His father was one of the most respected figures in OPM, and music was pretty much part of everyday life growing up. It was almost a given that Elmo Magalona would eventually venture into music.
What comes as a surprise is that although he feels great admiration, he doesn’t see himself tracing the footsteps of his dad—the Master Rapper, Francis Magalona, who died after a battle with leukemia eight years ago.
In an interview with InterAksyon during the recent Billboard PH Playsound Launch, Elmo acknowledged his father’s popularity and legacy as an artist.
“I really idolized my dad when I was small. It always fascinated me. It always interested me—my dad’s lifestyle and how he was so known not just here but also when he would have shows outside of the country. It really interested me.
“But honestly I wasn’t thinking of myself to become as big a musician as my dad because no one can compare to my dad, to what he has done.”
Francis Magalona, Elmo’s father, released over a dozen recordings throughout his career, including the groundbreaking album “Yo,” which features the hit singles “Mga Kababayan” and “Cold Summer Nights.”
Elmo, for his part, released his self-titled album only last year. But he has been involved in other recording projects, including a collaboration with Ely Buendia and co-interpreting one of the songs for PhilPop 2014. He also recorded songs for the “Born For You” soundtrack, which was used for his pilot teleserye pairing with Janella Salvador.
Elmo and Janella’s loveteam will again be put to the test in“Kung Kailangan Mo Ako,” an upcoming teleserye. Elmo and Janella will also be busy shooting two films this year—“ My Fairy Tale Love Story” and “Bloody Crayons.”
Elmo’s success as an actor may have seemingly overshadowed his inclination towards music; but it doesn’t mean that acting has become his sole priority.
He explains, “Music will always be close to my heart because of what it has done for our family. But acting is also something that is close to my heart because ever since I was small I was always into performing and acting. Each has a different part of my heart.”
It wasn’t hard for the Magalona kids to learn to appreciate music. “They incorporated music in our lives growing up,” Elmo said, referring to his late father and his mother, Pia Magalona.
Elmo counts Bamboo, Up Dharma Down, Urban Dub and Parokya ni Edgar as some of his favorite Pinoy artists. He does have some grievances concerning the local music scene but is hopeful that things can still improve.
“Our music scene should be bigger than what it is now. A part of that is because of how much we promote international artists who come here and have shows here while we don’t get to showcase our own music scene that much. I think that’s one thing that should be addressed.
“I think Billboard PH can help with that. Billboard is such a prestigious music-oriented company. For them to be partnered now with the Philippines is such a big deal for us. Because now, a lot of people from outside our country, have more opportunities to discover music from us. We can share more of our culture, our unique sound. I’m glad that this has happened for us and I’m excited for OPM.” he shared.
Elmo may not think he will ever be as prolific as his dad, but he does have lofty aspirations.
He shares, “Every day that’s what I aspire for—to make something that I can call my own and have an achievement as big as what my dad has done for our country.”
And as an artist himself, Elmo has learned a few valuable lessons along the way.
“It’s very important for you to find something new within yourself because that’s the beauty of art. You never stay the same. Even if you become comfortable with one thing, it’s never enough as an artist to stay the same. It’s always good to crave for something new and to always explore what’s out there,” he said.
PlaySound: The BillboardPH Music Trip is BillboardPH’s on-ground experience and is part of Ayala Malls’ “PLAY” summer campaign.
