JEDDAH, 3 October — “Awit Abroad — Para Sa Inyo, OFW Ng Buong Mundo,” the first Filipino all-star OFW music album, is now available in the Middle East.
Composed by Rolly Amaranto, who works in Jeddah, all the songs in the album are about Overseas Filipino Workers, whose number had been estimated at six to seven million and continues to grow.
The album is a genuine tribute to the OFWs, the unsung modern day heroes whose earnings have been helping keep the Philippine economy afloat.
The songs depict the harsh reality of being far away from ‘home, living and working in a foreign land, yet holding on to a dream of a better future. It puts into music the trials and sacrifices OFWs face all over the world, as seen through the eyes of one of their own.
The album features popular Filipino artists and entertainers, namely: Nora Aunor, Claudine Barreto, Nonoy Zuñiga, Juan Rodrigo, Miriam Pantig, Jo Awayan, Cindy Rosas, Kelly Grace Salcedo, Aldoe Rubee and Richard Villanueva.
It is the first time that notable and popular Filipino artists/entertainers have banded together to record songs to honor to the millions of OFWs scattered all over the world.
One remarkable thing about the album is that the composer is not a songwriter by profession. Rolly Amaranto had been a secretary at a multi-national company in Jeddah for more than 11 years.
Being musically inclined, he coped with feelings of loneliness by playing his guitar, expressing his feelings and sharing his experiences through his music.
This regular expression of OFWs plight has allowed Rolly to write songs and collect quite a number of compositions. His songs give hope and voices to the millions of OFWs who have sacrificed so much for their families and their country as well.
It is the first time that such music album is released in the Middle East and the Gulf.
The music album was launched and released in the region last week after producer POPPSINC Philippines signed a licensing agreement with Stallions Records.
It is available on CDs and music cassettes at all Stallions showrooms and other leading record bars. The album is also available in the Philippines.
