On Friday, April 24, 2026, a rooftop in Talisay City, Cebu, became an intimate venue for live music as D'Goal Restobar hosted a songwriter's night. Organized by Michael Anthony Curan, the event featured three homegrown talents: Ryle Jhon Monacar, Andrei Labang, and Curan himself. They performed song covers, original tracks, and soon-to-be-released music, creating a space where the distance between artist and audience disappeared.
Minglanilla's Balladeer: Ryle Jhon Monacar
For Ryle, the night was both a homecoming and an evolution of his sound. Now on his fourth single under Viva Records, he shared a track born from experimentation, a departure from his usual style. "The story behind this track traces its way back to 2025. I created a song and tried other elements, and this time it's an out-of-the-shell style, a wonderful piece," said Ryle, who released his song "Tanging Ikaw Lang" in January 2026.
Blending hip-hop and R&B influences, the song began as a simple hum — a melody recorded in fragments before taking shape through just four chords on a guitar. It was unfamiliar territory, but one he fully embraced. Performing in Talisay, a place he considers his second home, he shared, "I feel proud performing here. I love performing my songs and it's a different kind of comfort."
Ryle comes from humble beginnings, starting as a hospital housekeeper before becoming one of the emerging artists in Cebu. He is known for songs centered on love and courtship, and his latest track presents him as a crooner inspired by beauty and the reasons he writes music. During his set, he performed covers of fitterkarma's "Kalapastangan" and Cup of Joe's "Pahina."
Pinamungajan's Rising Artist: Andrei Labang
Meanwhile, Andrei's journey into music feels almost serendipitous. What started as an invitation from a teacher turned into an unexpected path to becoming a Viva Records artist. His original track "Kayamanan," written and performed during a scouting in Toledo, opened doors he hadn't anticipated. Despite still being a student, Andrei already knows the kind of artist he wants to become.
"Right now, the singer I want to be is Jack Johnson. I want something he has — that chill, songwriter vibe. Especially growing up with a lot of noise in the world, I want music to be my outlet for calm," he said in an interview. Among the songwriters he looks up to are OPM icon Ryan Cayabyab, Rico Blanco, and internationally, The Beatles.
His songwriting reflects a blend of old and new, often carrying the warmth of classic OPM influences like Rey Valera while shifting in tone depending on whether he performs solo or with a band. Yet beneath his evolving sound lies a constant desire to share. For Andrei, one of the biggest challenges in OPM today is visibility. "I think it's time we stop normalizing gatekeeping artists. As for me, I really want to share my music with everyone," he said.
A Musician's Ode to Craft
That belief is something Curan actively works to champion. As the organizer of the event and the force behind MCMZK Productions, he has long been part of Cebu's punk and indie scene. But this night, he said, was for emerging artists looking for a space to share their music. "It's very important that they're given exposure. This is for independent artists who want to showcase their music. I'm part of it tonight, but it's really more about the two singers," he shared.
Curan's own musical journey spans years from forming a band in college to shaping a sound rooted in power pop, rock and roll, and punk. His solo project, however, tells a different story. "In 2026, I started doing solo stuff. The genesis of it was that I wrote two songs about a certain person and also for someone I appreciated — supposedly for 'The Difficult Stranger.' But the style is mellow and doesn't fit the band's aesthetic," he said with a laugh.
His acoustic work leans softer and more introspective, an outlet for emotions that demand stillness rather than volume. That night, he performed tracks that sit at the intersection of both worlds — songs like "Somebody's Constellation" and "When Samelyn Smiles," the latter soon to be released, alongside band pieces like "Disarray" and "Love Still Blind." Covers of familiar songs also made their way into the setlist, including Adele and Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love."
For Curan, hosting events like this goes beyond simply putting artists on stage. It's about building a space where independent musicians, whether part of a full band or standing alone with a guitar, can be seen and heard. Cebu's music scene, he notes, is already making its mark, with local bands gaining recognition not just in Manila but internationally, particularly within the global punk and power pop community. Still, nights like this remain essential. They are the starting point, the proving ground, and the reminder of why music exists in the first place.
