GUMAWA NG PANGALAN si Marc Abaya sa sariling pagsisikap at ambisyon sa music industry as lead vocalist ng bandang Kjwan bago pinasok ang pag-aartista. Nagtapos ng Communications sa Ateneo de Manila University, year 1998 when he started with the band. “Lumaki ako si Mommy (Marilou Diaz Abaya), si Daddy (Manolo Abaya) nasa showbusiness, film director and cinematographer. We we’re raise very independently. Music was the avenue na alam kong sa akin lang and at the same time magiging proud si Dad, kasi si Dad mahilig sa rock. So it’s how growing up for me playing music has make him happy. It was a blessing, it worked out.”
Nalaman namin kay Marc na wala pala sa family ng Diaz-Abaya ang marunong kumanta.“My father cannot sing, in the Abaya side, the Diaz a little. ‘Yung sa akin naman, I was not formally trained kasi pulos rock music naman parang walang discipline ‘yun. Ang discipline ‘yung style, natuto lang ako through practicing karaoke ganu’n lang but given a chance? Maybe.”
When you started with band, do you think ito na ang magiging career mo? “I never thought, kasi for me expression lang na parang naglalaro and then when Raymond Marasigan wanted to form a band kinuha po ako. I used to play with my barkada, kaklase ko… for my Dad. Biglang all of a sudden… UP Sunken Garden… 20,000 people… but the gig went well naman and then doon ko na-realize na parang maybe I can do this for a living, ‘coz I got paid and I was still in college, wala pa akong income.”
Your plans? “I really plan to become a film director originally, because of my mother. Tapos ‘yung thesis ko, I made a film, ang artista ko ‘yung sa Sugarfree. It’s just that I realized after I graduated in 2001, pumunta ako sa London, I stayed there for 3 to 4 months. I was supposed to research nga for school pero talagang na-depress ako, nalungkot ako.
“Okey, it was very romantic, sa mga subway may mga musikero, ang gagaling. Tapos ako natauhan na parang ‘eto mas magaling sa akin na hindi sila kilala, sayang! So, for me I realized in the Philippines I was able to achieve something. Maybe I will pursue film again in the future but for now it makes me realize not everybody has that luck because that all it is naman. I mean, at the end of the day to be blessed with luck is beyond us, its God giving you a gift. I figured lang, kailangang ituloy ko muna ito, otherwise I’ll be wasting it for nothing and at the same time naman nakaka-explore ako, recently ‘yung pag-aartista, pagho-hosting and then TV came along. Now I’m more scare in acting…”
Aware kaya si Marc na mabilis ang pagsikat niya dahil sikat ang parents niya? “Oo, but at first the funny thing was hindi pa, walang humihirit. May mother was my mother and then noong pumatok ‘yung banda and they… some people were saying, ganito lang ‘yan… kasi kay Direk… but my mother never been to any of my gigs. My parents are totally supportive. Para sa akin, Diyos ang mga magulang ko and I love them to death, pero we were raised na we do what we have to do outside, pero pagdating sa bahay… boom! Wala, we’re normal!”
As an artist, malaya bang nagagawa ni Marc ang bawat naisin niyang gawin without asking permission sa kanyang parents? “Yes, so long as ‘yung guiding factor ni mommy, basta hindi nakakasakit ng tao. If I choose to do anything that has to do with entertainment, ‘yung pinakamahalaga, mas mahalaga sa sarili kasi kung hindi sila mahalaga magbabanda na lang ako sa garahe, bakit pa ako naging musikero if you can’t share it… And the people don’t understand, if they don’t enjoy, then it’s my fault. I have to be better, I have to continue to be better.”
As an actor? “It’s scary, mga nakakasama ko sa TV (Magkaribal) mga senyores like Angel Aquino, Robert Arevalo, Bea Alonzo. I’m able to do couple of films also and indie film under Cinema One, Dagim, with Direk Joaquin Valdez. Nakatrabaho ko si Direk Joaquin early this year, ginawa niya ‘yung music video namin na first single for the third album. After that, nagka-rapport na kami, kasi parang ‘yung interest namin and the reason why I got it is because I saw a film of Sid Lucero ‘yung ginawa ni Joaquin na Bulong. When I saw it, nabilib na ako sa kanya so, after the music video, bonding-bonding, inum-inuman, kuwentu-kuwentuhan, next thing I know, he made me actually auditioned. First time I ever audition for a role and I did it, bida-kontrabida. The main lead is Martin del Rosario, it’s about two kids going to the mountain and then they see us. Ang maganda du’n, ‘yung original script, nagustuhan ko kasi tao na may topak na cannibal and then to make it more accessible may nag-advice na gawin ninyong aswang, so ‘yun ang bagong element. At the end of the film I think, ang goal ni Joaquin that you will wonder, tao ba ito o hindi? It’s something new again, that’s what Joaquin is.”
AYAW Paawat!
by Eddie Littlefield
