By Marivir R. Montebon
New York City – It has been a while since I last heard from singer Suzanne Lansangan-Sabangan but when I did, she and her Sounds of Manila already recorded a CD album of the beautiful songs of composer Cecile Azarcon.
Time flies. I met Suzanne during the community welcome of newly installed Consul General Tess Dizon de Vega at the Sheraton International East in October 2016 and she handed to me a copy of the album. These days, I enjoy the songs of Ms. Azarcon through the captivating voices of Suzanne and Hermie Angeles of the Sounds of Manila in the comforts of my work station at home.
Easy in my ears are the memories of the Philippine original pop songs like How Did You Know, Special Memory, and I Think I’m in Love.
The album ‘Sounds of Manila sings Cecile Azarcon’ was recorded entirely in Vallejo, California and produced by Ms. Azarcon with Ronnie Sabangan as executive producer. It first came out in 2014.
Excerpts of our interview with Suzanne:
- Please tell us how the album came about.
We met Ms. Cecile Azarcon through our good friend and publicist, Elton Lugay. Through a phone conversation and on Facebook, we informed Ms. Cecile Azarcon that our group’s mission was to preserve and promote Original Philippine Music (OPM) in the U.S. and globally, and that it would be a great idea to do a tribute album for her, as we consider her one of the greatest pillars of Original Philippine Music (OPM).
- How long did the entire album finish?
It took about three years to produce the album because we had to raise funds to cover the production expenses. We are truly thankful to God for his faithful provision and guidance in allowing us to fulfill a longtime dream.
- Did Ms. Azarcon take part in the production of the album? How was it?
We did the actual vocal recording in the Bay area, where Ms. Cecile Azarcon resides so she can supervise the entire recording. Renowned musical director and arranger, Lorrie Ilustre arranged all the songs on the CD album.
The best part of our collaboration with these musical greats is the friendship that we developed with them.
Purchase the CD from: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/soundsofmanila
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