Many who depend on live entertainment and musical events for a living continue to struggle to make ends meet in these very crucial times. Many of them are senior citizens and living with illnesses or disabilities. How do we help them?
A lone song produced 90 days into the lockdown aspires to empower the human spirit by giving importance to every human life by staying home.
After ten years and in the midst of this Covid-19 pandemic, independent rock band Toyo, who released their first album “Sino Ba Naman ang Hindi ToTOYOin?” in 2010, is prompted by the situation to helm a song that humanizes our pandemic conditions.
“Stay Home (We Shall Overcome)” is a rock ballad inspired by the call around the world to flatten the curve by staying home. It began as a melancholic song that channels the experiences of people who are facing the pandemic alone and away from their families. As the song progresses, it reveals a more timeless message that shows us that if we give importance to every human life, everything will be alright because love will prevail and we shall overcome this crisis together.
Toyo partners with KayaKap, a fundraising drive that aims to help the community of working musicians, primarily those who are in their senior years, with disabilities and critical illnesses, and in dire need of financial support.
Toyo launched the song with a music video last June 19 followed by a fundraiser jam last July 28 with the creation of a Go Get Funding campaign via https://gogetfunding.com/stayhome-for-workingmusicians/.
This is in support of Kayakap’s vison in addressing the immediate needs of the beneficiaries, mostly elderly and ailing musicians, while seeking legislation that will help protect the rights and welfare of working musicians in the Philippines.
Kayakap is a project by songwriter and development worker Rom Dongeto (Buklod) and singer-songwriter and music producer Skarlet Brown (President of Heart of Music) together with other volunteers in the live music and entertainment industry.
An original composition of songwriter and bassist Erwin Cuenca who also fronts Toyo, “Stay Home (We Shall Overcome)” is a collaboration with the band’s guitarists now US-based Clint Aquino and frontliner Doc JV Belarmino.
Watch the music video of “Stay Home (We Shall Overcome)” on Toyo’s YouTube channel.
Toyo is joined by seasoned musicians Mark Galang on keyboards (Jose at Musika) and Allan Abdulla (A for A) on drums.
“Stay Home (We Shall Overcome)” is produced and mixed by Direk Yeyi Abulencia of 9x9 Studio Music Production.