The Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS) marks its ninth year on the music scene with the release of Sa Panaginip Lang, the group’s third full-length album. It consists of 12 songs written by Ryan Cayabyab, and half of the tracks’s lyrics by some of the group’s members. Curve Entertainment Inc. is distributing the album digitally worldwide, and the physical CD can be purchased at leading record stores.
The RCS has been recognized as the Philippines’ seven-part powerhouse ensemble since 2007. Formed and handpicked by Cayabyab, the group has long held its incomparable standard of showcasing only top soloists and all-around performers as its members.
Each of the seven members hails from different backgrounds, and together they engender the unsurpassable brand of artistry that Cayabyab can only qualify as his “dream team.” But what has left a remarkable impression on RCS audiences through the years is that no matter how each voice is as unique and as powerful as their individual personalities, they have deftly managed to blend in harmony to constantly master, re-invent, and deliver that stellar group sound that is always, and unmistakably, the product of Cayabyab.
In 2007, the RCS was realized with a series of auditions that sieved 180 aspirants. With tests for singing, improvisation, dancing, and overall performance at every phase of the audition, 18 remained from which Cayabyab selected Poppert Bernadas, Kaye Tiuseco, and five others who formed the original group. In the following years, as some members left, new ones were auditioned in a similar manner and the group has welcomed Erwin Lacsa, Celine Fabie, VJ Caber, Sheerien dela Cruz, and most recently, Anthony Castillo, to complete the current company of seven.
The singers are not required to have studied music, but they are required to be all-around performers, which means that they should not only be able to sing excellently, but move and carry themselves well onstage as seasoned professionals. The group’s edge lies in the coming together of the members’ different experiences and backgrounds, individual range, ease in choreography and blocking, and the collective youthful enthusiasm that excites their numerous fans upon seeing them perform altogether.
The RCS was signed with Sony BMG in 2007, and released their self-titled album, Ryan Cayabyab RCS. While the single, “Let Me Love You Tonight.” won Best R&B, they also gained recognition with the distinction of Best Performance by a New Group from the 21st Awit Awards. In 2011, they released RCS Repackaged, distributed by Ivory Records.
They perform mostly in corporate shows, personal events, concerts and tours in the Philippines and abroad. They have awed audiences all over with international credits including 12 cities in the US, 4 provinces of Australia, Canada, the Esplanade in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Indonesia.
Following the release of Sa Panaginip Lang, they are preparing to return to the U.S. for a one-month tour in October 2016 to promote Philippine music through a journey of 100 years.