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.
Kating-Kati At Di Mapakali
Apo Hiking Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kanina pa nag-aabang dyan sa tabi
Hindi malaman ang gagawin
Parang tanga at di alam ang sasabihin
Tila tulalang gising na medyo lasing
O sana may dahilan agimat buong anting-anting
Upang di na maging mahiyain
Kapag Kasama kita...
Maraming tsopeng tulad ko
Hindi pa mulat sa takbo ng mundo
Sa kwarta ay laging kapos
Ngunit sa pagmamahal ay di nauubos
O sana naman ko'y iyong pagbigyan
At pagmamahal ko ay iyong matikman
Ngunit hanggang matuto ako
Pagpasensyahan sana
Sinasaulo'ng mga linya
Pati pandaigdigang pang-romansa
Ang natural inaaral pa
Sa sarili walang tiwala
Tinininiw-niniw-niniw...
Tinininiw-niniw-niniwniw...
Ngunit hanggang matuto ako
Pagpasensyahan sana
Sinasaulo'ng mga linya
Pati pandaigdigang pang-romansa
Ang natural inaaral pa
Sa sarili walang tiwala
Kating-kati at di mapakali
Kanina pa nag-aabang dyan sa tabi
Hindi malaman ang gagawin
Parang tanga at di alam ang sasabihin
Tila tulalang gising na medyo lasing
O sana may dahilan agimat buong anting-anting
Upang di na maging mahiyain
Kapag Kasama kita...
Kating-kati at di Mapakali
Kapag kasama kita...
Kapag Kasama kita...
The song "Kating-Kati At Di Mapakali" by Apo Hiking Society talks about the feeling of being anxious and unable to decide what to say or do when one is with someone special. The singer expresses their desire to have confidence and courage when with their loved one. The song also highlights a common experience of not having enough money but having an abundance of love in their hearts. The lines "Maraming tsopeng tulad ko, hindi pa mulat sa takbo ng mundo, sa kwarta ay laging kapos, ngunit sa pagmamahal ay di nauubos" convey this sentiment.
The lyrics also show the singer's struggle in learning to express themselves to their special someone. They mention feeling like they need to study and memorize romantic lines, but they still lack confidence in their own abilities. The repetition of "Tinininiw-niniw-niniw..." at the end of the lines emphasizes this struggle.
Overall, the song "Kating-Kati At Di Mapakali" is about the universal feeling of nervousness and insecurity that comes with being in love, as well as the desire to overcome those feelings and express love freely.
Line by Line Meaning
Kating-kati at di Mapakali
Feeling agitated and restless, unable to focus
Kanina pa nag-aabang dyan sa tabi
Waiting by the side for quite some time now
Hindi malaman ang gagawin
Don't know what to do
Parang tanga at di alam ang sasabihin
Like a fool, not knowing what to say
Tila tulalang gising na medyo lasing
Like a sleepwalking drunkard
O sana may dahilan agimat buong anting-anting
Oh, if only there was a reason or some kind of charm
Upang di na maging mahiyain kapag kasama kita...
So as not to be shy when I'm with you...
Maraming tsopeng tulad ko
Many people like me
Hindi pa mulat sa takbo ng mundo
Not yet aware of the ways of the world
Sa kwarta ay laging kapos
Always short on money
Ngunit sa pagmamahal ay di nauubos
But when it comes to love, it never runs out
O sana naman ko'y iyong pagbigyan
Oh, if only you would agree to be mine
At pagmamahal ko ay iyong matikman
And taste my love for you
Tinininiw-niniw-niniw...
Mumbling to oneself
Tinininiw-niniw-niniwniw...
Mumbling to oneself
Kapag kasama kita...
When I'm with you...
Ngunit hanggang matuto ako, pagpasensyahan sana
But until I learn, please be patient with me
Sinasaulo'ng mga linya
Memorizing lines
Pati pandaigdigang pang-romansa
Even international love songs
Ang natural inaaral pa
Still studying the natural way
Sa sarili walang tiwala
No confidence in oneself
Contributed by Noah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
komikero
Ang galing galing talaga ng APO ser! This is a very beautiful song. Your group is really one of the treasures of Philippine music!
Jim Paredes
Salamat :)
trebornoican
@Jim Paredes Sir Jim si Sir Gerry Alanguilan po yung komiker (nasa heaven na po siya 😪).
mangdannyboy
i'll always remember this song especially because of the radio phone-in contest that the old 93.9 WKC (now i-FM) did to promote this...ang simpleng instruction ng contest, sabihin lang ang "kating-kati at 'di mapakali" as many times in 30 seconds...
evancortez2
Another Apo classic! Thank you sir!
ferrero8
laging ko itong kinakanta,mula pa noon hanggang ngayon kahit ano ginagawa ko..ngunit ngayon ko lang na alalang panoorin dito sa youtube.nakakatuwa pala ng MV nito..hahaha...ang ganda ganda nung main lady!!ano po name nya??yung lalaki gwapings din!!....na aalala ko tuloy ang panahon ng gwapings sa buhok nya.
trebornoican
alala ko nga ang song na to. ayuuus pala ang music video nito. galing naman!
romeo araza
sir guitar chords naman para sa beginner tnx
BlueEAGLE46 💙🦅
You're so handsome back then, Jim Paredes... And Danny Javier's hairstyle look bizarre!
christian dapito
Tenenenew-tenew-tenewtew :)