Was it only yesterday when now National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab founded one of his brainchildren in music education, the 14K group?
14K, a generational troupe, was composed of new, young--mostly teeners--male and female singers, who were trained by Ryan, also known in mentoring love for music, as MrC.
Among the members of the group at the time were the likes of Jolina Magdangal, Jeffrey Hidalgo, Tony Lambino, Rhada, the late Tenten Munoz, etc. and a bit later, Roeder Camanag, Michelle Nikki Junia, among others.
"Hindi ko na naabutan si Jolina Magdangal. Pero si Tenten Munoz, nag-abot pa kami (I didn't catch up with Jolina Magdangal but Tenten Munoz, we were together)," Michelle Nikki informed earlier in the millennium.
It's Roeder, actor, singer and now director and producer of stage plays, who also vividly remembered his contemporaries in 14K.
"Naku, sa Sunvar Plaza pa kami sa Makati noon. Doon ang parang eskuwelahan ni (Oh! We were in Sunvar Plaza in Makati at that time. That was the sort of school of) Mr. C," recalled Roeder, the singer who made popular the hit song "Sana Naman."
"Lagi kaming magkakasama nina Nikki noon. Marami kami. Kuwentuhan. Sa katunayan, ang lagi kong kakuwentuhan noon, si Mang Ray, 'yong tatay ni (We were always together with Nikki. We would be telling stories about anything. We were many. As a matter of fact, during rehearsal breaks, I was always talking with the father of) Nikki," Camanag recounted.
When Roeder learned Michelle Nikki is the new head of CCP, he was very happy and proud and as if jumping with joy.
Meanwhile, according to Ray Junia, now publisher of OpinYon, there were many talented and outstanding young singers during the 14K days of Roeder and Michelle Nikki.
"May isang guy do'n, ang ganda-ganda at ang taas-taas ng boses, mas mataas pa sa bosez nina Jeffrey at Tony (There was one guy there who had a beautiful and high voice, even higher than Jeffrey and Tony's)," recalled Ray.
#NikkiJunia #RoederCamanag #RyanCayabyab #14K #CCP #CulturalCenterOfThePhilippines #OpinYon #WeTakeAStand