KEEPING THE MUSIC ALIVE

He is just an ordinary guy who loves dogs. He is just any other random guy you’ll see in Puerto Princesa City. But with his guitar and scooter, Simon Moises Almira, popularly known as “Simon,” brought music to the Palaweños. The 41-year-old strums and hums the rhythm of the music through his passion and dedication. Simon is a solo musician/singer and a composer who has composed over 30 songs and has released an album entitled “Cashew Decades” in 2015.

JUST A HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR AUDITIONEE

“Second year high school ako nu’n noong nagkaroon ng audition para sa choir para sa HTU Chorale. Eh kasi ‘pag once na nagsali ka sa choir may scholarship ka,” Simon recalled how he went into music.

He didn’t know then that he has a talent in singing. The audition was just all because he wanted a scholarship. It surprised him that he was told he has a very nice voice. “Sabi nila okay yung pagkanta mo, sabi ko naman baka niloloko lang nila ako. Pero bigla ko naisip, oo nga, ano? Naabot ko naman yung mga notes.”

Simon grew his interest in music. His soul seems to giggle to the rhythm of every song he hears around. As a teenage singer then, Simon got hooked to the music of True Faith band and other Manila-based bands. “Paborito ko pakinggan talaga mga acoustic. Mga True Faith Band, Rivermaya.”

With his love to the soothing sound of guitar, Simon said that he had the greatest joy when his brother bought him his first guitar. “Ayun, binilhan ako ng Kuya ko ng gitara, the rest is history,” Simon recalls.

The musician said that his high school days were his days of seeking himself. The blooming of bands such as Yano, Eraserheads and others fueled his passion to churn out beats and rhythms and lyrics plus, of course, to lay bare his soul. “Siyempre pag high school ka d’yan mo pa talaga hinahanap yung sarili mo. Pero nung mga panahon kasi na ‘yun uso ‘yung mga banda, mga Yano, Eraserheads. Sila talaga nag-impluwensya sa akin nun,” he said.

Simon continued his singing career until college. And as he went to college, his singing career stepped up to another level too.

HALF BLOOD: Student at daytime, musician at night.

Simon studied dentistry for six years, and nursing for four years. He said he was “studious but not too serious” when he was in college. In fact, he was “Estudyante sa umaga, musikero sa gabi.”

Simon and his elder brother and sister are all in the medicine and health care studies, and it was hard for him to pursue his passion and his studies at the same time.

However, his passion kept burning that it didn’t make him sleep at night. What he did, he worked as half blood—half student, half musician. “Yung ginagawa ko nun, tugtog ako sa gabi tapos hanap ako schedule (class schedule) na medyo late na. Sstudyante ako sa umaga, musikero sa gabi minsan patago pang nag tutugtog.”

Simon said that his journey as a student and musician was not as easy as strumming a string on a guitar. He said that this required time management and the skill to balance passion against studies. “Mahirap, lalo na kung may mga gig, tapos minsan may klase.”

With his eyes filled with joy, Simon expressed the joy of performing in front of the people when he was in college, despite all the tiredness, the stress in class and the difficulty of standing for hours with a heavy guitar, he said that the joy of singing for him is “priceless.” “Minsan uuwi ka late na, alas dose na, pero yung saya na na-appreciate ka ng tao, na-appreciate ng tao yung talent mo,” Simon said.

The music artist, after his 6 years in Dentristry shifted to study Nursing, and there, he pursued to be a nurse, and again, a half Nurse and a half musician. The next chapter of his life is the battle of a nurse and his shield, his guitar.

“NEVER A REGRET”

Despite the stability of working as a nurse, Simon listened to his passion. He followed what his heart beat. Simon left his health-care work and crossed the road to music. He fought his battles in life with his shield—his guitar.

You can see in his eyes his flaming passion for music when he told PDN that his guitar is his “babe” and his girlfriend.

He cried with it. He turned thoughts into songs with it. He plucked his sadness away with those rusty strings. And he makes life-changing decisions with it.

Simon said that his decision to become a full-time music artist was one of the things he would not regret in his life. “Sabihin na natin na mas may pera sa nursing pero inisip ko.kesa naman magsisi ka na ‘di mo nagawa gusto mo.”

“Keeping the music alive” is what Simon always says. No matter what happens, when time comes that there are no gigs and no hopes are glancing at you, the artist advised to always keep the music alive, the music playing and the life going.

