BY JON AMIO
AT SEVEN years old, Clyde Ortencio already knew he loved singing, but not until over a decade later when he realized that this first love is his endgame, too.
Perhaps his online live performances during the community lockdowns helped pave the way to this realization, but for the most part, Iloilo City’s growing busking community did the magic.
‘BUSKING ERA’
Busking, where a singer performs live in a public place so that people there will toss him a coin or two, is not an entirely novel concept. Musicians around the world, including the Philippines, have been singing and playing their instruments on the busy streets and among the bustling crowds for years and years in the past.
Iloilo City has been seeing its local busking community grow for more than a year now. With community lockdowns easing and the economy gradually opening up, one could easily spot a serenading spectacle in the metro, especially in the City of Love’s Jaro and Mandurriao districts.
Two years ago, Clyde, who was only 19 back then, could only imagine this. In an interview for a promotion of a locally produced song in December 2020, Clyde said he wanted busking to be a “thing” in Iloilo, and now it is.
THE BUSKER
Clyde Xerxes Ortencio is originally from President Roxas town in Capiz province. In 2019, he moved to Iloilo City with his older brother, Sean, who became instrumental in the budding artist’s penchant for playing the guitar and singing.
Clyde came from a music-loving family. As a child, he was your typical bibo kid who would sing for an eager audience. But as years passed, Clyde admittedly lost touch with his craft, only to rekindle it in the most unexpected of times, during a global pandemic.
According to the 21-year-old busker, he started performing songs online in a streaming platform called “Sessions Live.” From there, he gained following and eventually migrated to Facebook, Instagram, and the pandemic-favorite TikTok.
As he made waves online, more and more people started to notice his talent. Clyde was then invited to perform live in malls around Iloilo City, that’s when his busking career officially started. After that, gig invitations for weddings, birthdays, and other occasions began to come in.
JITTERS ARE FOREVER
Clyde recalls the first time he did busking and shares how nervous he was back then.
“It was inside a mall near food establishments,” says Clyde, adding: “I was really nervous at that time, but it all went away when I started singing.”
Even until now, the management major of the University of the Philippines – Visayas shares that he still gets jitters whenever he performs live.
“I still get edgy when I sing live for an audience, especially when I have not mastered the song I’ll perform. That’s why I make sure that I’m prepared always as much as possible,” says Clyde.
Relatively though, Clyde’s confidence in performing improved, thanks to the priceless experience he had from his many gigs as well as to his brother Sean, also a singer, from whom he gets first-hand training.
On top of this, Clyde also shares that he had spent a good amount of time watching YouTube tutorials and interviews of famous singers, like his idol Ed Sheeran, a fellow busker, to enhance his singing prowess.
DEDICATED TO HIS CRAFT
When asked what he wants people to remember about him, Clyde says he wants to be remembered by the hard work and dedication that he puts into his passion.
He says that when one dreams, they must do everything to make that dream a reality. For him, that dream is to be a renowned music artist.
Clyde is willing to put in the work and make some sacrifices for his dream. In fact, the main reason he decided to shift his college course from accountancy to management is to have more time for singing. The ponytailed singer says that with the flexible schedule he now has, he can focus more on his busking career.
BUSKING HELPS ARTISTS THRIVE
In as much as he takes delight in performing for an audience, Clyde was also candid to say that he likes the lucrative aspect of busking. From ten-peso coins to five-hundred-peso bills, people would throw in cash into Clyde’s guitar case while he sings for them.
This, according to Clyde, improves the “market value” of buskers like himself, as their talent fee for gigs would now depend on their average total tip after one busking session.
Clyde says that this is a welcome development, especially that in the past, local singers receive not as high a fee for their performances. With busking, local artists are valued more.
Clyde adds that this likewise shows how supportive and appreciative Ilonggos are for local talent, which is already a victory for the arts scene in Iloilo.
NO FIXED SET LIST
While he has his go-to songs like “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5, “Stuck on You” by Lionel Richie, and “Kung ang Mundo ay Akin” by Erik Santos, Clyde says he has no fixed set list for his busking sessions.
The songs he plays would depend on the crowd he sings for and the place where is busking. Some would also request songs for him to play. “That’s when your guitar skills come in handy,” says the Capiznon talent.
THANKFUL TO HIS FANS
Clyde also shares how thankful he is to his supporters. Some of them, Clyde has been really good friends with.
According to Clyde, more than anything, what he likes about his busking career is how he can impact people. “I think that’s my purpose also, to influence people,” says Clyde, adding that he gets satisfaction from connecting with people who share the same passion as him.
Fresh and burning with passion, Clyde says he got more plans for his career in the future, and that, we are very excited to see. But for now, you can see him and his guitar around Iloilo City, taking part in the captivating art that is busking./PN
