“Halik,” “Luha,” “Basang-Basa sa Ulan,” “Sayang na Sayang”and yes,  the catchiest of them all, “Christmas Bonus,” the mere mention of these titles, immediately we know them all, we hum and sing their lyrics with flare and gusto. They are the anthems of Aegis, the Filipino show and rock band whose music and songs, we never get tired of listening to and singing.

It was on one rainy night, with cars and public transport turtle-paced — what with the wet road and the number vehicles overwhelming the coastal road. When I first heard a song from Aegis. Inside the bus with its artic cool temperature and these lyrics, that came from an FM radio, filled our cramped space, “Heto ako ngayon nag-iisa. Naglalakbay sa gitna ng dilim. Lagi na lang akong nadarapa ngunit heto ako bumabangon pa rin…” (Here I am now, alone. Traveling in the dark of the night. I am always falling, but here I am getting up, always)…what a distinctive voice! Lyrics with a lot of emotions in them. And a smasher of a pop rock musical arrangement. There was something hypnotic about the song, bringing this listener to a trance and when the voice of the disc jockey revealed that Aegis was the name of the artists behind the song, it was a indeed a love at first listen moment for me. Composed of the Sunot sisters Juliet and Ken, Rey Abenoja, Stella Pabico, Rowena Adriano and Vilma Goloviogo, we give praise and thank the gods for their music. Mercy Sunot was its original lead vocalist who died of cancer last year.

Music and magic

There is something magical and special with Aegis songs because they highlight themes of love and its many splendors, the kind of love that brings aches, bruises and pains, and it’s a given that we Pinoys are a romantic lot, their songs have not only struck a chord, but pulled the many heartstrings of their adoring listeners and who sing along with them public.

Their anthems and melodies carry our real-life romantic experiences — kilig and happy, the color me lonely, the not forgetting and regretting what we did for love, the mush and all that jazz for the one “na mamahalin tayo para sa lahat ng hindi nagmahal sa atin (the songs that will love us for all who did not love us).” Their songs are everywhere. Staples in karaoke bars, show stopper numbers in family videoke get together sessions, winning pieces in amateur singing contests, grand production numbers in musical variety shows by newbies and seasoned concert royals and even became the most important ingredient of one of the most loved and watched Filipino musical of all times, Rak of Aegis, heralded by the majority as a musical ppi cultural phenomenon.