‘The Clash’ finalist pens ballad of grief for late dad
Vilmark Viray
It typically takes Vilmark Viray days to finish a song. His latest single, “Lisan,” however, was completed in less than an hour. Inspired by the sudden death of his father, the Kapuso singer-songwriter channeled the outpouring of pain and sadness into words.
“I wrote during the first night of his wake. Writing songs usually takes me days… Sometimes, I have a hard time thinking of melodies but I felt like Papa gave me the right lyrics and notes for the song. I’m happy and I hope he’s proud from where he is now,” he said in a virtual conference.
Vilmark’s father, Virgilio, suffered an aneurysm while on vacation in Tagaytay City in December last year. He passed away two days after Christmas.
“What happened was still fresh in my memory when I started working on my song. It’s easier to come up with songs when you draw from personal experience. It depends on your mood while you’re writing,” said Vilmark, who juggles his music career with his job as an instrumentation engineer.
“I was crying while writing the song, added the recording artist, who finished runner-up in the fourth season of the reality talent search “The Clash.” “While it’s a song about loss, it also talks about hope… It tells us that despite the difficult things happening in our lives, there’s always a reason to move forward. It’s not easy. But we will manage.”
Coincidentally, the performance video for Vilmark’s new single was also filmed in Tagaytay.
Moving forward
“They (GMA Music team) didn’t know what had happened. The location was close to the hotel where Papa collapsed and within walking distance from the hospital and church, where we last spent time with each other as a complete family,” he related.
The tragic incident “shook” Vilmark’s core and had him questioning himself: Can I still continue what I had started? But soon he was reminded why he pursued music in the first place.
“I want people to relate to my songs and inspire them. I want to tell people who doubt themselves to just keep pursuing your passion, because your time will eventually come. God has a plan for you; we have our own timelines,” he pointed out. “Despite what happened, there are still blessings and opportunities coming my way. I’m just wishing for more happy moments.”
But more importantly, Vilmark said, losing his father was a wake up call to make the most out of his time with his loved ones. “I now have a deeper apprecation for life. Life is uncertain. I’m more determined to take care of the people who are special to me and who love me,” he said. “I don’t want to have reach a point where I would regret not being able to spend enough time with them.” INQ
