Romantic Ebe Dancel releases new wedding soundtrack in limited edition vinyl

Ebe Dancel

Ebe Dancel’s most fun and memorable performances happened not only in concerts or music festivals—some of them were at weddings.

Once, during a reception at the Manila Polo Club, the groom—amid the drunken revelry—kept making a heart with his hands and mouthing, “Love you, Ebe!” in between songs. Usually introduced as a surprise guest, Ebe has gotten all sorts of reactions, from couples outright sobbing at his mere sight to straight-faced brides who are seemingly unimpressed.

But he enjoys all of them just the same. In fact, he has never had a “bad wedding gig.”

“I always lose myself when I’m onstage, it’s like I’m a different person … I often find myself getting taken by the love that fills the venue, especially at weddings … How can you not feel the love bouncing left and right, up and down?” Ebe told the Inquirer at the launch of his new EP, “Habangbuhay,” in limited edition vinyl under Widescope Entertainment and Backspacer Records.

Because he often stays in a van or in a dark corner while waiting for his entrance cue, Ebe gets to observe or pick up little things that happen during a wedding. And then it hit him: Why not create a wedding-themed project?

“I have been doing a lot of weddings. And for some reason, married couples request my songs, even if most of them are sad: ‘Can you sing ‘Burnout’?’ Some use ‘Bawat Daan’ for the same-day edits. So, I thought, ‘Why don’t we put together a wedding soundtrack?’” he related.

Romance of a wedding

The result was “Habangbuhay,” a four-track concept EP that encapsulates the overflowing joy and romance of a wedding: The opening song, “Manatili” is a prayer of sorts; “Tanging Kailan” is how he imagines his future wedding vow will be like; “Huling Unang Sayaw” is for the wedding dance; the upbeat “Habangbuhay,” on the other hand, is an apt accompaniment to same day edit videos.

“Habangbuhay” is on all major streaming platforms. It’s also available as a limited edition release on 10-inch silver colored vinyl with a gatefold cover. “I never imagined I would be releasing my music on vinyl. This is coming from a guy who used to record demos on tape recorders,” Ebe said.

The EP was written and recorded amid the lockdown. But you wouldn’t notice that while listening to it. “I was living in Los Baños … It was hard not seeing my family and friends, so I channeled everything into these four songs,” the former Sugarfree front man related. “Writing these songs was therapeutic.”

But more than the personal challenges, piecing everything together—the vocals, the instrumentals and all—presented different technical difficulties. Ebe and his manager, Rico Blanco, toyed with the idea of using an orchestra to give the songs the sense of grandess they deserved. But how do they do it amid the pandemic?

He wouldn’t have been able to pull it off without Rico.

“Rico and I never saw each other in person, only through Zoom … That was a real orchestra. And the [musicians] recorded their parts individually and sent them to Rico. Some of them had to record at 3 a.m. when no one else was awake … to avoid the noise of passing vehicles outside. And then I had to record in a studio while Rico was on a monitor,” he related.

“But listening to everything is very fulfilling. I would do it again in a heartbeat,” the singer-songwriter added. “I don’t know how it would have turned out without Rico. He really encouraged me.”

“Romantic” isn’t the first word that comes to mind to Ebe’s friends if they were to describe him. “Just listen to his songs,” they would joke. “But I try to be more affectionate … I have a problem expressing myself, so I guess that’s why God gave me the gift of music to compensate for my general lack of confidence,” he said. “What I can’t tell you I write. And I hope the message reaches all of you.”

Ebe has been on the music scene for more than 20 years. And with his social anxiety, the daily grind, he admitted, can get taxing at times. But his love for the craft continues to fuel him. “I will still do it all over again,” Ebe said, adding that not a day goes by without thanking the Lord that he’s still able to put out new music.

“I have been doing this for a long time. But releasing new songs still astounds me. ‘Kaya pa pala, kahit paunti-unti,’ I would tell myself,” he said.

And for his longevity, he thanks his fans. “It’s a privilege playing for you, after all these years. You’re still here. I may seem oblivious or lost at times, but your support isn’t lost on me. I appreciate every one of you,” he said. INQ