With music venture, Boy Abunda hopes to capture LGBTQIA+ struggles

Boy Abunda. CONTRIBUTED photo

For Boy Abunda, the celebration of Pride Month is a simple reminder of his “right to live, love and be human.”

“I should be able to do that with pride,” the veteran television host told the Inquirer over dinner with a group of reporters.

But it’s not as simple as it may sound. To this day, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, he pointed out, continue to face hostility and discrimination in different spaces in society.

He brought up the recent viral incident about a ride-hailing service passenger getting admonished by the driver for dressing up in a way the latter perceived as feminine. He also recalled doing an interview with a father who—in hopes of making his gay son act tough— resorted to shaming and physical abuse.

“Homophobia is still prevalent in homes, in workplaces. There’s even a kind of homophobia that comes in the guise of love,” Boy said.

He then thought of using music to tell stories that capture the struggles and hopes of the LGBTQIA+ community. “Say It Clear, Say It Loud” (Star Music) is an EP featuring six tracks penned and executive produced by Boy himself and with vocals from queer singers John Saga, Raven Heyres and Anton Antenorcruz.

The EP will be formally launched on June 27, a day prior to the 54th anniversary of the Christopher Street Liberation Day, a precursor to what is now known as Pride Month.

Held on June 28, 1970, in New York City, the historic event, along with parallel events in other cities in the United States, had participants marching for gay liberation.

One of the chants or slogans—“Say it clear, say it loud. Gay is good, gay is proud”—inspired the title of Boy’s EP. “That’s what we have been saying since the 1960s and 1970s. Hanggang ngayon, ganun pa rin ang sinisigaw,” Boy said.

Among the songs in the collection are “Bilang,” which talks about power in numbers, and “Ideal World,” an uplifting ballad of hope.

“In ‘Bilang,’ I say that maybe they (the powers that be) will listen to us if they see our numbers … because we’re still invisible in many spaces and other countries,” Boy said. 

Happy product

John Saga (left), Anton Antenorcruz and Raven Heyres —ANTON ANTENOrCRUZ/ FACEBOOK

“‘Ideal World’ is me imagining a place where no one will hurt us. I hope it touches people’s hearts and makes them realize that we’re all children of God. It’s also a reminder that I’m here to be me.”

Boy’s career endeavors are often “methodical” and meticulously planned. Venturing into songwriting, he said, was more spontaneous—a happy product of a previously conceived project that didn’t come to fruition.

“I wanted to form an LGBTQIA+ musical group that would sing about their life and start discourse. We had auditions, picked out members. However, the pandemic happened. so It didn’t push through,” he recalled.

While in the process of putting up the group, a reluctant Boy gave songwriting a shot upon the suggestion of his record producer Jerwin Nicomedez. “Jerwin is a vocal coach in ABS-CBN and he takes care of the voice classes for the workshops that I conduct. He said, ‘You know the stories you want. Why not write them?’ he told me,” Boy related.

As a former manager and publicist to such singers as Ariel Rivera, Monique Wilson and Dessa, Boy has a good grasp of the music business. He knows how to put together a repertoire, he said, and he can point out when a singer goes flat or sharp. But creating music, he admitted, is something beyond his depth.

“I didn’t know how to write a song. Maybe I could write poetry and stories, but I know nothing about rhyme, count and all that,” he said.

He eventually got the hang of it, thanks to the guidance of Star Music creative director Jonathan Manalo and the group of young musicians he enlisted for the project. “They would tell me if I needed to put more words, or if I was lacking a syllable or two. In the end, I came up with 21 songs,” Boy said. “Sometimes, just jumping from the edge really works.”

While he has taken part in various advocacies that benefit the LGBTQIA+ community, the upcoming EP, Boy said, feels like a more tangible contribution … a “legacy,” if you will.

“Not to diminish what I have done as an advocate, but I also wonder about what my contributions are to the community. I don’t have anything palpable, except for the work I do as a television host and educator,” said Boy, who holds workshops on public speaking and teaches part-time at the Philippine Women’s University.

National discourse

“You hear a song about gay love and other topics once in a while. But I wanted to put more focus into it, spend money on it. I thought of music as a tool to tell our story. And perhaps we can use song and dance to deliver a message, for us to be seen and heard in certain spaces like the legislative house,” he said.

“It’s my goal to put out good music and create hits… But I’m also open to groups who are willing to help. And I’m not going to back off from discussion, and elevating this topic to national discourse,” he said.

More importantly, Boy hopes the EP can help spark dialogue and strengthen relationships between the older and younger members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“Bilib ako sa mga bata ngayon. They ask questions. They have no hesitation. They know their rights. There’s a lot to learn from talking to them, from their lives and their identities. Sometimes, you just have to listen. I’m aware and cognizant of the troubled waters we have to navigate, but I believe that they will be in a better place,” he said.