It’s always fascinating to listen to or watch a foreigner faultlessly singing Tagalog songs. Aside from the uplifting feeling of unexplainable pride inevitably induced by the situation, it indubitably gives the alien tongue the opportunity to communicate efficiently through music which the world relentlessly considers the universal language.
Take the case of the pretty Russian model-singer Anna Rabtsun who could effortlessly sing Gloc9’s “Sirena” or YouTube user xxxthunrrbltxx who posted a cover of Parokya Ni Edgar’s “Buloy.” Then there’s Jeremy Smith who recorded another Parokya Ni Edgar hit single, “Mr. Suave,” fully donned in Barong Tagalog complete with mustache; American Joseph Collins singing “Pusong Bato” for his Filipina wife; Mexican international actress-singer Thalia rendering “Nandito Ako;” and a lot more who proudly posted on social media their vocal achievements in Tagalog.
Eartha Kitt brought the Visayan song “Waray-Waray” to an international level, Lindsey O’Connor of England emotionally rendered “Sana Maulit Muli” sans a single foreign accent, while a Latina sang “Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko” like a bona-fide born Pinay.
But even before the advent of the internet, international recording artists had already professed their admiration for Tagalog songs like the immortal 1938 Miguel Velarde, Jr.’s composition, “Dahil Sa Iyo,” which was waxed by Jerry Vale (1963), Julio Iglesias (1973), Nat King Cole (1964), The Everly Brothers, and The Lettermen (from their all-Tagalog album which included “Ikaw,” “Hindi Kita Malimot,” and “Sapagka’t Kami Ay Tao Lamang”).
Even international choral groups had chosen Tagalog songs for their prestigious performances: a Canadian choir and the Brown University Chorus flawlessly delivered “Rosas Pandan,” a group of Norwegians did “Pusong Bato,” an American choir even took “Paru-Parong Bukid” to a classic level, and Illinois Rip Chords chose “Dahil Sa Iyo” as its competition piece.
What exactly is there in the Filipino songs that made foreigners not only fall in love with them but also satiated their emotional impulses by singing the songs from the heart?
“Tagalog songs are deeply communicative and expressive. There’s the genuine outpouring of personal sentiments and relatable human emotions while expressing the purity of self-professed love, longing, pain, and even desperation,” explains international singer-songwriter, composer David DiMuzio who’s moniker became a familiar fixture in the local music scene after having recorded and posted on YouTube a voluminous number of Pinoy pop songs.
An Italian by ethnicity and an American by birth (a 4th generation American from North Carolina), David was a high school dropout but that didn’t thwart or led him wayward since he was determined and focused to succeed in the career he loved most — songwriting.
“I’m more of a songwriter than a singer,” he admitted. But it wasn’t until he was 21 when he performed professionally at a wine bar although he already wrote songs when he was barely 9 years old.
“I didn’t find it late to start a career at 21. I guess it was just the right time since I’ve mellowed and was made stern by the experiences I encountered during my formative years,” the multi-talented singer-performer opined.
Possessing a considerable visionary approach to life, David exemplifies a true-blooded Aquarian (having been born on February 8) who is, in a nutshell, full of fairness sans discrimination and innately imaginative.
Since communication is essentialin his singing career David deemed it right to choose a language that could stimulate interest and magnetize curiosity while performing…and he chose Tagalog.
“You might be surprised…but I’m one-fourth Pinoy,” he voluntarily admitted. “Actually, my grandmother from my father side was a Filipina!” And punctuated his revelation with a grin of pride accompanied with a shoulder shrug.
David knows exactly that one easy surefire way to win his Filipino audience was by speaking the language fluently and delivering his music with such spontaneity the very manner how a Pinoy does. He successfully transcended the language barrier and its contextual intricacies with keen attention to his accustomed schwa resonance and aspirated final “T” sounds which aren’t applicable in Tagalog words.
Who was to be credited for his leaning towards Tagalog songs?
