Music Icon Basil Valdez Does Cover Versions Of Hit Local Songs For The First Time

BASIL VALDEZ’s place as an icon in local music history is very well secure because of his hit OPM songs like “Ngayon at Kailanman”, “Kastilyong Buhangin”, “Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan”, “Hindi Kita Malilimutan”, “Paano Ba ang Mangarap”, “Hanggang sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan”, “Kung Ako’y Iiwan Mo”, “Sana ay Ikaw na Nga”, and many other songs now considered classic. We can’t believe it when he told us he turned 60 last November. He certainly looks much younger than his age. “Naku, sumasakit na rin ang tuhod ko due to arthritis,” he says. “It runs in our family. But other than that, I feel the same.”

His voice has certainly remained the same through the years. And this is evident in his newest album, simply title “Basil S. Valdez”, where he remakes the songs of other singers for the first time.

“I myself chose two of the songs, ‘Minsan Pa’ of Jomari Chan and ‘Ikaw’ ni George Canseco. ‘Ikaw’ was given to me first by the late George but then they used it for the movie starring Sharon Cuneta and Ariel Rivera, so sila naunang kumanta. Now, I finally get the chance to do it myself. The other songs were chosen Baby Gil and Vicor. I like all the songs na napili nila, but some of them, I rejected because ang ganda na ng original interpretation I don’t know if I could still do it differently. Also, they chose songs that are still relatively new, hindi yung masyadong luma na from the 60s or 70s. So we have ten songs with ten different arrangers.”

Included in the album are Bituin Escalante’s “Kung Ako Na Lang Sana”, Bugoy Drilon’s “Paano Na Kaya”, True Faith’s “Muntik Nang Maabot ang Langin”, Noel Cabangon’s “Kanlungan”, Willie Revillame’s “Ikaw Na Nga”, Gigi Cordero’s “Hanggang”, Zsa Zsa Padilla’s “Sana’y Maghintay ang Walang Hanggan”, and Aiza Seguerra’s “Pagdating ng Panahon” (sung with The Company). Catch Basil on his free shows at Venice Piazza at McKinley Hill this Saturday, March 3, and on April 1 at Trinoma.