Willy B. Cruz wanted to become a pianist. He is the grandnephew of pianist Francisco Buen camino, who was a pupil of the great composer Marcelo Adonai and who later composed music for zarzuela’s, “Ya yang”, motion pictures, “Ang I bong Adana” and other famous works like the “Mayon Concerto” and “Ang Lara wan.” Willy took lessons under his aunt Rosario Licad, the mother of pianist Cecile Licad and under Marcelino Carlsen. Somewhere between the piano and school work at the Ateneo University, Willy discovered pop music and got sidetracked.
So while cousin Cecile Licad concentrated on perfecting her piano playing, he went on to other things. Willy’s arrangements for the Ateneo Glee Club and later the Ambivalent Crowd led to other jobs. He caught the attention of Vicor Music Corporation who hired him to produce albums and to manage its domestic division. A short time later, he left Vicor and founded Jam Recording, which later became Telesis. Throughout all these he was providing music for the movies and composing songs, most of which have become contemporary classics. He has scored over a hundred movies.
Among his award winning films are “Buk as Lulu hod ang mga Tala,”Bituin Walang Ningning,”Aly as Baby China”, “Sana’y Wala ng Wakas,”Bal weg, the Rebel Priest,”Pinulot Ka Lang Sa Lup a,”Nagbabagang Luna,”Pa hiram ng Isang U maga” and others. As a composer, he wrote songs like “Panga rap Na Bituin,”Bituin Walang Ningning, “Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas,”Pati Pin tig ng Puso Ko” and “Init Sa Magda mag” for Sharon Cu neta. “Never Ever Say Goodbye,”Doon Lang” and “Kam usta Ka, “Love Without Time” and “Fragments of Forever” for No noy Zu~niga,” Kah it Na,”Kapaa Puso’y Sinugatan” and “Sana’y Maghintay ang Walang Hangman” for Zsa Zsa Padilla, “May Mina mahal” and the lyrics to “Tag-araw” for Hajji Alejandro, plus “Malawi Man ang Ula p,”Making Akin Ka Laman g,”Araw-araw, Gabi-gabi,”Let the Pain Remain,”Magandang Gabi,”Duy an ng Pag-i big” and many others. Willy recently returned to his classical roots with his first symphonic work “Freedom in One Movement” which was premiered at the Tanghalang Nica nor Abelard o of the Cultural Center of the Philippines by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Term Paper on Development of Dance and Music in the Philippines
According to Atienza, Ramos, Salazar and Nazal in their book Panitikang Pilipino, “true literature is a piece of written work which is undying. It expresses the feelings and emotions of people in response to his everyday efforts to live, to be happy in his environment and, after struggles, to reach his Creator.” It is important to study Philippine Literature as enumerated: To better appreciate our ...
Despite these successes though, Willy is still first and foremost a pianist and the release of the album “Got to Believe in Magic” show him as such.
