Cecile Azarcon: The Untold Stories Behind Her Hits

Celebrated songwriter Cecile Azarcon couldn't stop thanking her supporters during her 45th anniversary concert at The Theatre at Solaire last weekend. "Although I spent 40 of those 45 years living in the United States, the Philippine music industry kept my songs alive and loved over the decades," she said.

Azarcon is behind the lyrics and melody of some of most unforgettable Original Pilipino Music (OPM) classics, including Sana ay Ikaw Na Nga (Basil Valdez), Ikaw ang Lahat sa Akin, (Martin Niviera), So, It's You (Raymond Lauchengco), Special Memory (Iwi Laurel), Even If (Jam Morales), I Think I'm in Love and One More Try (Kuh Ledesma), Reaching Out (Gary Valenciano) and How Did You Know (Chiqui Pineda and Valenciano). How she was able pen these timeless romantic anthems, she said, is a God-given gift she's deeply grateful for.

In this interview, the legendary songwriter shares with Esquire Philippines her musical journey and the untold stories behind her hits.

Azarcon gave a tribute to her grandmother, Luisa, who was her very first piano teacher. 

Second nature

One could say Azarcon is a musical genius. "Siguro nasa sinapupunan pa lang ako ng aking ina, nagpa-piano na ako kasi it was so natural for me," she tells this writer, smiling. "I was never forced to do it. It was just like second nature to me."

At three years old, she would climb on the piano stool and play the piano on her own. At six, she was already making melodies, her mother, voice teacher and concert pianist, Minda Azarcon, told her.

"What [my mother] did was she actually notated [my compositions]. Meron pa akong mga titles like Ang Buwan, Ang Ibon, Ang Araw. I saw them in a folder as a I was cleaning and going through our music files later on," she shares.

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At about eight, she started her formal training in piano with her grandmother, Luisa, who not only developed her basic skill sets but allowed her to discover and nurture her gift of music.

It was in seventh grade when she had the opportunity to write her first song for their religion class at St. Scholastica's College in Manila. "We were encouraged to create something original and I decided to write a song titled Stairway of My Love. That project won and the entire seventh grade sang my song," she proudly recalls.

That became the start of her songwriting journey. Studying at the UP College of Music further deepened her knowledge on and passion for the craft.

Her cousin, Charo Umite—composer of hits May Bukas Pa, Lupa, Macho Gwapito—also had a huge influence on her decision to pursue a songwriting career. Umite would take her to hang out at the Vicor Music Corporation and Blackgold Records offices, where Azarcon got to meet some of the great singers and composers of that time.

On writing 'Lift Up Your Hands': "It was truly divine inspiration. I didn't even have a Bible in front of me. I didn't realize that the song I wrote was based on Matthew 11:28."

The song that prayed

Azarcon may be known for her enduring love songs, but her first hit was actually a gospel music—Lift Up Your Hands, popularized by balladeer Basil Valdez.

"I might have written that song when I was just 17 or 18," says the songwriter, who once dreamt of becoming a nun. "I've always been spiritual. At St. Scholastica's College, where I studied, I often passed by the prayer room to commune with God."

She wrote Lift Up Your Hands for a friend who was going through a rough patch. "We were on the phone, and she told me she wanted to run away from home. I told her not to do anything drastic and that I would pray for her," she recounts.

"For some reason, there was a pen and paper beside me. As soon as we hung up the phone, the words just flowed. In a matter of 10 minutes, I was able to complete the song, both words and music. I will never forget that after I wrote the song, I was trembling. It was truly divine inspiration. I didn't even have a Bible in front of me. I didn't realize that the song I wrote was based on Matthew 11:28."

A couple of years later, while she was waiting for her cousin Charo at the Vicor Music office, singer Basil Valdez heard her playing the song on the piano. "What's that song?" he asked. "Oh, it's nothing," she responded shyly. Valdez insisted, "It's not nothing. What is that song?" She eventually told him it was one of her own compositions. Impressed, Valdez said, "It's beautiful. Can I include it in my first English OPM album?" Naturally, she was elated and thrilled, and she readily agreed.

The song became part of Valdez's 1981 vinyl album titled Corner of the Sky, and became a sleeper hit after getting radio airplay on the program of veteran DJ George Boone.

Life is not all that bad, my friend, hmm
If you believe in yourself
If you believe there's Someone
Who walks through life without you
You'll never be alone
Just learn to reach out,
And open your heart
Lift up hands to God,
And He'll show you the way.

Azarcon with her special guests at the 45th anniversary concert: Jackie Lou Blanco, Gary Valenciano, Jam Morales, and Isabella

From hits to classics

The '80s marked the beginning of a highly productive songwriting career for Azarcon. Her next hit was a romantic ballad also by Valdez titled Sana ay Ikaw Na Nga.

Ano'ng kailangan kong gawin
Upang matigil na ang kabaliwan kong ito?
Sumpa ko sa sarili'y hinding-hinding hindi na
Ngunit heto na naman ako

"I have a friend who would meet guys she liked at parties or elsewhere, only to find out they were already taken. Then finally, she met someone and was hoping he would be the one," the songwriter shares the inspiration behind the song. "It's about a person who's hoping to find that special someone. That's why whenever I sing this song, I dedicate it to those who are still looking for that special someone in their life."

Azarcon's career peaked even further when Pop Diva Kuh Ledesma included more of her compositions in the album I Think I'm In Love. In fact, she was the sole composer of all the songs in that album.

