(A story by Stiff – Proprietor at Loudhouse Music Enterprise, lead vocalist of Rizal Underground and a musical voyager to some of the most beautiful destinations of the World)
(Photos taken from the BORACAY RETROSPECTIVE 1974-2011 37 years and counting FACEBOOK page)
Ranked by TRAVEL + LEISURE as 2012’s
number one beach destination in the world, BORACAY ISLAND remains to be
the most popular island paradise in Asia. With its pristine white sands and aqua blue waters so stunning, you just keep coming back.
![]() |
Beachcomber, Boracay |
And so I did after that first visit in
1989. Strolling on the beach with them
topless sunbathers and joining them later for drinks at the early
proprietors of party - COCOMANGAS, BAZURA BAR &
of course BEACHCOMBER, owned by Boracay’s original party boy ANDREE
ABRIAM, whose stories of early Boracay were surely a feast for my
senses. A lot of us remember the swing hanging
from a tree right in front of the bar.
Back then, Php 300.00 nipa huts were a
dime a dozen, but there were those classier joints such as LORENZO in
Station Three & PEARL OF THE PACIFIC in Station One where the
pavement ended and the dirt road began. Food places were quite scarce
except for those early restaurants such as DEPARIS, MANGO RAY and
NIGI NIGI NU NOOOS, who to this day continues to play the best retro
tunes and serve the best burgers in the island.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWP9yzZ8wXoYH-9i6H0Yh6N-c6UHnMVG7vmKi2Q3tLJBKmvweuG8e4Ka2R7kPcSq4e1mSXFFxWWQvShpvG-vlfRZVmFeYiBuIXqUiHPA66eLvmiK_W1UZVnhxrSV0t_qqDktMhJdUMjTY/s1600/ru+coco+mangas.jpg)
Such a lovely and inspiring destination and, with the warmth of the locals as a
definite addition, one I would recommend to travelers all over the
world. From the grapevine, I’ve learned that
a few other artists lived in the island. In
particular, a friend and prolific songwriter, YSAGANI YBARRA, whose
compositions (BILOG NA NAMAN ANG BUWAN, BIYAHENG LANGIT, etc.) were
covered by some of the most popular groups of our time. (LOLITACARBON of ASIN & TROPICAL DEPRESSION) and recently featured in
BORACAYMAG is the prolific percussionist DJANGO and also the much talented artisan
NONET PILLORIA.
But many years went by before I could return to Boracay. Over those years, many musical events were held, the Millennium concert headlined by my good friend, PAPADOM & his TROPICAL DEPRESSION and plenty of other corporate sponsored events that featured some of the biggest names in the music industry and other events like BIKINI OPEN pageants and water sports events put together by the indefatigable NENETTE GRAF who until this day actively pursue these endeavors.
After a short stint as a doting and
dedicated parent I made a comeback in artist management. In 2007, I
was invited to manage the super ska band, COFFEE BREAK ISLAND which brought me back to Boracay via the musical route. It was a solid
performance at SUMMER PLACE and soon I also got my mojo back.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJ9HZy4v0c71-kM3vOh3vHO22v0fLXM9_1PtcqC_qdQyfyYzuDjEbEDrStijXdwKL58WU89sP1-G5N7BoaotqrrkdChLyHFxBylyZep5ecV69-6PwLiBXbOo1C74EZY65f6fNnA21zbc/s1600/bora1.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUq05z823I5BWHg3NS6uWua49kt6XllhMEPPL68KUGIx5x_MNXvn3rIXciwuaTJQCd62mGAMEhyphenhyphenS-mbk-r2jAXC8tN0ZRtZYEXCXA52w1DiRCFRqOaN1lyC6YRrKbPygTvUTq07N0Ncs/s1600/bora5.jpg)
In the succeeding episodes of this
article, I will share with you the grooviest times of my life when I
relocated and worked in this magical island. It was then when I
learned more of its history, the players and the awesome activities
we did during my stint in Boracay with partners DOS MESTIZOS, MANDALA
SPA & VILLAS & last but not the least, KASBAH BORACAY. I
apologize to those people or venues that were not included in this
article; I did not visit this island as often as I should to
recognize everyone. Please stay tuned!
More photos on Facebook!
More photos on Facebook!
No comments:
Post a Comment