KC Concepcion: Debut Album Cassandra

KC Concepcion is creating quite a stir in the local entertainment industry.

From being widely-acccepted as the country’s newest and most favorite product endorser, to being the freshest and most exciting television sensation via her ABS-CBN specials and drama foray, KC has went on to achieve a major breakthrough in the filmmaking business by achieving the seemingly impossible task of uniting two giant networks behind her and new leading man Richard Gutierrez for her debut film. That movie to be written and directed by Jose Javier Reyes is just about the most-talked about and much-anticipated of late.

And if you think KC Concepcion is just about to rest on her laurels, think again. Just about now, the mega daughter has been creating yet another ripple in the local music industry with the release of her brand new album “a.k.a. Cassandra” under Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

Well thought-out and meticulously planned, KC’s album release is easily one of the country’s most highly-anticipated musical events. Both the recording company executives and the artist are proud of the outcome of their collaborative effort.

Creatively titled “a.k.a. Cassandra” to distinctly differentiate yet lay claim to KC’s ownership of that music and its direction, the album is a fusion of original compositions and a host of remakes, done in completely different arrangements.

Very interesting examples are the 80’s hits “Melt With You” (Modern English) and “I Just Can’t Get Enough” (Depeche Mode). Imagine these songs being guitar-based harmonized with percussions which KC herself played live with Pinikpikan during the recording, creating a unique world music sound.”

With the original compositions, KC has collaborated with seasoned songwriters and arrangers for songs that she wants to be remembered for, and that she could claim her own. Maestro Ryan Cayabyab contributed a soon-to-be classic anthem in “Ngiti Lang,” while funnyman Joey de Leon threw-in some serious Tagalog lyrics for “Doo Be Doo,” an adaptation of an original South African hit song.

The alternative contributions came from ex-Eraserhead and Sandwich lead vocalist Raymund Marasigan who has written and produced two originals “Breathe” and a surprise hidden album cut. Pinikpikan’s Sammy Asuncion has produced majority of the songs together with Angelo Villegas, which explains the album’s world music bent, including Joey Ayala’s “Agila (Haring Ibon)” that showcases KC’s vocal capabilities.

KC says, “I am so thankful to Sony BMG for giving me a freehand in choosing the songs in the album, including the musicians that I got to work with it. They gave me so much trust and freedom to explore the kind of music that I wanted. The result is fantastic. I was particularly pleasantly surprised how ‘Umbrella’ sounded almost ethereal after we’re through with it,” she excitedly tells.

She promises, “Here is an album that you can bring anywhere and listen to without stressing out. It’s some sort of ‘music for travel,’ to keep you company while you’re driving. I truly hope you will like it as much as we had fun creating it.”

Vic Valenciano, Sony BMG’s A&R director says for his part, “KC is an extraordinary artist. She knows what she wants and how she wants her music to sound like. There were lots of influences from her Paris days which will be evident in most of the songs you’ll be hearing in the album. There were a lot of improvisations during the entire recording process but we can assure you that everything turned out really nice. We are proud of her.”

The complete track listing of “a.k.a. Cassandra” is as follows: Imposible, An Updated Version of Me, Agila (Haring Ibon), Doo Be Doo, Ngiti Lang, Melt With You, I Just Can’t Get Enough, Breathe, Imagine, It Must Have Been Love and Umbrella.

With the release of “a.k.a. Cassandra,” KC is set to create her very own mark in the local recording industry that will in no time establish her as a consummate singer-artist of her generation.