Somebody that I used to know

COMING OUT alive from a two-hour meeting – one that I ran – was perfect excuse for me and The DJ to go grab something to bite and do some catching up over coffee.  It sounds like our seeing each other or having conversations are few and far in between.  Quite the opposite, actually.  We work together.  He is in my “Committee” in the office.  We collaborate on stuff.  But that’s the thing with friends – there are always a lot of things to talk about.

My trustworthy friend, The DJ, in action

Real friends find the same things funny.  And it will make you smile when one-liners or comments that ordinarily may sound fleeting, flying past over your head, actually are profound statements that capture your very essence or aspects of your being in vivid detail.

“You will like this song.  You’re about the lyrics, right?  Makaka-relate ka.  (You will be able to relate.)”

And with that, I became even more all ears to the talk, almost spilling my day’s umpteenth 40-cent cup of coffee on my five-year-old custom fit Ralph Lauren classic pony shirt.  The DJ excused himself from the table and within a couple of minutes was back with his Bose® OE2 headphones in hand.

He first introduced me to the original song, obviously already on heavy rotation on his iPhone4, before he revealed to me his latest masterpiece – his (audio) mix of Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye featuring Kimbra.

Specifically, he calls it Nerdub Dubstep Remix’s “dubstep remix of the popular Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye ft. Kimbra.”  (Click on the previous link to experience his sound.)

He said I’m all about the lyrics.  Enough said.

 

Copyright © 2012 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved

An emcee for all seasons

ONE OF the notes I have received from friends whose wedding receptions I emceed said, “eNTeNG, you really are the emcee for all seasons.”  To me that’s one of the best compliments anybody has ever given me.

Tonight, over dinner of a couple of bowls of Master Sham Pork Ribs and Lotus Root Soup, a couple of bowls of piping hot steamed white rice, a couple of honey-glazed roasted chicken wings, and a couple of mugs of iced milk tea – all mine, I have to make clear – one of the closest friends I have made in the past 10 months I’ve been here in Singapore, asked of me what he said was a “huge favor.”

Of course I said yes.  And I sealed it with a gentleman’s handshake.  I’ll be emceeing his wedding reception here in Singapore, end of this year.  To be asked to do this is always such an honor.  And this being my first ever non-Filipino event, I feel so trusted.

He asked further, “Would you like to sing?”

Now there’s no turning back.  Hahaha!

Walking from the train station to my flat, I got reminded of the many wedding receptions I have emceed for friends, all the way back in the day when mobile communication was still a figment of my imagination.

I have managed to chronicle on this blog some of these memorable events.  I’d like to reminisce a little and share them with you as well.  (Click on the links below to read more)

Bom & Rizzie’s Wedding

Bom & Rizzie, 10 January 2009

 

Ian & Marie’s Wedding

Ian & Marie, 15 August 2009

 

Jossel & Vel’s Wedding

Jossel & Vel, 10 December 2010

 

Tom & Jen’s Wedding

Tom & Jen, 02 January 2012

Copyright © 2012 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved

The Emcee, the Artist, the Chef, and the DJ

FORMED A BAND and sang.

DJ Raoul's "Cajon" (Box Drum)

I was initially keen on doing my own take on Nina’s version of Shanice’s original “Fall For You,” but just like having my own record producer, I was told by DJ Raoul to do my version of Boyce Avenue’s version of Adele’s Grammy Award-winning original song “Rolling In The Deep” instead.  It’s current.  It has recall.  People may actually know the song unlike my artistic or “emotional” choice.

I had less than a week to learn the song.  So that meant having the mp3 on heavy rotation on my Blackberry Bold 9780 and having a couple of pocket rehearsals – first with Nathan (the Chef) and Raoul (the DJ), then with us and Terence (the Artist).  At one point of the rehearsal, I told them that I was doing it on “half-voice,” which was actually my way of saying that the prospect of singing live in front of hundreds was scaring the hell out of me.  To my half-voice remark, The DJ said it was the right approach as I needed to preserve it for the actual performance.  When he sensed the nerves really creeping right through me, he stood up from his “cajon” (or box drum, a type of percussion) and sang the whole thing, telling me how to do it.  I lost my nerves soon after.

This was the first of only two rehearsals.

 

The Emcee and the Chef

 

The DJ and the Emcee

 

The DJ and his box drum

That’s the thing about having these three as some of the closest friends I’ve ever made – they help nurture the best things that I like about myself, which in this case, was my illusion about being a singer.  Haha!

Initially, they called our act “eNTeNG and the Band.”  After our performance, it became “eNTeNG’s Band.”  I have to say, to borrow a line from the song, “We could’ve had it all…” and I think we did.  Haha!

On the way to the rehearsal, I introduced the DJ to one of my new favorites, Xing Hua Family Restaurant.

 

Copyright © 2012 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved

The DJ Raoul Project

I BUMPED into my good friend DJ Raoul in the office the day after the Singapore Zoo Safari Zoo Run 2012 and I practically thanked him for helping me “survive” the 6km – on no practice at all! – much thanks to his music which blared into my ears.  Sometimes you will just feel lucky enough to have really creative and talented friends who share with you their gift.

