Elmo’s dream: To sing Francis M’s unreleased songs

Elmo Magalona —ARNOLD ALMACEN

Elmo Magalona would like to believe that releasing his own studio album would have made his father, the late rap icon Francis Magalona, happy if he were still alive today.

“I hope I could see his reaction. He used to tell us to do what we love. And music is close to my heart; something that I have always wanted to do,” Elmo said at the recent press launch of his eponymous, debut solo record (Universal Records). “I think he will be proud.”

More than being an actor, Elmo said he also wants to be known as a pop artist. Reaching the same lofty heights Francis did in the scene is, no doubt, a big task. But that does not deter the 22-year-old from soldiering on.

“I want to realize my dreams and attain success—maybe not on the same magnitude as what my father had, because he was a pioneer in the industry—but I would work for it just the same,” related Elmo, who broke up with Janine Gutierrez, his girlfriend of two years, earlier this month.

Elmo has been performing for around five years now, but it was not until 2016 that he finally felt ready to work on an album.
“It was so important for me to gain enough experience first, so that I could give a product worth listening to,” he said. “This time, I felt I was up for it.”

The album features 10-tracks—most of which original—including the lead single, “Kay Dali,” an electronic dance bop that was the No. 2 most downloaded song by a local artist, on iTunes in September. “It is a love song with a simple message, but the beat is very catchy,” he pointed out.

Working on “Elmo” considerably improved his singing skills, which, he admitted, was not as good as it is now.
“I sing and practice every day, and I think that is what helped my voice open up,” said Elmo, who cited The Beatles, The Strokes, Zayn, Drake and Passion Pit, as some of his favorite artists.

“I found that I could actually hold a tune. I learned more about my voice, explored what it can do,” he added. “I think you’ll hear that in the album, that I can adapt to different musical styles.”

Elmo related that his father has about 10 to 15 raw and uncompleted songs that he hopes to record someday. Given the chance, he said it would also be an honor to cover some of Francis M’s songs, for a covers album.

“‘Kaleidoscope World,’ ‘Three Stars & a Sun” and ‘Cold Summer Nights’ are some of my favorite songs from my dad—it would take me forever to enumerate all of them! It would also be neat to do his material that are very good, but did not become as popular as the others,” Elmo said.

“But of course everything has to be well-thought out,” he stressed. “It has to be something worthy to be put side by side with my father’s works.”