Sad Loss May 20, 2007
Posted by Mayee in : Daily Babble , trackbackYesterday was one of the rare occasions that I watched a local show on (sadly) the only channel our antenna TV picks up, GMA 7. Jessica Soho’s show was on… and I was surprised, no, shocked at hearing that YOYOY VILLAME had passed away on May 18, 2007.. just the other day.
No sad songs for Yoyoy Villame
TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Sing no sad songs for Boholano novelty singer Roman “Yoyoy” Villame who died of heart attack on Friday. He was 75.
Little is known of Villame who was born in Sta. Cruz, Calape town on November 18, 1932.
From the recollections of his eldest daughter Lilian Villame-Austria, 49, her father started out as a taxi driver in Manila where she and another sibling were born.
Villame decided to go back to Bohol where he made a living driving passenger buses. Since he dropped out of school after his second year in high school, Villame knew no other source of livelihood.
His limited educational background did not deter Villame from composing his own songs, which delighted his audience.
“When he and his friends gathered together, he was always asked to sing,” Lilian, a mother of six, said in Cebuano.
Pretty soon, he was invited to parties and eventually as an entertainer in fiestas and special events.
The manager of the old MB Liner fleet of passenger buses where he was employed as a driver realized that he had a gold mine in his hands and brought him to Manila in 1970.
There, Villame recorded Magellan (1972), his first and biggest hit.
After a string of hits, Villame became a by-word in Cebuano-speaking provinces.
Lilian said her father became so busy with his engagements that he soon found it difficult to visit them.
“Sometimes, once a year. Other times, not even every year,” said Lilian.
Villame eventually penetrated even the Tagalog audience and later made a mark enough for him to be elected councilor of Las Piñas.
Lilian said her father would bring presents for her and her younger siblings whenever he visited them but admitted the family never really benefited from his earnings as an entertainer.
Although he was no longer as active in his career as before, Lilian said her father was still being sought out as an entertainer. In fact, she said Villame performed in Canada last December.
On May 7 last year, Villame went home during the reunion of the Orion clan in Calape. It would turn out to be his last visit to his hometown.
When he called Lilian on Thursday, there was no hint of his impending death.
“He called me and asked me to relay his congratulations to Dr. Junie Yu (Calape Mayor-elect Sulpicio Yu Jr.) for winning as mayor,” Lilian said.
Although she expressed her wish for her father’s body to be brought to Calape, Lilian seemed resigned to the fact that this would not be possible.
“It would be too expensive,” she explained.
Lilian said her mother, Dionisia, 76, was saddened when she heard the news about his death.
“We are just waiting for the advice of my two sisters who are in Manila if they want us to go,” Lilian said.
The singing bus driver is gone. But his songs will live on for as long as people care to listen and be entertained.
So why should I be affected in any way whatsoever? Because. Just because. I dunno, he’s one of the Filipinos I truly, really admire. Not for their looks, not for their academic background, their wealth, fame, etc., but because they bring Filipinos together in their weird ways.
If the whole country was in the middle of a war, and Buchi-kik (spelling?) started playing, I’m betting everybody’d stop what they were doing and just sing and dance along. Or maybe that’s a little exaggerated but you know what I mean.
And if you find my reasons to be crappy nonsense, well here’s one more reason: He is a genius. To compose songs of utter nonsense, songs out of a string of places, names, whatever.. it’s just.. incredible.
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