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About Mahnee...
Continuation...
( Mahnee's
favorite Tee)
......."The Three Kings" that eventually evolved into
"The Vikings" that starred Visayan greats like: Stacs Huguete, Ramonito Del Rosario,
Maning Aballe and Art Maloy until the group disbanded in 1962. In 1963
Mahnee regrouped and again founded another group called Manny Cabase and the
Sounds composed of her daughter Amapola on Vibes/Vocals, his son-in-law
Maning Aballe on Drums/Vocals, his brother-in-law Eddie Campogan on
Bass/Vocals and featuring a family friend on Clarinet and Vocals: Joven
Casquejo (who now is one of Cebu's piano virtuoso's). They opened their
first show at the "Keyboard" on Fuente Osmena. The
new venture was a resounding
success. That gig was followed by a prestigious contract with Hotel
Magellan where Mahnee split his group into two to furnish non-stop music at
the "Sandtrap". His success with both bands was phenomenal and unequalled to
this day. It was in 1969 when his daughter Amapola who now led Manny
Cabase's vocal quartette was discovered by Pilita Corrales, Fae Corrales and
Emil Mijares and contracted to sing at her ABS-CBN show "An Evening With Pilita". PIlita wanted Manny Cabase's group with Amapola on her show
which opened new
vistas for Manny Cabase and the Sounds featuring Amapola. The band's
first gig outside of the Visayas was at the Manila Hilton which caused a
bidding war between Manila Hilton and Hotel Intercontinental over who gets
to hire the band. Hotel Intercontinental won the bidding. Manny was now changing the name of the group to
Amapola and the
Sounds but he was still the group leader who played an important role in the
success of the group, writing the music, playing and singing many
of the biggest hits and best songs that Manila nightlife welcomed with open
arms. Soon Amapola and the Sounds became the hit group of the season.
It wasn't too long before Manny's daughter Amapola began to record and perform outside the group
and became successful as a solo act onstage and on television with a career
that
soared to new heights in barely two years since their first Manila
television appearance. By 1973 Amapola became one of the
Philippines' superstars, starring in her own films and television specials.
She was offered a contract to tour the Hawaiian Islands with other local
stars and Amapola reluctantly accepted because of her previous commitment
with Intercon. It was her parents that encouraged her to go and soon Manny Cabase
found himself regrouping yet again and continuing their Intercon gig for a
couple more years.
In 1978, local entrepreneur Romeo Jalosjos, an
avid Manny Cabase fan, opened a restaurant and showroom specifically built
around Manny's brand of music. Jalosjos also made sure that he had the best
Visayan chef before he opened the doors to the new
Cebu Restaurant and The Ugly Duckling cocktail lounge and showroom in Makati, Metro Manila.
Manny Cabase's new group now included his granddaughter April and Amapola's
sister Weena. Various talented musicians made up Manny's new group including
Maning Aballe who had been with Manny for over a decade now as his main male
vocalist and drummer. Again Manny's new group became a sensation and new and
old Manny Cabase "followers" filled the room to capacity as expected.
It was in 1979 when Amapola asked
Mahnee and the family to join her in San
Francisco to organize another group for a new contract with the Fairmont
Hotel's Tonga Room in San Francisco, California. It was the birth of "Amy
and the Sounds" with Manny at the keyboards, Albert Garcia on drums and
vocals, Rose Tecson on bass and vocals, and Amapola who was now leading the
group on vibes/marimba/vocals. The group held forth for a few years until
they parted ways to pursue their respective careers in 1982. Amapola began a
new career onboard Cruise ships and began traveling around the world. Manny
Cabase on the other hand founded yet another group composed of his
granddaughter April, daughter Weena and grandson Rodney and they played gigs
all over San Francisco until Manny decided to go into semi-retirement. That
semi-retirement gave Manny the chance to fulfill his deep longing to write music for the church and for choirs. He also continued the Siete
Palabras tradition he started in Cebu decades ago.
Every year with no
fail until he was unable to play, Manny who now changed the spelling of his
name to Mahnee, offered his music and services to the Visayan community of
San Francisco during Holy Week and other traditional celebrations like the
Santo Nino Pista Senyor celebrations. Mahnee Cabase soon became a
"necessity" to any further Visayan get-togethers. He and his wife Sheila who
also wrote lovely lyrics to some of his songs and also conducted his choirs
had become a "must-have" in any gathering. Parties had been cancelled when
both Mahnee and Sheila could not make it. They were now linked with several
organizations including Santo Nino de Cebu and the very lively "Friends
USA". Music was the touchstone in every occasion with any group that got
together in San Francisco's Filipino community and Mahnee Cabase was the
musical touchstone to his family, his friends and his music students.
There were three funeral ceremonies Manuel "Mahnee" or
"Manny" Cabase. The first at the Episcopal church where Mahnee used to play
church music, the second at the Senior Community chapel where Dad played
music for all the senior citizens who were not mobile and the third at
Cabase family Roman Catholic service at the Saint Francis Cathedral in San Francisco,
California.
Over two hundred friends turned up. Reception followed.UPDATED
Feb. 2004:
There was a music-fest in his name at a San Francisco
community hall led by his good friend Johnny Rojo on the Saxophone
with his famous group
composed of his sons Joseph, Jonathan and others that included musicians
that had worked with Mahnee and his daughter Amapola before. One
of his vocal students sang "The Shadow Of Your Smile" amidst her
tears. Mahnee's daughters Amapola & Weena and granddaughter April
(resident chanteuse for Bill Hopkins Orchestra) jammed with the Johnny Rojo Family band. Even Mrs. Sheila Cabase
joined and conducted the impromptu choir that went up to sing Mahnee
and Sheila's composition: Kanunay ( Mahnee Cabase's response to the
song "Usahay"). Many in the audience remarked that it
was a scene lifted from one of Mahnee's favorite films: "Mr. Holland's
Opus".
January 10, 2004, a posthumous award was awarded to
"Mr. Music" Mahnee Cabase and his wife Sheila proudly accepted the
award from the Santo Nino De Cebu, USA at the Saint Patrick's
Cathedral in San Francisco. The gathering was a tribute to Mahnee's
contribution to the world of music and his support of various local
charities.
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Other Family Website:
Tripod:
Daughter:
Amapola Official Website
Grandaughter:
April B. Official Website
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