MERVIN'S TREAT TO ROBERTO AND JAY
It's just an ordinary day but Mervin Lee Cuyugan, middle, is generous enough to treat Roberto Hernandez, left, and Jay to a drinking session at Breeze Bar of Palau Royal Resort on July 04, 2015. There are some appetizers and local draft beer. Jay is a former staff of Mervin in Philippines. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
MERVIN LEE CUYUGAN --
HIS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT MUSIC
When I started working as resident musician at Palau
Royal Resort in June 01, 2007, I thought that bartender Darwin Nisperos is the
most music knowledgeable co-employee at that time. He said his father likes the
Beatles and so him likewise. One night in 2007, he asked me to play “Things We
Said Today” by the Beatles. I said I don’t know it yet. What he said surprise
me, “I know you know it, you’ve just doesn’t know that you know it!”
When
he sung the first line of the song, “You say you will love me, if I have to
go.” There are chords in the Beatles songbook that I put on the music stand of
the upright piano—Am, Em7 (4x).
Right
away, I played the song to its entirety because of his ‘intuition’ that I know
the song! Since then, whenever he passes near the piano, he will request a
Beatles song. And I add “Things We Said Today to my list of 67 Beatles songs,
all handwritten. It’s in Page 190 together with “Baby It’s You”.
Laundry
Supervisor Abraham Francisco is also knowledgeable in music. He knows how to
play guitar. I heard him played James Taylor’s “Handy Man” superbly. He once
asked me about the chords of the song “Is It Okay If I Call You Mine” by Paul
McCrane from the movie “Fame”. I have it but the chords are in the 1st
and 2nd stanza and Refrain of the song. It is noted in the 3rd
stanza to “Do 1st stanza chords”. But it’s a tricky placement of the
chords as I have erased some placements of the chords about 4 times.
Abraham 'Ka Abe' Francisco
Food
and Beverage Manager Edwin Acuyan (2012-2014) is maybe the 2nd most knowledgeable
co-employee I ever had. He is the one that informed me that the more than 100
overdubbed in the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen is all done by its lead
singer Freddy Mercury. And that their song “Love of my Life” and Beatles’ song
“Here, There and Everywhere” were all sung in falsetto voice.
One
night in 2013, I started playing at 6pm and started with a song “Still Loving
You” by Scorpions, and he said, “What an opening number! “Still loving you” by
Scorpions!” I played it with expression. Almost all musicians needed some easy
opening numbers to loosen them. I can play with much expression even in my
opening number.
Left to right, Liezl Michael, Ai-Lin Liao, Roberto Hernandez and Edwin Acuyan.
Whenever
we have a full house of guests and they don’t bother to listen to my songs, I
just play whatever songs I would like to play without expression because
there’s no response or applause from them. They are busy talking, eating and
drinking. I played with much expression even though we have only a few but
responsive guests.
During
our staff Christmas party at Sea Passion Hotel in 2013, Edwin sung “Baby I’m
A-Want You” by Bread. He also excelled in basketball and was Rookie of the Year
in the Filipino Basketball League Masters (for players 40 years and above),
where their team, Palau Curtain and General Merchandise, won the championship
with him as player/coach.
Edwin joined the 2011 Palau National Chess
Championship and gained an international rating of 1340. His only recorded game
is a loss against Roberto Hernandez using the rapid time format because he is a
very busy man. He also won the Business Manager position in The Filipino
Community in Palau election in Feb. 2012.
After representing Palau in the
2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway, Roberto gave Edwin a Norway cap
and a reindeer stuff toy to Jackie, his partner. They are leaving Palau for
good the next day. No F & B Manager at Palau Royal Resort till Jan. 2015.
Mervin Lee Cuyugan became the
new F & B Manager of Palau Royal Resort in Jan. 2015. It seems that he is
more music knowledgeable than Roberto in some cases. He likes “Ever Since The
World Began” by Survivor, “Love is All That Matters” by Eric Carmen, “It might
be You” by Stephen Bishop, “Looking Through the Eyes of Love” by Melissa
Manchester, “Saigo No Iiwake’ (Japanese Song) or “Ikaw Pa Rin” (Still You –
Filipino version by Japanese/Filipino singer Ted Ito), Bluer than Blue, Boat on
the River by Styx, How Can I Tell Her, I Don’t Want You to Go by Lani Hall, I
Was Looking for Someone to Love by Leif Garrett, Filipino song “Kahit Konting
Pagtingin” by Ric Segreto, Melody Fair by Bee Gees, Reminiscing by Little River
Band, Take Me Home Country Roads by John Denver, The Way You Look Tonight by Chad and Jeremy, Terminal by Rupert
Holmes, Wandering by James Taylor, Will you Still Love me Tomorrow by Andy
Gibb. Mervin knows the original singer of this that is related to James Taylor,
which is Carole King. Roberto found it out after looking at his list (in the
composer/lyricist section).
