4 Barbie Almalbis Wish Bus Videos to Play In Celebration of Her 25 Years in the Music Industry

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The beauty and sound of Barbie Almalbis is, in a word, timeless.

Recently, the Filipina rock icon marked her 25th year in the music industry. The “Tabing Ilog” singer-songwriter staged an anniversary concert aptly titled “Fire Woman” on March 11, at 123 Block, Mandala Park, in Mandaluyong.

The anniversary show, which was produced by Gabi Na Naman Productions, also featured live performances from Sandwich, Gabby Alipe of Urbandub, Clara Benin, Kai Del Rio, I Belong to the Zoo, and bird.

One of the highlights of the concert was when Barbie Almalbis performed alongside her former bandmates from Hungry Young Poets (Ricci Gurango, Franklin Benitez) and Barbie’s Cradle (Rommel dela Cruz, Kakoy Legaspi, Wendell Garcia).

🥹💜 A classic! Limang Dipang Tao #BarbieAt25 pic.twitter.com/mmIUbDp2F9

— Kitty | ☀️🌙💗💜 (@NekoNekoSasaki) March 11, 2023

Almalbis, who is known for her charismatic persona, endearing vocals, and formidable string skills, has helped redefine the landscape of the OPM rock scene.

RELATED: Celebrate Women’s Month with These Female-Fronted Wish Bus Performances – Wish FM 107.5

Here are four of Barbie Almalbis’ generation-defining Wish Bus performances in commemoration of her 25 years in the music industry.

1. “Tabing Ilog”

Sa twina’y kandungan niyo ang duyan

Panaginip na walang katapusan

Ang ilog hantungan niya’y pangako

Ng inyong pagbabalik

This 2017 Wishclusive performance is a musical time machine. “Tabing Ilog,” which was first recorded by Barbie’s Cradle for the 1999 teen drama of the same name, is a guitar-driven ode to growing up and growing old; a song that harks back to simpler times and shines a light on the importance of exploration and self-discovery.

2. “Torpe”

Ba’t mo pa kailangan ng tulay?

Kahit ulap nagsasabi tayo’y bagay

Ba’t mo pa kailangang magtanong?

Kung alam mo na, alam mo na

This Hungry Young Poets track received well-deserved attention and radio airplay when it was released in the late ‘90s. The alt-rock track features straightforward lyricism and a guitar-laden arrangement that is backed by a lively mix of bass, drums, and keys. And just in case you want to be thoroughly impressed, play the video from 02:55 to see Almalbis rock the Wish Bus with her awesome guitar-playing skills.

3. “Tigre”

Gusto kitang tawagin

‘Wag mo naman akong awayin

Gusto kitang tawagin

Lagi kitang hahanapin

Just like any other seasoned musician, Almalbis has also experienced her fair share of creative challenges. She released her “Tigre” EP five years after her 2014 album, “My New Heart.”

“Since my last album [was] released in 2014, I found it a bit hard to write. So, I just kept trying to write but I couldn’t come up with something that I really liked. So, Martin started encouraging me to keep going, and then he said, ‘I’ll help you write. Let’s write together.’ So, we started writing together and the first song that we released was called ‘Tigre.’ It’s about our cat Vernie. That’s just the name of the song because she’s, you know, our little tiger,” she told us during an interview.

Music-wise, this Wish Bus performance captures her grown-up yet playful and groove-inducing sound.

4. “Umagang Kay Ganda”

Magpahinga

Panaginip ang ikaliligaya

Darating din

Ang umaga

When Barbie Almalbis breathed new life to this OPM classic for a meaningful campaign in 2020, it provided a sense of relief — both lyrically and sonically — to the restless.

“We would come out of [this pandemic] on the other side,” the singer-songwriter shared in a Wish Connect interview, encouraging her listeners to let the Covid-19 front-liners know that “we are praying for them, standing with them, and also doing our part.”

Three years later, this rendition still resonates with people and their day-to-day struggles, just like her pandemic-released tracks from the “Scenes from Inside” album do. With songs like “Peace Where We Go,” “Days Are Long, “Silaw,” and her take on this Butch Monsterrat-penned piece, the album narrates the many things that the pandemic made us realize.

ALSO READ: Sponge Cola, Barbie Almalbis, Zild, and More on the Role of Musicians during the Pandemic, High Hopes for OPM | Wish Connect (August 1 to 31)

Listen to “Barbie Almalbis: Tower Sessions Live” below:

Written by Kristine Claire Paler

Editing by Pauline Bolaños

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