Ryan Cayabyab and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers Usher in Christmas Celebrations with First Live Concert Since Pandemic
OPM icon Maestro Ryan Cayabyab, along with the Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS), is set to kick off this year’s Christmas celebrations with their first LIVE Christmas concert since the pandemic on Dec. 7 at the Music Museum.
The concert, titled “C is for Christmas,” will feature the acclaimed composer and 2018 National Artist for Music, together with his seven-member vocal ensemble composed of Celine Fabie, Nica Tupas, Kaye Tiuseco, Poppert Bernadas, Anthony Castillo, VJ Caber, and Erwin Lacsa.
Cayabyab shared insights on what makes Pinoy Christmas music unique, emphasizing the strong emotional pull of Filipino Christmas songs. He noted that despite the underlying melancholy in many songs, the majority of Filipinos are unabashedly hopeful.
The RCS, like many in the entertainment industry, maintained their presence through virtual performances and online recordings at the height of the pandemic. They will be performing a new Christmas love song called “Tatlong Christmas Cards” live for the first time since its virtual release two years ago.
Life during the pandemic presented unique challenges for the group, including technical limitations with recorded performances. However, the members acknowledge that the experience has been a unique memento of that strange time in their lives.
The upcoming concert is highly anticipated as it marks the RCS’s return to performing in front of a live audience. Cayabyab expressed that a Christmas song is really good only when the entire community uses it.
The concert will feature a mix of Christmas and standard songs that are intended to stir joy and make the audience feel good about being alive. Both Ryan Cayabyab and the RCS promise a heartwarming evening of Christmas songs and festive surprises.
The concert is expected to be a celebration of hope and joy as the group presents their music to a live audience for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
