Former General Luna Vocalist and Award Winning Singer-Songwriter Nicole Laurel Asensio releases new song “Silong”
BY WHATSHAPPENING
Published · Tuesday, August 25, 2020 07:08 AM
Award winning singer-songwriter Nicole Laurel Asensio has taken home an Awit Award (2017) and a Trend Star Korea Award (2018). Referred as the "Schizoprano" because of her versatile vocals able to span many genres and her quick adaptability and resilience in the music industry, now release a new song called "Silong”
“Silong is a song I gave up on many times because it wouldn’t lend me an ending, it is also the only original song in my upcoming album that I did not predominantly write the lyrics for, instead I focused on the melody and being involved in instrumentation ideas with my bandmates,” Asensio said.
It was one summer afternoon when Nicole was cleaning up her old hard drive and found 49 unfinished songs and poems all works in progress, half written, half forsaken, and Silong happened to be on the top of the list.
“There were 10 of us in a 10 square meter room (we each picked our own square meter) Michael Alba on drums, Karel Honasan on Bass, Ira Cruz on Guitar, Nikko Rivera on keys, Michael Guevarra on saxophone, Lester Sorilla on Trumpet and a few more friends and their glasses in hand. The sun was blaring through my very small attic window, we were all squinting and laughing and the energy was pure, there was a lightness that I hadn’t felt in years,”Nicole added.
Silong was supposed to be set for release January 2020, but COVID happen and everything falls apart, And now it is time for the people to hear it and be inspired from it via Warner Music.
Nicole grew up with music since her families are all into playing and singing. She was the Granddaughter of coloratura, librettist and voice professor emeritus Fides Cuyugan-Asensio and Theatre artist Celia Diaz Laurel, Niece of broadway star Cocoy Laurel and Daughter of singer Iwi Laurel. Her first exposure to music was through musical theatre and classical music. as a child she sang for composer Schoenberg.
Right after college with a degree in Literature and writing her first book she embarked on a quest and co-founded and toured with all female rock band General Luna. They performed original music and toured for 5 years abroad and around the Philippines with major brand endorsements as well as opened for international rock acts such as Mr. Big and Slash.
By 2014 she goes solo and released a self-produced solo album entitles “Schizoprano” under MCA universal. She is a favourite amongst corporate event clients locally and abroad and has performed in London, Barcelona, Dubai, Doha, Shanghai, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Maldives, U.S.A., Malaysia, Vietnam.
Recently, she caught the eyes of a few Grammy Award winning producers abroad and signed with Warner Music Group. Nicole is currently writing, producing and recording her second album with a team of top tier musicians and is aimed to release new music this 2020 with Warner Music.
SILONG credits:
Written by: Nicole Laurel Asensio, Kim Lopez, ItchieMontilla
Executive Produced by: Nicole Laurel Asensio
Produced by: Nicole Laurel Asensio and Ira Cruz
Arrangement: Michael Alba, Karel Honasan, Ira Cruz, Nikko Rivera, Michael Guevarra, Lester Sorilla
Strings Arrangement: JC Magsalin
Horns Arrangement: Michael Guevarra
Drums: Michael Alba
Bass: Karel Honasan
Guitar: Ira Cruz
Keys: Nikko Rivera
Saxophone: Michael Guevarra
Trombone: Isla Antinero
Trumpet: Lester Sorilla
Engineer: Jess Fermino
Mixing: Angee Rozul
Mastered in: Abbey Road UK.
SILONG lyrics:
Sa bawat oras na dumadaan
ay para bang walang hanggan
Ang alaala ng iyong paglisan
at pamamaalam
Kung kaya pang
yakapin ka
humimbing sa mga tala
Sa bawat pagikot
ng mundo
Humihinto ang puso ko
Bawat alon at patak ng luhang ‘to
paghintay sa tinig mo..
Ngayon sa pagtahimik
at pagtila ng gulo,
mananatili ang kamay sa palad mo..
lilipad tayo sa ulap
managinip tayo..
Kung kaya lang
iduyan pa,
sa awit kong kapiling ka
Sa bawat pagikot
ng mundo
Humihinto ang puso ko
Bawat alon at patak ng luhang ‘to
paghintay sa tinig mo..
Kung..maibabalik ko lang ang kahapon,
at gagawin kong bukas ang ngayon..
Hahayaan lang tumila ang ambon..
sa haplos mo sisilong.
Sisilong