She also contributed songs for the soundtrack of the 1984 teen-oriented movies Bagets (So It's You by Raymond Lauchengco) and Hotshots (Reachin' Out by Gay Valenciano and Special Memory by Iwi Laurel).

Martin Nievera opened the first day of Azarcon's 45th anniversary concert. 

Azarcon was at the peak of her career in 1984, when she and her family moved to the US. "I thought that it was already the end of my songwriting career," she recalls.

But then, in 1986, she received an unexpected phone call from Martin Nievera, who managed to track her down in San Francisco with the help of a mutual friend, singer Louie Heredia.

"Martin asked if I could write a Tagalog song for him," Azarcon recalls. They chatted and brainstormed for a couple of hours, which inspired her to create what would become one of Martin Nievera's greatest hits, Ikaw ang Lahat sa Akin.

With Regine Velasquez.

Behind the lyrics

How did she manage to write so many songs during those years?

"I was a voice teacher, and my life was pretty much confined within the four walls of my music room. Hindi ako masyadong lumalabas. Turo lang ako day in, day out. So a lot of my songs during that time were written in between lessons," she shares. "Pag tapos na akong magturo at pagod ako at the end of the day pero meron akong nararamdaman na overflowing feelings of joy, excitement, or emptiness, I write music. It became my outlet. It became my means to express myself."

This is also why many of her songs were inspired by stories of other people. "I had a student na kilig na kilig, meron daw siyang crush doon sa village nila. Sabi niya, 'Tita Cecile, I think I'm in love.'"

Is this love feeling restless inside
Wanting you to always be by my side
I don't even want you out of my sight
You are in my thoughts all day and night
I can't get you out of my mind
I think I'm in love

This same theme also inspired the song Reaching Out, which centers around a guy who lacks the confidence to confess his feelings to the girl he likes.

What must I do to make you understand?
You mean everything to me
Don't have the strength to say
Give this heart of mine a chance
And maybe then you will see

The song So It's You emerged from an overwhelming feeling of kilig.

Smile and that's how it all started
And you came right in time
When I needed someone
And we said hello
Suddenly my heart was beating fast

"I'm a conduit for the kilig that was passed on to me. Narinig ko, pumunta sa isip ko, pumunta sa puso ko, pumunta sa kamay ko, pumunta sa daliri ko, pumunta sa papel, lumabas yung kanta. But that moment had to be captured immediately. Because once it's gone, it's gone," she says.

On writing about the joys and pains of love: "I believe God allowed for me to experience all of these things para makapagsulat ako ng awitin about it."

'Very Colorful' Life

The songwriter says that while many of her songs are drawn from the experiences of others and fragments of her imagination, some were directly inspired by her own personal life.

"Hindi alam ng first love ko na para sa kanya yung mga kanta. Dapat marami na rin siyang royalties," she says, laughing. She declined to tell us what were those songs.

Like many, she has experienced the emotional highs and lows of loving and losing someone. In fact, she has led a "very colorful life."

"Of course growing up, you go through the usual expreriences na may crush ka, nain-love ka, maha-heartbroken ka, ayaw mo na. Tapos mai-in-love ka uli, you'll give yourself a second chance. I believe God allowed for me to experience all of these things para makapagsulat ako ng awitin tungkol doon," she says.

She also believes she has the gift of empathy, which enables her to compose songs that resonate with honesty and authenticity. "When someone talks to me and shares their experiences, I truly feel what they're going through. I take ownership of their pain. It's both a blessing and a curse because I genuinely feel their pain," she says.

One example is the song Even If by Jam Morales. Azarcon wrote it for a friend who, despite being betrayed by her partner, continues to love him.

Even if you mean the whole damn world to me
I can forget you, wait and see
I can be strong even without you
I can't waste my life forever
Hoping you'd come back to me
But deep inside I know
I'll be waiting here for you

Several of her songs continue to resonate deeply even years after they were written. One such song is Help Me Forget, which reflects a painful chapter in her life when her first marriage ended. This seven-year union produced a son.

We cannot get along
We both tried to be strong
But everything went wrong
Maybe we don't belong
Help me to forget
I've tried so hard and yet
It's just hard to forget

I asked if that breakup inspired many of her poignant love songs. On the contrary, she chose to remain silent about her own personal pain at that time and instead wrote about the experiences others shared with her.

"May panahong ayaw mong pag-usapan, ayaw mo ungkatin kasi mararamdaman mo ulit yung sakit. Parang you're in denial. Pero years later, pwede mong balikan, at mayroon ka ng paghuhugutan ng ganoong klaseng karanasan," she says smiling.

Now, Azarcon is happily married to her husband of 29 years, Alex Inocentes. This enduring love is reflected in the song Di Na Maghahanap Kailan Pa Man, sung by her nephew Tim Pavino. The lyrics go:

Pag-ibig sa Diyos ay aking nakamtan
Walang kapantay na katahimikan
Sagot ay binigay sa aking katanungan
Di na maghahanap kailan pa man

"I'm so blessed kasi pwede ka palang makakita ng isang tao na talagang supportive of you and who really wants you to be happy," she says, a smile lighting up her face.

With a heart full of melodies and a soul deeply rooted in faith, Azarcon's legacy in the Philippine music industry is undeniably timeless. Her story is a testament of how pain, joy, and divine inspiration can come together to create something truly magical.