WAY back in 2016, Gean Cesar introduced Sir Tito Monterde to me as the father of TJ.
My thought bubble then went, TJ who? The side effect of being so clueless on the latest in the music scene.
Sir Tito and I then became Facebook friends. The more he posted about TJ, the more I learned about who TJ is. First and foremost, he’s a good son, which I’m sure is what Sir Tito treasures most about him.
A friend happens to be a huge fan of TJ, and when it was my turn to introduce Sir Tito, this time to my friend, I purposely mentioned that he’s TJ’s dad. Much like what Gean did to me years ago.
Married to KZ Tandingan, their current success is a testament to staying true to their passion for music.
And then came “Palagi” which became a theme song for the movie, “Hello, Love, Again.”
All it takes is just that one song and I’m hooked. For Pearl Ham, it’s “Light Years.” For Sting, “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You.” For TJ, “Palagi.”
And for each song, there are lyrics that may make me sigh pa more.
For “Light Years”: “And wherever you’ve gone/And wherever we might go/It don't seem fair/Today just disappeared/Your lights reflected now/Reflected from afar/We were but stones/Your light made us stars.”
For “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You”: “If I ever lose my faith in you/There’d be nothing left for me to do.”
For “Palagi”: “Ngunit sa huli, palagi/Babalik pa rin sa yakap mo/Hanggang sa huli, palagi/Pipiliin kong maging sa ‘yo.”
I’ve been a Pearl Jam fan since that time when all I heard while I was home was their songs and that of The Police, The Smiths, Morrissey, and other singers and bands whom my younger bros listened to.
Our house then had “confusing” music. Mama played classical music on the piano each morning after breakfast, and Daddy would sit at the living room while requesting for their theme song, “All the Things You Are”: “You are the promised kiss of springtime/That makes the lonely winter seem long.”
A song always brings back memories.
VST & Company’s “Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko” brings back memories of my school days. Grade school, high school, college? Hmmm. Make a wild guess.
Angela Bofill’s “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” also brings back memories of my younger years. “Darling can’t you see/What losing you has done to me?” when was that: high school, college, review school?
This list of songs can go on and on until they’ve brought back the past that needs to be moved on from.
A scent also brings back memories. The scent of a cologne or perfume. Which can be a challenge for Jo Malone fans since its sales staff encourages layering scents. Much like layering clothes for winter? Hmmm.
I guess the aroma of food brings back more memories. The aroma of cinnamon rolls, for example, reminds me of my sis Joan who baked the most delish cinnamon rolls. And with that, I have to end this column otherwise I’ll go senti again.
