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Ely Buendia shows he's always in fine form in latest single 'Tagpi-Tagping Piraso'
No, it’s not a love song.
That was the short and sweet answer of Ely Buendia when GMA News Online asked him in an online message if his newest song, “Tagpi-Tagping Piraso,” was composed like that, an ode or a summon to someone special now gone.
Buendia released “Tagpi-Tagping Piraso” on October 17 in various streaming platforms. It is the second single in his upcoming 10-track solo album "Method Adaptor," which is set to launch in a concert on November 8 at 123 Block in Mandaluyong City.
The song's official lyric video has garnered more than 12,000 views on his official YouTube channel, as of this posting. Its official music video will premiere on October 24.
The lyric video has a dystopian theme, opening with a robot holding up a tablet. On the screen, the question “Are You The Next Robo-Star?” can be read.
The robot is then shown playing a guitar on top of a building's rubble in what looks like the aftermath of war or apocalypse, with fire and smoke all around. The following scenes show humongous spaceships, battleships, and giant robots.
No signs of humans are sighted until Buendia and a drummer are shown performing the song on the screen of the robot's tablet.
The 3D animation is credited to Glitch Real-time Animation. The team behind the video is composed of producers August Lyle Espino, Lem Francia and Cedric Hornedo. Espino also functions as the over-all director who also painted the cover art while Hornedo is animation director. Animators are William Sagun and Martin Patacsil.
In a follow-up message to GMA News Online, Buendia said his back-up musicians during the recording were Jerome Velasco on lead guitars, Roan Goan on keyboards and Pat Sarabia on drums.
“I played guitars and bass. Yes, it’s also Pat playing drums in the music video with me on guitars,” he said.
At first, it seems as if the lyric video has no relation to the song's lyrics. We quote, “Di akalain na sampung taon/ Na ang lumipas magmula noon/ Iniwan mong sirang-sira/ At sino bang matutuwa…
(Never thought it’s been 10 years since you left me a total wreck. So, who’d be happy about it?)
“Ngayong nag-iisa, nagsisi na/ Baka sakaling mapatawad pa/ Ayoko sanang tumanggi/ Basag na at walang silbi…
(Now all alone, repentant, hoping for forgiveness. Have no intention to refuse. I’m broken and useless.)
“Tagpi-tagping piraso/ Ang makikita mo/ Hindi mo na mabubuo/ Ang puso kong ito…na dati ay sa ‘yo.”
(Patched-up piece, that’s all you'll see. You can never fix this broken heart of mine… this heart that once belonged to you.)
Buendia, in several past interviews, has said that listeners would have their own interpretations of his songs once these are released to the public — and he appreciates all of them.
The same case applies to “Bulaklak Sa Buwan,” the first single for “Method Adaptor” that was released in August. He has said that the song was about raising awareness for truth and fighting disinformation.
However, some listeners view it as a song of hope, while others see the lessons of cultivating happiness in one’s backyard, not in a faraway greener pasture like the moon.
This writer knows some people who would keep on humming it all day long, a clear case of last-song syndrome or LSS, even to the point of complaining that they can’t shake it off so they had to listen to Nirvana or Metallica, or something from Ben&Ben.
"Tagpi-Tagping Piraso," like “Bulaklak Sa Buwan,” has the classic Ely Buendia catchy melody and lyrics that would easily stick to first-time listeners, and delight longtime fans.
Asked if he’s going to release a third single before “Method Adaptor’s” launch concert on November 8, Buendia told GMA News Online: “That’s classified.”
To which we reacted with a laugh emoji.
On Ely Buendia's humor
Buendia’s humor has always been part of his performance. For a time, he was known for not talking much to his audience, proceeding at once to perform the next song. These days, he engages the crowd like a total entertainer would, or better yet, like one of his idols, Rico J. Puno.
In one of his online series, “Secret of the Chords, Episode 3,” Buendia, with an acoustic guitar, tries to give lessons on how to play the intro for “Bulaklak Sa Buwan.”
He keeps on messing up the chords that he himself composed and, at some point, tells the viewers, "Wag kayong mag-alala guys, kaya ko 'to. Saan na tayo? Good luck sa ating lahat sa pagtugtog nitong kantang 'to."
Here's another example. Over the weekend, Buendia performed “Bulaklak Sa Buwan's” acoustic version live for the first time in a “surprise” performance for a special event: a pajama party, of a well-known furniture company.
He and his bandmates were required to wear sleepwear. The stage, in fact, featured a bed and well-arranged throw pillows.
Buendia played the acoustic guitar while sitting on a bar stool, in a set that included “Alapaap," "Pare Ko," "Bulaklak Sa Buwan," and “Huling El Bimbo."
Before performing “Bulaklak Sa Buwan,” Buendia told the crowd it was his first time to perform wearing pajamas and with pieces of furniture around him, pointing to the bed at the side of the makeshift stage.
“Ganito pala ang pakiramdam ng Ben&Ben, noh?” he said, referring to Ben&Ben’s series of videos streamed in 2021 when they launched “Pebble House Vol. 1 Kuwaderno”. It was the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic and the videos showed the nine-piece band performing in several parts of a big house.
The crowd can be heard laughing, including Buendia’s bandmates. He stood up for a while to give instructions to his bandmates for the next song.
Over the microphone, he told the crowd, “The next song is ‘Ode to Joy’ by Beethoven.”
They played “Ligaya,” to which the crowd sang along happily.
Tickets to the “Method Adaptor” album concert are available here.
— CDC, GMA Integrated News