“It was actually a Filipino singer-songwriter and multi-intrumentalist River Maya frontman Rico Blanco who influenced me to concentrate in Tagalog songs. I watched one of his shows in Makati…. Oh, before I forget, I’ve already resided in the Philippines for three years,” David confessed. “We became friends and learned a lot from him. But I have to say, my father had the earliest influence on me… he’s also a singer.”
So far, to date, David is mighty proud that he has more than a hundred Tagalog songs that he painstakingly mastered with some he has fittingly given English interpretations.
David has already recorded four albums: the first two in English, one under Star Records, and eight Tagalog songs being recorded with English version. David’s avid followers could view most of his personal recordings and videos in YouTube and that increases his growing fan base.
“I’m actually concentrating on recording more Tagalog songs after having recorded Chinese and Indonesian songs and maybe, Japanese. I always make it a point to squeeze into my schedule a visit to the Philippines every time I have performances around Asia. It felt great to be reconnected with my friends in Manila, savor the native cuisine, and enrich my Tagalog vocabulary.” David said.
From among the many Filipino songs he has learned and recorded, David picked two that he considered the best he has done with the most fulfilling results: River Maya’s “Himala” and Noel Cabangon’s “Kanlungan.”
“Every culture has a different and distinct music style and the Philippines had its own uniqueness that is easy to fall in love with. Tagalog songs are plaintive and haunting with poignantly lingering melody. The lyrics are poetic and mostly expressing supplication, elegiac pleas with the composite elements of soulful emotions. It’s easy to relate as well as to impart,” David candidly dispensed his thoughts while verbally sounding like under the Pinoy spell.
His memorable stint in the Philippines in 2009 gave him the chance to collaborate with top Filipino talents like Yeng Constantino, Mikey Bustos, Moymoy Palaboy, Nyoy Volante, Rhap Salazar, Yassi Pressman, among others. His original composition, “Naiisip Mo Ba?,” has incredibly received almost 5 million views.
When queried how long does it take him to fully master a Tagalog song, the Italian-American with a Pinoy heart instantaneously replied: “Before it used to take a couple of days or even a week for me to fully master the lyrics and the melody but lately, a day or two would be just right since I was already familiar with the flow of the musicality and meanings of every word in the song.”
With regards to how his Filipino audience react to his Tagalog-loaded repertoire: “The Filipinos in America are more appreciative than those who are in the Philippines. Here, they find it something special and far from the ordinary compared to others who seemed less impressed.”
It was astounding to learn that David isn’t only a virtuoso on guitar, the ukulele, bass guitar, and even the piano but he’s got another skill with the use of props far from the musical instruments he used to handle and play.
“I was one time a world champion juggler,” he openly revealed to my amazement. “I bested a little more than a hundred contestants in 2001.”
That victory landed him a job as the youngest, at 18, headline performer in the history of Disney, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Princess, Cunard, and Norwegian Cruise Lines that took him to seventy-seven countries around the world. At times David incorporates his juggling expertise with his singing performances.
Incidentally, having tasted (and tested) gastronomic creations from different kitchens, one expects David to be already a skilled cook but read on what he has to say:
“I don’t cook. What are restaurants around for? But I know what tastes best and what ingredient seems to be lacking in a dish,” he frankly said. “And I am very partial with coconut…anything with coconut milk.I love laing (taro leaves cooked in coconut milk), guinataang langka (young jackfruit with coconut milk), and gising-gising (green beans with ground pork or chicken in coconut milk).”
Noticeably, David has totally embraced his Filipino traits and comfortably adjusted his palate to every Filipino native dish with coconut. And to test his consistency, we dare asked him his favorite drink which he immediately replied without qualm: “Buko!”
The name David DiMuzio will, unquestionably, go down in the annals of the Philippine entertainment history as a multi-faceted performer, achiever, cultural ambassador, and inspirational icon whose clever deeds are as rich as his imagination with a heart as unadulterated as a genuine Pinoy.
For comments and suggestions, please email to: [email protected].
