"I don’t talk too much. That’s why I have to stop talking now,” answered the charming old lady when she was asked how she kept her voice as golden as before.
Raye Lucero, a member of Mabuhay Singers, a group which reigned supreme in the airwaves in the late 1950s, grinned mischievously as she answered the questions thrown at her.
Each humorous response was met with roars of laughter, with several ayes, from her co-singers -- soprano Carmen Camacho, soprano Cely Bautista, baritone Jose “Peping” de Leon, tenor Eddie Suarez, tenor Jimmy Salonga, and tenor Marlon Marifosque who were all present at the Pink Noise Studio where they were busy recording their latest album.
Formed in 1957, Mabuhay Singers was borne out of the merger of two popular trios - the Tres Rosas which was composed of Camacho, Nora Hermosa, and Lucero, and the Lovers Trio of Chi Lucerio, Floro San Juan, and Ador Torres.
While the groups were waiting for their rehearsals at the Villar Recording Company studio, Don Manuel “Manoling” Villar requested them to sing, and sing they did. Consequently, it was discovered that the two groups have the perfect blending. So, right there and then, the singers were merged as the Mabuhay Singers, so named after the Mabuhay Records.
It was the start of their musical journey as they performed traditional and modern Filipino songs in some of major Philippine dialects such as Cebuano and Ilocano, as well as in English and Spanish in some main cities in Canada, USA, and Japan, among others.
Under the tutelage of musical director Leopoldo Silos from 1958 to 1978, the group has recorded an estimated 100 long-playing albums; some were even released abroad.
Although, they admit that keeping the group intact was quite a challenge, it was quite a feat, to say the least.
“Some looked for greener pasture and went abroad. Others got married, or passed away. There were new members but, after a while, they just stopped coming,” shared Lucero.
Of course, there were those who filled the gaps and sang with them at one time or another such as Ruben Tagalog, Ric Manrique Jr., Rita Rivera, Don David, Flor Ocampo, Noel Samonte, Betty Rivera, Robert Malaga, Everlita Rivera, and Cely Bautista who remained with the group and is now one of its certified members.
A distant cousin of Manrique, Suarez was once the lead guitarist of the group before he officially joined in 1996. That same year, Marifosque who used to play rock veered away from his genre and got hooked on OPM and Kundiman.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Salonga who loves to play rhythm and bass guitar found a home with the group in 1999. As a solo artist, Peping de Leon was known as the “Prince of Kundiman,” but he joined the Mabuhay Singers in 2003.
With every change, the group steadily grew and eventually became one of the classic favorites among music aficionados, having carved its own niche and won the world over with their soulful renditions of all-time favorite Kundiman and OPM songs.
“It could be the way we deliver the songs. It’s not about style. It’s not the voice. It’s about how we get the message of the songs across to the audience. The soul, that’s what is important,” said Lucero when asked what makes the group distinct.
To celebrate their golden anniversary, the group ventures into new territory as it gives its classic repertoire a new twist in their new album under PolyEast Records.
Two of the hottest contemporary musicians, Kakoy Legaspi (Rivermaya’s former guitarist/Barbie’s Cradle’s second guitar) and Jay Jay Lozano (Bloomfields member), fine-tuned 10 popular OPM hit songs (and two Christmas songs) such as concert king Martin Nievera’s “Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin,” “Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw,” and “Mambobola,” among others, and arranged them to complement the group’s singing style.
What the music aficionados should watch out for is the group’s new rendition of rap royalty Francis Magalona’s “Mga Kababayan Ko.” They combine the sophisticated melody of Kundiman and the alluring Balagtasan as well as the indigenous folk music to come up with their own version of this popular rap song.
The proceeds from the sale of the album will help finance the establishment of a music school named after the group where the singers will teach young singers Filipino music, particularly Kundiman, and promote Filipino musical and cultural heritage. Aside from the album, the group will do a cultural and musical tour across the nation and in key cities around the world where there are Filipino communities.
Their passion for music and their everlasting desire to share this passion to many people, especially the younger generations, are the reasons why the Mabuhay Singers still plays sweet music even after 50 fruitful years.
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