Screenshot from Wonggoys video
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Well-known Cebuano band Wonggoys recently showed off a music video of an ECQ version of their famous hit “Wa’y ‘Blema” on their Facebook page.
The band of brothers, composed of Gabriel Keith Wong (main vocals), Kyle Miguel Wong (rhythm guitars and vocals), and William Wong Jr. (lead guitar and vocals), tweaked the lyrics of the song to send a message that is relevant to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis in the country.
“Our management, music publisher and record label 22 Tango Music Group is working with concerned citizens, organizations, doctors and healthcare workers who want to address the problem of misinformation about COVID-19 especially in the barangay levels. We believe our song Wa’y ‘Blema can reach out to a bigger chunk of the population than any of our songs,” said the band in an email to CDN Digital.
Watch the video here
The chorus of the song that became a hit in 2018 now goes:
“Ay’g kabalaka, mopatoo lang ta
Kung magpuyo lang sah gyud ta
Wa’y ‘Blema
It don’t matter nagluha ba ta o nagkatawa
Kung magpuyo lang gyud ta
Wa’y ‘Blema”
The band, which is also responsible for the song “Ako,” also changed the rap part of the song.
It now goes:
“Idol, dili na tinuod
na sakit na sa dato
ug sa gor ra mutakod
Dili ra ni hilanat, dili grabe nga ubo
ug kon wa pod kay gibati, need gihapon kang magpalayo”
The second stanza also packs an important message for the current crisis:
“No more touching, ay sag bless
wa say tapokay, no more tagay sa bes
kai ang alcohol sa beer di ka patay
anang virus kung musud sa imong lawas
Bisan pag mag vitamins
magpabuwad pa sa init
mugargle pa ka og asin
wala gyoy tambal, hinumdomi“
The band has actually done a lot of other ECQ-related videos and shared it on their Facebook page.
But tweaking their famous hit is one clever move that highlights the trio’s talents.
“This is an initiative to use the power of music in spreading the proper information. This is our way of doing our part in the attempt to solve that problem,” they added.
According to the band, the modified lyrics is a collaboration effort, and composed with the help of their good friend singer-songwriter Jerika Teodico, who helped re-write and put some finishing touches to it.
It took the group only two days to make the new lyrics.
The band hopes that the song will help encourage the public to stay at home for the sake of all.
“Puyo lang sa ta!” they said. (Let’s just stay put.) /bmjo