By Ed Uy
Ely’s Alley
As one of the most influential and prolific rock icons in OPM history, it’s quite surprising that we haven’t seen Ely Buendia in the judges’ chair of a reality talent show.
“I’m not really into that kind of stuff, and I don’t actually see myself doing that,” he told the Manila Times in an interview during the launch of Sony Philippines Music Deserves Respect campaign.
What the former Eraserheads frontman is into these days is crossing the boundaries of audio storytelling and creating a visual narrative as he directs and produces the upcoming independent movie entitled Bang Bang Alley.
“The movie is a trilogy of stories. Its a crime-thriller-drama anthology that delves into the culture of violence infecting our society,” he explained.
According to the film’s Facebook page, some of the haunted characters in the cramped darkness of Bang Bang Alley include a journalist who has just survived a political massacre; a driver spiraling into madness; and a drug-addled wild child on the run from the police.
The movie stars Megan Young, Jimmy Santos, Joel Torre, Bela Padilla, Art Acuña, Perla Bautista, Gabe Mercado, Althea Vega, Jamie Wilson and Yan Yuzon and will hit theaters on August 7.
In a previous news interview with www.abs-cbn.com, Ely compared “acting” in a music video and for a feature film, “I don’t consider music video performance acting kasi tumutugtog ka lang naman. Sometimes you have to show some emotion, pero this one’s different. You really have to be convincing. Kaunting palya lang sa performance mo, medyo magsa-suffer na ‘yung buong pelikula,” he added.
“Malaki ‘yung pressure,” he said, “But I made sure naman na ‘yung character na tinackle ko, malapit lapit naman sa ‘kin.”
Ely first released a short film in 2008, and he credits digital technology for making it easier to become a filmmaker. In the ’90s, Buendia pointed out, this wasn’t the case — as the equipment for making films were limited even at institutions that offered education on the craft.
“I really wanted to be a filmmaker since college, as a career. Music for me was just a hobby then; I didn’t really think making I’d make an actual career out of it. I was studying to be in film,” he said.
“After 20 to 30 years and with the advent of digital technology, mas madili nang pumasok sa filmmaking,” Buendia added.
With all of his accomplishments, is there still anything he wants to do? “Yes, I wanna become a Pilot,” he said seriously.
Music Deserves Respect
A day before Independence Day, the HyvE at Bonifacio High Street was filled with rockstars such Raymund Marasigan of Sandwich, Kean Cipriano and band Callalily, Yael Yuzon of 6cyclemind, Tutti Caringal of SpongeCola to show their support as Bamboo and Ely Buendia shared the stage for the first time to promote the Music Deserves Respect Campaign.
Dubbed as the MDR sessions, the two performed some of their most popular hits with Ely surprising the audience with three classic Eraserheads songs Alapaap, Pare Ko and Maling Akala.
In tandem with the launch of Sony’s premium line of headphones, both ambassadors are on a mission to tell their fans and consumers why Music Deserves Respect.
“Every song deserves a chance to be heard and these days, we’ve unfortunately become part of a culture that listens to music through tiny speakers from a laptop or the likes of it. It’s important to understand how a musician’s hard work goes into the creative process. We work with a team, we collaborate to make the right lyrics but most importantly we make music the way we want it to be heard. Giving justice to music is giving justice to the artists’ hard work in the studio too. For this, you need the right headphones for the power, the drive, the warm sound, the tone, the extra bass and clarity because when you hear a song the way it’s supposed to sound, it’s great stuff,” says Bamboo.
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“I’ve always been a Sony fan, because they make great products. Their headphones are well designed and easy on the eyes, as well as the ears of course. Sony puts a very high premium on quality and as an artist, I can appreciate that,” seconded Ely. “They are the best I’ve tried so far.”
“The MDR-1R series, MDR-XB920 and MDR-XB610 are manifestations of our commitment to give music the respect it deserves. Music is a collaboration between an artist and his team and through these headphones, the sound of their hard work and commitment will clearly be heard,” said CJ Deacosta, Marketing Officer for Personal Audio, Sony Philippines Inc.
Says Assistant Manager Erica Dela Cruz: “we are pleased to have Ely and Bamboo on board with us on this campaign as it is relevant to their lifestyle as musicians. Both have established themselves as music icons here and around the world. They have dedicated themselves to providing good music to their listeners as a result of their hard work, passion and dedication. With our new headphones,, music lovers now have the opportunity to listen to music the way it was intended to be heard.”
“At Sony, we believe that comfort and premium design is just as important as solid sound quality. That’s why our pressure-relieving cushions are tailored for your ears. They not only provide a comfortable wrap-around feel, but also help to seal in music, preventing sound leakage,” adds Deacosta.
A number of Sony executives were also present at the launch, including Sony Philippines President and Managing Director Yasushi Asaoka. Former MTV Philippines VJ, TV host and model Sara Meier hosted the event.