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His enduring ballads -- all sad, sentimental songs about having loved
and lost -- will forever be part of Filipino pop culture.
The first time he sold a song to a record label was in 1966. The song,
"Kapantay ay Langit," was recorded by Amapola, and then by Pilita
Corrales, who turned it into a classic.
Kapantay ay Langit
Pilita Corrales
Ngayon at kailanman
Sumpa ko'y iibigin ka
Ngayon at kailanman
Hindi ka na mag-iisa
Ngayon at kailanman
Sa hirap ko ginhawa ka
Asahan may kasama ka sinta
Naroroon ako t'wina
Maaasahan mo t'wina
Ngayon at kailanman
REFRAIN:
Sa bawat araw ang pag-ibig ko sa 'yo liyag
Lalong tumatamis, tumitingkad
Bawat kahapon ay daig nitong bawat ngayon
Na daig ng bawat bukas
Malilimot ka lang
Kapag ang araw at bituin ay di na matanaw
Kapag tumigil ang daigdig at di 'na gumalaw
Subalit isang araw pa matapos ang mundo'y magunaw na
Hanggang doon magwawakas pag-ibig kong sadyang wagas
Ngayon at kailanman
REFRAIN:
Sa bawat araw ang pag-ibig ko sa 'yo liyag
Lalong tumatamis, tumitingkad
Bawat kahapon ay daig nitong bawat ngayon
Na daig ng bawat bukas
Labis kitang mahal (ngayon at kailanman)
Tangi sa May Kapal(ngayon at kailanman)
Ngayon at kailanman
Canseco's last recorded song was "Nasaan Ka Man," which he wrote
for Martin Nievera's 2002 album.
By his own estimate, Canseco had written about 300 songs. These
were sung by Basil, Kuh Ledesma, Sharon Cuneta, Regine Velasquez,
Pilita, Dulce, ZsaZsa Padilla, Leah Navarro, among other top singers.
Canseco said that Marcos paid him P1.5 million to write the song,
which was interpreted by Kuh Ledesma.
Ako ay Pilipino
Ang dugo'y maharlika
Likas sa aking puso
Adhikaing kay ganda
Chorus:
Ako ay Pilipino,
Ako ay Pilipino
Isang bansa isang diwa
Ang minimithi ko
Sa Bayan ko't Bandila
Laan Buhay ko't Diwa
Ako ay Pilipino,
Pilipinong totoo
Ako ay Pilipino,
Ako ay Pilipino
Taas noo kahit kanino
Ang Pilipino ay ako!
The songwriter also brought honor to the country by winning in
foreign music festivals. The song "Ako ang Nagwagi," interpreted by
Dulce, lost in the Metro Pop Music Festival in 1978. But it brought
home top honors for Canseco and the country from the Hong Kong
Music Festival the same year.
O, kay saya ko
Malaya kong nasusunod ang gusto
Kasama kong ngumingiti ang mundo
At di humihikbi sa 'yo
Chorus
Ako ang nagwagi
Naitago ko ang damdamin kong sawi
Sinong magsasabing ito ay mali
Kahit alala ka bawat sandali
(Repeat Chorus)
Salamat na lang
Hindi lantad ang isang pusong sugatan
Bawat tibok hindi rinig ang sigaw
Tinatawag pa rin, ikaw
Na tanging mahal
Pa rap pa rap...
Kahit ako ang nasawi
Ako pa rin ang nagwagi
The following year, he bagged the grand prize in the Metro Pop Music
Festival with the song "Ngayon," interpreted by Basil Valdez.
He composed his last film score in 1989 for "Paano Ang Ngayon Kung
Wala Nang Bukas," which starred Kring Kring Gonzales and Ronaldo
Valdes.
He was the youngest of three children of Jose Canseco, a doctor of
medicine from Cavite, and Ceferina Masangkay, a mathematician from
Antipolo.
He did not use any musical instrument to write his music. Instead, he
played the song in his head and later wrote it on paper.
He also wrote lyrics for the songs of other composers like Willy Cruz,
D'Amarillo, Amado Trivinio, Homer Flores, Ryan Cayabyab, among
others. "I have this talent for imagining a situation and then writing a
song," he said.