[Deathwatch] Francis Magalona, musician / actor, 44

[Deathwatch Central <cdw@slick.org>]

Francis M raps out at 44
Written by Totel V. de Jesus   
Sunday, 08 March 2009

JUST a day before Francis Magalona was reportedly about to appear as a
surprise guest at the second reunion of the Eraserheads, he passed away
after almost a year of being diagnosed with acute leukemia. It was
supposed to be his first major live appearance.

The 44-year-old musician-actor-TV host-entrepreneur-art photographer is
survived by wife Pia Arroyo-Magalona and their eight children: Unna,
Nicolo, Francis Jr., Elmo, Arkin, Clara, and actresses Maxene and Saab.


?He is a big loss to us musicians, to the industry, to all Filipinos,
and he will be dearly missed. Be that as it may, his music lives on
with us,? said Eraserheads drummer Raimund Marasigan, who was among the
first celebrities to visit and comfort Pia and the children at the
Medical City, where Magalona had been confined for months.

An outpouring of emotion from friends and fans came as soon as Vic
Sotto, a long-time friend and cohost on Eat Bulaga, GMA?s long-running
noontime show, broke the news on television last Friday during the live
broadcast.

Boy Abunda and Kris Aquino, cohosts of ABS-CBN?s prime-time
showbiz-oriented show SNN, dedicated the entire Friday night episode to
cover the death of Magalona. Both regarded Magalona as a big loss to
the industry.

?Salamat sa Kapuso at Kapamilya, sa mga naki-ramay; iisa lang po ang
tawag sa atin, mga Pilipino,? said Sotto on Eat Bulaga, obviously
alluding to the thought that where many movie pairings and other
showbiz attempts failed, the death of Magalona reunited the two warring
networks.

In the Saturday episode of Eat Bulaga, Gary Valenciano, an ABS-CBN
mainstay, sang a ballad for Magalona and introduced a video of him and
Magalona performing at the Ultra in 1993. ?That was one of the best
performances of my life. The crowd was really dancing and singing with
us. It became a party place, not just a concert. As long as rap music
is alive, for me Francis will live on,? said Valenciano.

Andrew E, a comedian and rapper, confessed that it was Magalona who
plucked him from obscurity. He once served as a production assistant
for Magalona, who also introduced him to the music industry.

Actor-singer Raymond Lauchengco sang a heart-wrenching version of his
early hit, ?Farewell to You My Friend,? for Magalona. They were costars
in the seminal youth-oriented film in the late 1980s titled Bagets 2.
In recent years, they formed Bagets Foundation, which aims to serve the
youth.

?A man who lived one day at a time and who was really intense, very
passionate about life,? said Lauchengco, who also professed his
admiration for Magalona?s bravery and focus in doing what he thought
was right and good, especially in rap music.

It can be recalled that the early 1990s was the peak of Magalona?s
career as a musician. He is being credited for introducing hip-hop to
the Filipino masses and making it their own with his original
compositions like ?Mga Kababayan Ko,? ?Cold Summer Nights? and
?Kaleidoscope World.?

If Pepe Smith and the rest of Juan de la Cruz band gave birth to Pinoy
Rock in the 1970s, Francis M, or simply Kiko, brought us Pinoy Rap, at
a time when the local industry was dominated by rock bands. Eventually,
he earned the title ?Master Rapper? and made hip-hop part of the
national consciousness.

He also made ?nationalism? a cool virtue to follow for the Filipino
youth.

In his later years, Magalona was behind a clothing line named FMCC
(FrancisM Clothing Co.), which is behind the ?3 Stars & a Sun? stores.
The clothing line introduced nationalistic designs, like the motto ?I
Love Pinas,? among others, that reminded us to respect the Filipino
flag. 

Magalona also directed music videos for bands and artists under his
production company Filipino Pictures Inc., and started his own record
company called Red Egg Records.

Last year he started a foundation with Eraserheads frontman Ely Buendia
called Heartist Foundation, which aims to assist cash-strapped Filipino
music artists and actors with health problems.

Buendia was among the last visitors of Magalona at the Medical City in
the week before he died. They were supposed to release a collaborative
album, titled The Sickos Project. Buendia is a heart-attack survivor.

As a tribute to Magalona, the Eraserheads dedicated their song
?Superproxy? to him and sang a few lines from Magalona?s hit
?Kaleidoscope World? during their Saturday night second reunion.

Marcus Adoro, lead guitarist of the Eraserheads, said, ?See you soon.
Sabi nga ni Pepe Smith, ipagtira mo kami ng pwesto dyan. Alam ko sa
langit ka pupunta. Sana dyan din kami.?

Born Francis Michael Durango Magalona on October 4, 1964, he came from
a prominent family of actors and public servants. His parents were the
late Philippine movie icons Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran. His
great-grandfather was Sen. Enrique Magalona of Negros Occidental, who
was elected and served in the Philippine Senate from 1946 to 1955.

Magalona has nine brothers and sisters.

Sotto, who reportedly shouldered almost half of the hospital bills, and
cohost Joey de Leon promised to help the family of Magalona for as long
as they can. 

Many thanks to Deathwatch Central for posting this obituary