How Chito Miranda reacted to rearranged Parokya songs

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How Chito Miranda reacted to rearranged Parokya songs

Leah C. Salterio

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Updated Mar 20, 2024 01:03 PM PHT

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Chito Miranda at the press conference of the musical 'Buruguduystunstugudunstuy.' Photo from NWR Musicals' Facebook pageChito Miranda at the press conference of the musical 'Buruguduystunstugudunstuy.' Photo from NWR Musicals' Facebook page

MANILA -- When Parokya ni Edgar lead singer and songwriter Chito Miranda gave his nod to stage a musical using the songs of his popular band, he made it a point not to interfere in anything creative.

“Buruguduystunstugudunstuy,” the title of Parokya ni Edgar musical to be staged by Full House Theater Company this April, is culled from the band’s second album released in 1997.

 “I gave them total artistic freedom,” Miranda told ABS-CBN News. “I wanted this one to be so different from what we’re used to doing. If I meddled, it will just be another extension of Parokya. We are reluctant to always involve the band with anything this major.

“We only staged a major concert once, ‘Matira ang Matibay’ at the Folk Arts Theater’ (2007).

“They told me, ‘Kung meron kang any input, please add.’ Sabi ko ayokong maki-alam. Ayokong makigulo. Just keep me updated. I just want to be surprised.”

The judge of ABS-CBN’s “Idol Philippines” insisted he’s good with the work that will be presented to him and refused to give any input to the musical.

 “I trust them more than I trust myself when it comes to the creativity,” Miranda admitted. “When it comes to the band, I’m okay. But when it comes to theater, I rely more on the abilities and knowledge of those know better to come up woth something spectacular. I don’t need to meddle.”

“That’s why they are so excited to work on the musical. Wala akong balak maki-alam. More than being a part of it, I want to be an audience.”

When Miranda listened to the songs of Parokya ni Edgar during the media presentation of “Buruguduystunstugudunstuy,” he was emotional and couldn’t help but cry.

“Kanta ba namin ‘yan?” he asked surprisingly after he heard the arrangement of Ejay Yatco, the musical director. “Nagulat ako. I’m so excited to tell my bandmates since they’re not here.”

One of his bandmates is in Hawaii where he had a surgery. Another is undergoing chemotherapy here in Manila. 

“Yung isa matanda na kaya hindi ko na pinilit pumunta,” Miranda laughed.
Chito Miranda poses with the cast and creative team of the musical 'Buruguduystunstugudunstuy.' Photo from NWR Musicals' Facebook pageThe title of “Buruguduystunstugudunstuy” was invented by Miranda one afternoon when Parokya ni Edgar arrived in Manila after a provincial gig.

“My brother picked me up from the airport and he asked me if I learned a new word,” Miranda recalled. “I told him right away, ‘Buruguduystunstugudunstuy.’ ‘Yung mga kabanda ko, they don’t have any problems when I say those words.

Our first album was titled ‘Khangkhungkermitz.’ That came out in 1996. I invented those words, but I had no idea what they really meant.”

It’s a prank for radio DJs and noontime show hosts for them to pronounce the title of our albums correctly. Up to now, it is still a discussion how to pronounce the titles correctly. It’s still a challenge. And everybody still finds it hard to pronounce the titles.

Perhaps it is the genius in Miranda to coin those words and come up with those difficult titles.

“It remains a joke how people will pronounce the titles correctly,” he naughtily smiled.

“That’s unintentional,” he added.

Up to this day, Miranda still looks at Parokya ni Edgar as an amateur garage band.

“Ang tingin namin sa sarili namin, we’re just a bunch of boys with guitars,” Miranda said. “Our recording company [Universal Records] already talked to us. We are not musicians. We are just a bunch of amateur singers.”

To be involved in something larger than our fan base, this is really bigger than us. The horizon is bigger. This is now the theater world presented in a mainstream setting.”

With 11 studio albums of Parokya ni Edgar, one Christmas album, two compilation albums and two live albums, Miranda was still unsure what are the songs to be selected for the musical.

Yet, Yatco selected a total of 47 songs to be on the line up of “Buruguduystunstugudunstuy.”

“This is E-heads on acid,” Miranda teased.  

He admitted Parokya ni Eddar really started their singing career in 1993 after being inspired by The Eraserheads.

 “We always pushed it to the extreme since we are fans of E-heads,” Miranda declared. “We are fans of their music and they are the direct inspiration of our band.

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