huli Ka” by Himaya.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XDwXVB3SdtY?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>Aio contributed “Ako Muna,” which he also performed with Himaya. All songs in the album, including “Tanging Hiling,” by Andi Abaya and composed by Henry Ong, were arranged and engineered by Mison and Nuez of Himaya.The album has been recently launched and is available on Spotify, iTunes, YouTube and other music and multi-media platforms.“Langit na sa amin mayroon lang makinig or malaman lang na kami ang naglikha,” Aio said. “We’re very thankful for the opportunity, not just to create, but also to be heard and be seen.”Focusing on the songwriter and the musicians is a new recipe for the viewers of a film, according to “Caught in the Act” writer-director Perry Escaño, who conceptualized the songs in the soundtrack.“The viewers also need to see that music and songs in a movie are very important,” Escaño said. “Music gives the soul and life in a movie. It’s original, very interesting, if not intriguing.“Viewers, especially millennials, want anything new. In making a movie, I believe musicians and composers should also be highlighted. Every song has its own strength. You’ll just get mesmerized. Mapapa-indak ka. The groove is there, the energy is there.”The sound of Himaya is a marriage of both worlds, according to Aio. “We can combine the old school type of music and the new sounds and we’re creating something different.“The main disadvantage became an advantage for us. Purposely generational age gap even in music is seen. Classic, modern, old-school rock, beat style.”“Caught in the Act” is the third film of Escaño, following “Ang Guro Kong Hindi Marunong Magbasa” (2017), an entry in the Cinemalaya Film Festival that was nominated in the Philippine Movie Press Club’s (PMPC) Star Awards for Movies for Best Movie Theme Song for “Awiting Darating Din”; and “Ang Sikreto ng Piso (2019), starring Gelli de Belen and Ariel Rivera.

Himaya is a Visayan word that means “glory” or “praise,” and the band started doing mostly Christian music.