*Jozzua Notes from a Business and Marketing Strategist/Tactician

Cold Summer Nights: Tribute To Francis Magalona

I go to church now in Kawilihan Village, Pasig. Every Saturday evenings or Sunday mornings, the lector would comment:

"We pray for the continued recovery of Francis Magalona..."

Apparently, Magalona's family lived here. I've never met them. Even more ignorant of me, I wasn't aware that the master Rapper had been sick for several months now.

Kuya, patay na si Francis Magalona. (Bro, Francis Magalona is dead)

My brother texted me this message. The Pinoy social networks also flooded with similar sentiments. Website traffic spiked.

The news of this musical icon's death struck many Filipinos hard. It was announced by Vic Sotto in Eat Bulaga:

August 8, 2008 (8/8/8) was, for many Filipinos, an occasion of weddings. To Francis Magalona and his family, it was an ominous date. It was the day he was diagnosed with leukemia at the Medical City Hospital, Mandaluyong.

I don’t want a media circus. I want privacy with my family. What I’d rather talk about is how we can solicit blood donations to replace the supply that I have consumed in the hospital. It was very gradual, hindi siya biglaang lumabas (it did not come out so suddenly). We don’t want to use the word ‘curable,’ but the doctors say it’s treatable.[7]
—Pia Arroyo-Magalona, Francis’ wife, Wikipedia

On his multiply site, Francis would describe his bout with Cancer:

Today, September 25th, 2008 is the day I learned that Cancer isn't all about death. It's about LIFE. And today I celebrate and embrace that life.

We will remember this musical giant's contribution forever. He introduced RAP music in the Philippines.

In 1990, he released the groundbreaking album Yo!, the first commercially released Pinoy rap album in the Philippines.[2] Yo! included several popular singles such as Mga Kababayan Ko (My Fellow Countrymen), Gotta Let 'Cha Know, Cold Summer Nights and Man From Manila. With tracks that featured politically conscious and thought-provoking rhymes in both English and Tagalog, Yo! was a big success and helped catapult Filipino hip hop from underground to mainstream status. It also marked the birth of Makabayang or Nationalistic rap in Filipino hip hop.

Last night as the Eraserheads played on their Reunion Concert, Superproxy was played. According to Audry Carampel's report on GMA 7, Francis M was supposed to be a surprise guest here. Ely Buendia and the gang played some of Magalona's music at the final set.

On March 6, 2009, at 12:20 pm, Magalona succumbed to multiple organ failure after having been rushed to the hospital and intubated the night before.

It was the day Pinoy RAP music died.

On Cold summer nights, over drinks and rap music, we'll remember in our hearts, the master rapper - Francis Magalona.

Died but not forgotten.