And speaking about his creative work, he has just started a new project.  He is into making video mixtapes now!  You can access his new project at this link, DJ Raoul’s “I Am Your VJ.”  And for a taste – and a look and listen – of his first video mixtape, click on this link, DJ Raoul’s “The Introduction.”

I will understand if you soon start charging me for any music you will make me (Hahaha!), but I hope to be entitled to a considerable discount.  Kiddin’.

The Emcee and The DJ

 

The DJ and The Emcee

Copyright © 2012 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved

Meet the BOSE®

My brand new BOSE® OE Audio Headphones

I GO to work with a song in my head.  There’s nothing like finding that perfect song to encapsulate moments in vivid detail.  And when I do, I would always get up in the morning excited and literally darting through the front door on my way to hop on that train to the office.

Ever since I have moved to Singapore, there will always be one song that I would keep on playing for a whole week.  It could be an old song I re-discovered through a movie I just saw.  Or something I heard while doing my groceries.  Sometimes it was a tune I heard through someone’s blaring earphones.  Most often, my songs-of-the-moment would be old hits, like way too old.

One time, I mentioned to my good friend DJ Raoul how songs get me going and how, as I have already said, I’d keep playing the same one over and over again all through my almost-half-hour travel time to work.  I talk music with this guy because not only do I know he spins professionally back in the Philippines, but also because I have collaborated with him on a number of events where he would DJ and I would emcee (and sing!).

DJ Raoul

 

In action at one of our collaborative gigs.

A few days from that talk, he handed me a 32-minute mix he called “Give Me Some Electro.”  I loved it so much it became my song-of-so-many-weeks.

Between that time and right now, he’s given me three more mixes, the last one being my own playlist.  I’ve been listening to these and all the other music I love using really dirt cheap earphones that you’d use for a short while, until the rubber tubing wears off and the wires unravel, throw away, and replace with yet another set of dirt cheap ones.

Eventually, good influence rubs off, and following my other good friend Darryl’s fine taste, I finally decided to get myself a nice present, the BOSE® OE audio headphones “designed to bring my music to life.”

Make that “bring DJ Raoul’s music to life.”

The DJ & The Emcee

 

The Palms Country Club, Alabang, January 2010

 

I can't wait to take this out for a spin!

 

Copyright © 2012 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved

The 80’s were like three decades ago*

Finally... The Bird And The Bee's Hall & Oates revival album!

SOMETIMES IN our overeagerness to dispense of the latest news or the latest finds, our tongues slip and provide snippets of information – pieces of evidence enough to draw a conclusion – that we would’ve otherwise not spilled.

“Gosh, there’s this album I’ve been meaning to tell you about.  Here, to wish Giant Paulo all the best on his move abroad, I got him a copy, as well as a couple more for Iron Man and Green Lantern.  It’s a tribute album to Hall & Oates!  Arguably, the best album of covers that I’ve ever come across in years!”

“Boss, who is Hall & Oates?”

“What?!  You don’t know who they are?!”  I managed to snap back, short of screaming, “Are you telling me I’m that old?!”

The mention of “old” caused me to almost black out – think crimes of passion proportions – and I whipped out our Starbucks receipt and started to account how much to charge each for their drinks.  Sacrilege towards music icons and a callous indifference to the topic of age and age gaps will cost you!  Nobody would leave unscathed.  Hahaha!

Just kiddin’.  I guess that’s what you get – blank stares and sincere but insensitive “Who are they?” questions – when you choose to hang out with twenty-somethings.

The album that inadvertently trained the spotlight to my age is The Bird And The Bee’s Interpreting The Masters Volume I:  A Tribute To Daryl Hall and John Oates.  I first came across this duo (Inara George and Greg Kurstin) when they performed “I Can’t Go For That” on Ellen.  I love that song – I’m all about the lyrics! – so I made a mental note to get their album.  Then, I came across Jessica Zafra’s blog post about them, “Finally, a Hall & Oates revival.”  Again, I made a note to look for it.  The final straw that got me off my butt to start to really look for it was when 2ndavenue used “Private Eyes” on their The Mentalist trailer.  “Private Eyes” is the favorite of mine, just a notch more than I like their signature “One On One”.

All Odyssey outlets have been out of copies.  And I had already given up.  But on the way to coffee from Giant Paulo’s farewell dinner, I passed by Astroplus and thought about just trying.  Asking wouldn’t hurt.  (Yes I know, Batman, that if only you could scream at me right now for not going to your fave store first!)

Astroplus still had stocks!  And I bought all three of them!  One for Giant Paulo who I know is such a music lover (I miss us singing KC Concepcion’s “Not Like The Movies” – I doing my best breathy vocals, you beatboxing.  Hahaha!).  One for Iron Man to pop into his player during those long drives.  One for Green Lantern, also a music lover, an eclectic one I may add, just because.

(*The title of this blog post was inspired by a retweet I read on Ms. Daphne Oseña Paez’s twitter account @DaphneOP.  I follow her.)

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.