If Roberto started the night
with a singer (like “Can we just stop and talk awhile by Jose Mari Chan),
Mervin will request by saying, “Ok, you started with Jose Mari Chan, then
follow it up with some of his songs.” Roberto will follow it up with the other
7 songs of Jose Mari Chan – 1. Beautiful Girl 2. Constant Change 3. Deep in my
Heart 4. Please be Careful with my Heart (with Regine Velasquez) 5. Refrain
6.Tell me your name and 7. Christmas in our hearts – if it’s Christmas season.
When Roberto started an American
song, 95% of the time that Mervin knows the singer and he will pass behind
Roberto and will mention to him that it is by that singer, i. e. Bread, Barry
Manilow, Elvis Presley, Eagles, Engelbert Humperdinck, Styx, Eric Clapton, Don
McLean, Matt Monro, Michael Johnson, Simon and Garfunkel, Beatles, Carpenters,
Everly Brothers, Elton John, Bee Gess, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Davil Soul,
Bryan Adams, Ronnie Milsap, Neil Sedaka, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Rod
Stewart, Platters, Neil Diamond, David Pomeranz, Rolling Stones, Cotton, Lloyd
and Christian, Lani Hall, Scorpions, Chicago/Peter Cetera, Abba and Menudo.
Speaking of Menudo, when Roberto
play their song “If You’re Not Here” about 3 weeks ago, Mervin passes by at my back
and said, “Lobo”, thinking that the song that I’m playing is “How Can I Tell
Her”. He goes back a few seconds later and corrected it with “Menudo!”. He’s
really aware of the songs and the singers. There’s a time when he requested a
song by John Denver but he doesn’t know the title. He sung the first lyrics of
the song… “I walk in the rain by your side.” Roberto was able to play the song
but he also doesn’t know the title of the song. It was after 15 minutes that he
realized it is “Goodbye Again”. Roberto added it to his list but no year yet
but it’s definitely in the 1970’s.
There are some songs that Mervin
knows only the title. If he saw Roberto is looking at the song book, he will
check it out to find out who’s the singer like in the song “Never My Love” by
Association…
On February 29, 2016, Roberto's first song played at 7pm is "You're My Everything" by Santa Esmeralda
and Mervin mentioned the singer right away. Roberto followed it up with
the same title but different singer this time, an old favorite by Nat
'King' Cole.
There are a lot of songs that has the same title but by different artists/singers like "I Need You" by Beatles, America and Euclid Beach Band; Hero by Enrique Iglesias and Mariah Carey.
Midnight Blue by Melissa Manchester and Electric Light Orchestra; Kumusta Ka (Filipino song) by Freddie Aguilar, Nonoy Zuniga, and Rey Valera; A Love Song by Elton John and Kenny Rogers; Always by Atlantic Starr and an old one in 1925; Angie by Rolling Stones and Haley Erick (Palauan singer); Because by Beatles and Dave Clark 5; Because I Love You by Glen Campbell and Stevie B; Call Me by Dennis De Young and Aretha Franklin; Come What May by Air Supply and Lani Hall; Holiday by Bee Gees and Scorpions; Ikaw Pa Rin (Filipino Song) by Tito Mina and Ted Ito; I'll Never Fall in Love Again by Dionne Warwick and Tom Jones; Kaibigan (Filipino song) by Apo Hiking Society and Anthony Castelo; Love by John Lennon and a Japanese song; Michelle by Beatles and a Palauan song; No Other Love by Barry Manilow and Jo Stafford; Rain by Jose Feliciano and Donna Cruz; Suddenly by Billy Ocean and duet by Cliff Richard and Olivia Newton-John; Woman in Love by Barbra Streisand and (?) and Words by Bee Gees and F. R. David.
There are a lot of songs that has the same title but by different artists/singers like "I Need You" by Beatles, America and Euclid Beach Band; Hero by Enrique Iglesias and Mariah Carey.
Midnight Blue by Melissa Manchester and Electric Light Orchestra; Kumusta Ka (Filipino song) by Freddie Aguilar, Nonoy Zuniga, and Rey Valera; A Love Song by Elton John and Kenny Rogers; Always by Atlantic Starr and an old one in 1925; Angie by Rolling Stones and Haley Erick (Palauan singer); Because by Beatles and Dave Clark 5; Because I Love You by Glen Campbell and Stevie B; Call Me by Dennis De Young and Aretha Franklin; Come What May by Air Supply and Lani Hall; Holiday by Bee Gees and Scorpions; Ikaw Pa Rin (Filipino Song) by Tito Mina and Ted Ito; I'll Never Fall in Love Again by Dionne Warwick and Tom Jones; Kaibigan (Filipino song) by Apo Hiking Society and Anthony Castelo; Love by John Lennon and a Japanese song; Michelle by Beatles and a Palauan song; No Other Love by Barry Manilow and Jo Stafford; Rain by Jose Feliciano and Donna Cruz; Suddenly by Billy Ocean and duet by Cliff Richard and Olivia Newton-John; Woman in Love by Barbra Streisand and (?) and Words by Bee Gees and F. R. David.
Sources: Music and Me
By Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
March 15, 2012 -- April 2013
http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
April 2013 --February 16, 2016
Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
By Roberto Hernandez
June 09, 2002 -- February 16, 2016
To be published as a book in the future