“Darating talaga minsan tatamarin ka, tapos cool off muna kayo ng gitara mo, break muna kayo ng gitara mo tapos kanta ka ulit pag-okay na mood mo.”

Simon admits that “downfalls” are always part of every artist’s life. Despite his flaming passion and dedication, Simon once stopped playing his music.

“Oo, naranasan ko dati mag-stop, nung mga time na halos wala na akong gig.”

He also shared the battle and hardships of finding job as a musician and a performer. “Pupunta ka sa mga bar, mag-audition. Tatanungin mo ‘yung mga manager ng bar kung pwede mag tugtog,” he stated.

However, being rejected after auditions is not the harshest thing a musician could ever experience but the feeling of being ignored while performing on stage.

“Yung pinakamasakit yung nagpe-perform ka tapos di ka pinapansin… May mga tao kasi akala mo di nakikinig pero papalakpak after ng kanta pero may iba na talagang wala lang sa kanila,” Simon said.

Perseverance, dedication and passion are a few elements that must flow with the rhythm of music life, Simon believes. And as a musician he also had struggles with financial stability. But the decision to choose music as a career is the “rightest” thing he has done.

THE BIRTH OF CASHEW DECADES

His songs are mirrored by his life, his passion, his friend’s passion. He hums the life of people around him, he plucks the rhythm of the life of his friends. Simon is not just an artist; his mind is blessed with words and lyrics that tell the story of his life and people around him.

As a true Palaweño, Simon also has a big heart for his realm, and there goes the birth of his song “Isla Ganda Palawan” that he sings in his performances.

“Yung Isla Ganda Palawan naman, ginawa ko yan kasi may competition (song writing) about Palawan, tapos nagulat ako nanalo siya,” he said.

With Simon’s mind rich in overflowing ideas and rhythmic motivation, Simon has already written over 30 compositions since he was in high school.

One is “Reyna Rad,” which is a love song about his admiration on a volleyball player named Queen, popularly known as Rachel Ann Dacques.

“Yung Queen Rad naman about sa volleyball, si Queen Rad. Wala lang, gandang ganda kasi ako sa kanya, idol ko ‘yun eh,” Simon said.

In 2015, the album “Cashew Decades” was released. The title was taken from “cashew” which is the main product of Palawan, and “decades” because his songs are released after 10 years.

He said that he is planning to compose more songs, and plans to make songs about famous landmarks in Puerto Princesa such as Plaza Cuartel, Iwahig Penal Farm and Colony and others. This is to bring people to places in Puerto Princesa and to preserve the Palaweño culture.

“Gusto ko sana na next song ‘yung mga title ay Iwahig, Plaza Cuartel,” He said.

The music artist said that his next goal is to release an album before he reaches the age of 45 years.

He stated that having an album is like leaving a footprint to the world, a footprint that will be his legacy.

WISDOM FROM A MUSICIAN

“Ang number one tip talaga sa mga estudyante sa umaga, musikero sa gabi ay mag tapos talaga sila dapat, mag tapos muna,” Simon said.

The artist reiterated the importance of education. He also said that the relationship of a musician to his family is an essential element to success of his career.

“Importante din dyan ‘yung family, dapat mag tapos ka para mapagbigyan mo ‘yung family mo,” he stated.

Simon also shared a tip on how to earn money while in the music industry. He said that a musician can always earn even music and singing is not a regular job.

“Kapag may kita, let’s say P500, tabi mo ‘yung P100, darating ang panahon, makakapag-ipon ka rin,” he said.

Simon added, for a musician to achieve, one must first keep his family an inspiration, strive hard and keep the music alive. He also has this desire of empowering musicians in Palawan. “Natutuwa lang ako na dumadami na ‘yung musician dito, gusto ko pa dumami sila at magkaroon mg competition in a healthy way.”

Simon also expressed the joy of being an artist, the joy of leaving a legacy to the world, the joy of bringing music to the world.

Despite all the hearts he filled when he is playing guitar, despite all the amusement he brings to people with his voice and despite all the music he wrote, Simon always keeps his feet on the ground but his head up high.

Despite all that, Simon still describes himself as just a “Hamak na musikero pa rin”.

And if you are going to ask Simon how long will he be singing? One thing is for sure, as long as he lives, he will always keep the music alive.