The APO HIKING SOCIETY first gained recognition in 1973 when they gave a fa… Read Full Bio ↴The APO HIKING SOCIETY first gained recognition in 1973 when they gave a farewell concert at the plush Meralco Auditorium in Metro Manila. Just out of college, the group was the talk of the Ateneo University and adjoining campuses for their music and humor.

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.

Kisapmata
Apo Hiking Society Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Nitong umaga lang,
Pagka lambing-lambing
Ng iyong mga matang
Hayup kung tumingin.
Nitong umaga lang,
Pagka galing-galing
Ng iyong sumpang
walang aawat sa atin.

Refrain

O kay bilis namang
Maglaho ng
Pag-ibig mo sinta,
Daig mo pa ang isang kisapmata.
Kanina'y naryan lang o ba't
Bigla namang nawala.
Daig mo pa ang isang kisapmata.

Kani-kanina lang,
Pagka ganda-ganda
Ng pagkasabi mong
Sana'y tayo na nga.
Kani-kanina lang,
Pagka saya-saya
Ng buhay kong
Bigla na lamang nagiba.
(repeat refrain)

kani-kanina lang pagka ganda ganda
kani-kanina lang pagkasasaya...

(repeat refrain)

Overall Meaning

The song "Kisapmata" by Apo Hiking Society portrays the fleeting nature of love and how easily it can disappear without warning. The opening lines describe a moment of tenderness and affection, but also imply that these feelings are fickle and transitory. The singer remarks that their lover's eyes are "animalistic" in their intensity, perhaps suggesting that their passion is overwhelming and uncontrollable. The following lines reference a promise or vow between the lovers that "no one will come between us," but this confidence is quickly shattered.

In the refrain, the singer laments the sudden disappearance of their lover's love, comparing it to the blink of an eye or a "kisapmata" in Tagalog. This phrase is a colloquialism for a quick, involuntary twitch of the eye, which is often believed to be a sign of impending danger or misfortune. The second verse repeats the pattern of the first, with the singer recalling a happy moment between themselves and their lover, only to have it abruptly end. The song concludes with a final repetition of the refrain, emphasizing the theme of impermanence and loss.

Overall, "Kisapmata" is a poignant reflection on the fragile nature of romantic love and the pain of sudden separation. The lyrics suggest that even the strongest bonds can be broken in an instant, leaving behind only memories of happier times.

Line by Line Meaning

Nitong umaga lang,
Just this morning,

Pagka lambing-lambing
How affectionate

Ng iyong mga matang
Your eyes were

Hayup kung tumingin.
Animalistic in their gaze.

Pagka galing-galing
How impressive

Ng iyong sumpang
Your vow was

walang aawat sa atin.
Nothing could stop us.

O kay bilis namang
Oh how quickly

Maglaho ng
Love fades away,

Pag-ibig mo sinta,
My love,

Daig mo pa ang isang kisapmata.
You disappear faster than a blink.