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.

Yakap Sa Dilim
Apo Hiking Society Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sandal mo sana ang ulo mo sa unan
Katawan mo ay aking kukumutan
Mga problema'y iyong malilimutan
Habang tayo'y magkayakap sa dilim

Huwag mong pigilin kung nais mapaluha
Pakiramdam mo sana'y guminhawa
Kung gusto mo ay magsigarilyo muna

Bago tayo magkayakap sa dilim

Heto na ang pinaka-hihintay natin
Heto na tayo magkayakap sa dilim
O kay sarap ng mga nakaw na sandali
Habang tayo'y magkayakap sa dilim

Habang tayo'y magkayakap sa dilim
Heto na ang pinaka-hihintay natin
Heto na tayo magkayakap sa dilim
O kay sarap ng mga nakaw na sandali
Habang tayo'y magkayakap sa dilim

Halika na at sumiping ka sa kama
Lasapin natin ang ating pagsasama

Sa 'ting pag-ibig tayo ay umaasa
Habang tayo'y magkayakap sa dilim

Overall Meaning

The song "Yakap Sa Dilim" by the Apo Hiking Society is a beautiful and romantic song about two people who are finding comfort in each other's company in the darkness. The lyrics suggest that one person is seeking solace from their problems and wants to forget about them for a while. The other person is there to offer comfort and support, allowing them to cry if they need to and reminding them that they are not alone. The song captures the emotions and intimacy of being with someone in the dark, made even more poignant by the line "oy sarap ng mga nakaw na sandali" which means "it feels so good to steal these moments."

The lyrics also encourage the idea of letting go and living in the moment, which is why they suggest smoking a cigarette before cuddling in the dark. It's as if they are encouraging the other person to indulge in that one moment of respite or pleasure, without worrying about the consequences. The last stanza is a call to enjoy each other's company, to embrace the love that they share, and to hope for something more in the future.

Overall, this beautiful and romantic song speaks to the beauty and intimacy that can be found in the darkness, and the power that love has to provide comfort and hope during difficult times.

Line by Line Meaning

Sandal mo sana ang ulo mo sa unan
Please rest your head on the pillow

Katawan mo ay aking kukumutan
I will cover your body

Mga problema'y iyong malilimutan
You will forget your problems

Habang tayo'y magkayakap sa dilim
While we embrace in the darkness

Huwag mong pigilin kung nais mapaluha
Don't hold back your tears

Pakiramdam mo sana'y guminhawa
You will feel relieved

Kung gusto mo ay magsigarilyo muna
If you want, let's smoke first

Bago tayo magkayakap sa dilim
Before we embrace in the darkness

Heto na ang pinaka-hihintay natin
The moment we've been waiting for is here

Heto na tayo magkayakap sa dilim
Now, let's embrace in the darkness

O kay sarap ng mga nakaw na sandali
Oh, how sweet are these stolen moments