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.
Mahal Kita
Apo Hiking Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hindi ko alam kung bakit ka ganyan
Mahirap kausapin at di pa namamansin
Di mo ba alam ako'y nasasaktan
Ngunit di bale na basta't malaman mo na ...
Ngumiti ka man lang sana ako'y nasa langit na
Mahal kita, mahal kita, hindi ito bola
Sumagot ka naman 'wag lang ... ewan ...
Sana naman itigil mo na 'yang
Kakasabi ng ewan at anong bola na naman 'yan
Bakit ba ganyan, binata'y di alam
Na ang ewan ay katulad na rin ng oong inaasam ...
Mahal kita, mahal kita, hindi ito bola
Ngumiti ka man lang sana ako'y nasa langit na
Mahal kita, mahal kita, hindi ito bola
Sumagot ka naman 'wag lang ... ewan ...
Sumagot ka naman, wag lang ewan
(Sumagot ka naman, wag lang ewan)
Sumagot ka naman, wag lang ... ewan .
The song Mahal Kita by the Apo Hiking Society tells the story of a man who struggles to express his feelings to the woman he loves. He finds her difficult to talk to, as she seems dismissive of his attempts to connect with her. He expresses his frustration at her lack of understanding of his emotional state, and begs her to simply acknowledge his love for her, even if she can't love him back. He pleads with her to stop playing games with him and to stop using the word "ewan" (an expression of uncertainty) to avoid answering his questions. He is hopeful that she will one day see how much he loves her and reciprocate his feelings.
The lyrics to this song present a common theme in Filipino love songs, that of unrequited love and the longing for the affection of the beloved. The use of the word "ewan" as a refrain throughout the song highlights the frustration and uncertainty that can come with expressing one's feelings to another person. The Apo Hiking Society's use of simple language and catchy melody made this song a popular hit in the Philippines and remains a classic to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Hindi ko alam kung bakit ka ganyan
I do not understand why you act like that
Mahirap kausapin at di pa namamansin
It's difficult to talk to you when you do not even notice me
Di mo ba alam ako'y nasasaktan
Don't you know that I am hurting?
Ngunit di bale na basta't malaman mo na ...
But it doesn't matter as long as you know...
Mahal kita, mahal kita, hindi ito bola
I love you, I love you, this is not a joke
Ngumiti ka man lang sana ako'y nasa langit na
Just smile and I'll feel like I'm in heaven
Sumagot ka naman 'wag lang ... ewan ...
Please answer me, not just with an 'I don't know'
Sana naman itigil mo na 'yang
I hope you stop that
Kakasabi ng ewan at anong bola na naman 'yan
Always saying 'I don't know' and what kind of joke is that?
Bakit ba ganyan, binata'y di alam
Why is it like this, a young man does not even know
Na ang ewan ay katulad na rin ng oong inaasam ...
That 'I don't know' is just like the dreams I've been longing for...
Sumagot ka naman, wag lang ewan
Please answer me, not just with an 'I don't know'
(Sumagot ka naman, wag lang ewan)
(Please answer me, not just with an 'I don't know)')
Sumagot ka naman, wag lang ... ewan .
Please answer me, not just with an 'I don't know'
Contributed by Violet N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bernadette Arcena-Jacinto
on Blue Jeans
a sa on sa ondai.