NORA AUNOR, WILLY CRUZ, LEAH NAVARRO - Jamming at Superstar TV Show - 1989

Danny Tan's Throwback #38-C
Mr. WILLY CRUZ, a music genius, icon, legend and dear friend, jamming with The Superstar, Ms. NORA AUNOR and Ms. LEAH NAVARRO.

I miss Willy Cruz. I miss his beautiful melodies and intricate chord progressions. I miss his jokes and our bantering. I miss his kakulitan. Miss ko ang lagi nyang pang aalaska sa height ko. Yun ang terms of endearment nya sa akin!

Everyone in the music industry describes him as a master of melodies, and deservedly so. His melodies are beautiful and timeless. His chord progressions are intricate yet oozing with romanticism; hence, a favorite of those who are caught in the more intricate web of loving. Musicians who have worked with him are astounded by the way his harmonies complement his melodies. I, myself, am always amazed at how he manages to make his melodies sound so very easy and pleasing to the ears despite the atypical unexpected melodic intervals, and the unconventional maze that he navigates from one note to the other, from one chord to the next. From a classic tune, Willy can create a melody that will appeal to all sectors of society – easily remembered and sung by anyone. For him, it is normal to create melodies in different key signatures almost every four bars! Any music student or enthusiast will find it interesting to dissect his chord progressions or conduct a study on how to make abnormal chord progressions sound normal.

Admiring Willy for his works is easy but understanding how his mind works as a composer would be a riddle for those who seek a set of accepted standards and formula for what music should be. Willy’s compositions are his best arguments for his unqualified success in the music industry. He is out of the ordinary - a creative genius, a music icon. He may be gone but the words and music of his melodies will continue to live in our hearts, thrilling future generations of Filipinos, making us proud of our music heritage. Maestro Willy Cruz is indeed not only deserving of a National Artist for Music award – we owe this prodigious honor to him!

SUPERSTAR - RPN9 - 1989
Musical Director & Keyboard 1: Danny Tan
Keyboard 2: Jeannette Casuga Trevias
Guitar: Ric Mercado
Drums: Jun Regalado
Bass: Roger Herrera Jr.
Back Up Vocals: Moy Ortiz, Annie Quintos, Meus Bartolome