It was only when two of its four members were about to retire from the field of amateur music, however, that the APO, then known as the Apolinario Mabini Hiking Society, finally had a city-wide audience. One of them was scheduled to leave for Turkey as an exchange student. The other had a position waiting for him in his father's advertising firm.
Why a talented young man of 21 would want to go to Turkey, every young man in the early seventies would probably understand. But what the APO could not understand was their fourth member's decision to leave the irresponsibility of being unemployed to join the ranks of the corporate world.
The trip to Turkey did not materialize and the APO, now a tentative trio, pushed on steadily towards fame and fortune.
Looking back, the APO members Danny Javier, Boboy Garrovillo, and Jim Paredes do not regret never having been regular wage earners. Their farewell concert, which had SRO audiences for two stormy nights, not unexpectedly became a hit record the following year.
In the three decades since that "farewell" concert, the APO has made 22 record albums; hosted several television shows including their own noontime Sunday show "Sa Linggo nAPO Sila"; and launched hugely successful major solo concerts and countless provincial, dinner, and corporate shows. They have performed in over 50 cities in the United States, in Canada, Singapore, Indonesia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Japan to bring Original Pilipino Music to Filipinos the world over.
In October of 1987, during their annual US tour, the APO became the first Filipino pop artists to perform at the Main Hall of New York's prestigious Carnegie Hall. They also performed at the equally prestigious Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada's music capital. Both concerts, as well as the other shows held during that particular concert tour, were sold out. The APO were also the first Filipino artists to perform in a public concert in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In 1987, they were one of the first Filipino artists to be recorded on compact disc. And in 1994, they were awarded the first Dangal ng Musikang Pilipino by Awit Awards - the Filipino equivalent of the Grammy. They have also been conferred the Tanglaw Ng Lahi Award, the highest accolade given by Jesuits in the field of culture and arts.
The APO also earned international recognition for Jim Paredes' anthem on the bloodless Philippine revolution in 1986. "Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo" was recorded by 15 Filipino artists in April 1986. A few months later, the English version "A New and Better Way" was launched in Australia. In February 1987, the first anniversary of the Philippines' People Power revolution, the song was released in London, England. The lyrics of the song are embedded on a wall of Our Lady of Edsa Shrine, the center of the revolution.
Bakit Ba
Apo Hiking Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Di pa ba sapat ang pagmamahal ko sa 'yo?
'Di ba mula pa noon, ikaw lang ang pinapansin?
'Di ba't hanggang ngayon, ikaw lang ang minamahal?
Sinasamba, wala nang iba
Bakit ba, pagsuyo ko'y 'di na napapansin?
Mayro'n lang akong nagawang pagkakamali
Sana naman ngayon, aminin mo na mayro'n ka nang
Ibang minamahal at 'di na ako
Kung mayroon ka nang ibang minamahal
Isipin mo lang kung kayo'y magtatagal
Pagkat nandito ako
Naghihintay sa 'yong pagbabalik
Bakit ba ikaw ang naturing kong mahalin?
At tila ba ginising mo ang puso kong nahihimbing
At magmula noon, ikaw lang ang pinapansin
Kahit hanggang ngayon, ikaw lang ang minamahal
Sinasamba, wala nang iba
Kung mayroon ka nang ibang minamahal
Isipin mo lang kung kayo'y magtatagal
Pagkat nandito ako
Naghihintay sa 'yong pagbabalik
Bakit ba parang kang nalalayo sa akin?
Bakit ba, pagsuyo ko'y 'di na napapansin?
Bakit ba ikaw ang naturing kong mahalin?
Bakit ba, oh, bakit ba?
The song Bakit Ba by Apo Hiking Society talks about unrequited love and the confusion that comes with it. The lyrics express the pain and longing of someone who loves another person deeply, but that person seems to be drifting away. The first verse asks why the person is becoming distant despite the love and attention given. It expresses the idea that the love given should be enough, but somehow it still feels inadequate.
The second verse talks about a mistake made by the singer that caused the loved one to stop noticing the singer's advances. The loved one is seeing someone else now, and the singer wants them to face the truth and reveal their feelings. The chorus repeats the idea of waiting for the loved one to come back, offering loyalty and support despite the pain of unrequited love.
In summary, the song Bakit Ba is a heartbreaking plea for love, honesty, and connection. It explores the pain that comes with loving someone who doesn't love you back and recognizes the difficulty of letting go of that love.
Line by Line Meaning
Bakit ba parang kang nalalayo sa 'kin?
Why does it feel like you're distancing yourself from me?
'Di pa ba sapat ang pagmamahal ko sa 'yo?
Isn't my love for you enough?
'Di ba mula pa noon, ikaw lang ang pinapansin?
Wasn't it since then that I only noticed you?
'Di ba't hanggang ngayon, ikaw lang ang minamahal?
Sinasamba, wala nang iba
Until now, aren't you the only one I love?
I adore you, no one else.
Bakit ba, pagsuyo ko'y 'di na napapansin?
Why do you not notice my courtship?
Mayro'n lang akong nagawang pagkakamali
I made a mistake,
Sabi mo pa noon, pag-ibig mo'y 'di magbabago
You said before that your love won't change,
Sana naman ngayon, aminin mo na mayro'n ka nang
Ibang minamahal at 'di na ako
I hope now you will admit that you love someone else and not me.
Kung mayroon ka nang ibang minamahal
Isipin mo lang kung kayo'y magtatagal
Pagkat nandito ako
Naghihintay sa 'yong pagbabalik
If you love someone else, just think about how long it will last.
Because I am here, waiting for you to come back.
Bakit ba ikaw ang naturing kong mahalin?
Why did I consider you the one to love?
At tila ba ginising mo ang puso kong nahihimbing
And it seems like you awakened my sleeping heart
Kahit hanggang ngayon, ikaw lang ang minamahal
Sinasamba, wala nang iba
Even until now, you're the only one I love.
I adore you, no one else.
Bakit ba parang kang nalalayo sa akin?
Why does it feel like you're distancing yourself from me?
Bakit ba, pagsuyo ko'y 'di na napapansin?
Why do you not notice my courtship?
Bakit ba ikaw ang naturing kong mahalin?
Why did I consider you the one to love?
Bakit ba, oh, bakit ba?
Why, oh, why?
Writer(s): Boboy Garrovillo
Contributed by Dominic I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bernadette Arcena-Jacinto
on Blue Jeans
a sa on sa ondai.