MANILA, Philippines – For a band that needs no introduction and has long proven its mettle, Side A chooses not to rest on its laurels. With the world opening up and recovering from the effects of a 21st century pandemic, the group delivers a relevant piece carrying a clear message right from its very title “Ibigin Ang Mundo”.
The track possessing the band’s trademark affectionate balladry sprinkled with current-day sonic elements.
It is also the first single released under Icons Music, a new sub-label of Widescope Entertainment with a name befitting the level of excellence the band has achieved in its nearly four decades of active music scene presence.
“Ibigin Ang Mundo” features the lead vocals of Leevon Cailao who plays lead guitar for the band. His interpretation carefully captured the sentiment of the song written by bassist Ned Esguerra. Ned wrote it after seeing a video of Climate Clock that popped up on social media. He was spurred by the urgency of this global concern.
The bass playing tunesmith that Side A fans believe ably took on the role left by former member Joey Benin shared, “I was inspired to write the song as a wake-up call and a call to action for Filipinos around the world to come together and help heal and save the planet in our own little way.”
Climate Clock is said to be a project centered on a clock that counts down the critical time window to reach zero emissions while tracking our progress on key solution pathways.
“Ibigin Ang Mundo” opens with a query, “Naaalala mo pa ba ang mundo na may sigla’t ganda?” and then a proposition that takes the song to a good place, “Unti-unti na ngang nawawala baka naman sakaling pwede pa na sabay-sabay na tayong tumayo’t magkapit-bisig.”
The key chorus lines assure every listener that like our Mother Earth, the song offers a satisfying mix of beauty and sentimentality Side A has always been noted for: “Dahil ang bukas ay hindi garantisado/ Kailan pa ba tayo tunay na magbabago? Hindi na ba natin marinig/ Umiiyak ang daigdig/ At may munting hiling bago maglaho/ Matuto daw tayo na ibigin ang mundo.”
Side A is known for keeping its backbone of brilliance intact best personified by longtime members Naldy Gonzalez (Keyboards) and Ernie Severino (Drums). While everybody in the group actually sings, the presence of Yubs Esperat (acoustic guitar) ensures there’s that man in the middle singing and doing frontman duties, very much how Joey Generoso used to do it, or in Yubs’ own right.
Side A, 2022
With “Ibigin Ang Mundo”, the group reenters the music scene recharged from its own bubble where creativity is nurtured in a brand new atmosphere. Under Icons Music label, the band is blessed to have a pool of seasoned producers, namely, executive producer Vic de Vera, supervising producer Neil Gregorio, and arguably the country’s most popular A&R manager at the moment: Ebe Dancel. Mixing engineer Dante Tanedo completes the lineup to create a song that should give Side A a clear shot at a new hit.
The local music scene has just been rewarded, with Side A back with a new song, a new label, and a new chapter to begin with to further drive the narrative of a colorful saga.
To stream and Download: https://orcd.co/sidea_ibigin-ang-mundo
Side A’s special Earth Day Performance will be streamed live on Widescope Entertainment and INQUIRER.net‘s respective official Facebook pages. INQUIRER.net is a proud media partner of this event.
ADVT
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