Once Tasted…Forever Wanted

This past fall, I spent about six weeks taking care of my father Cesar Perez in Cebu, Philippines. He was dying of cancer. He was in and out of almost every hospital in Cebu, on various emergency occasions over the last year. It was stressful and exhausting.

In the quiet times while my Dad slept, I made music. I’d have the TV on in the background, usually on low volume or on mute. Sometimes, a Tagalog action movie would come on, like Durugin: Anay ng lipunan or Alakdang Gubat, starring “Da King” Fernando Poe, Jr. I’d never really watched Filipino action films before. I never got exposed to them in the States. The ones I got a taste of were so grimy and awesome - Gangsters, Eskrima fighting, gunplay, romance - all there. The drama was big, the action was sloppy, and the women were beautiful.

Once Tasted…Forever Wanted was inspired by the rough-and-tumble energy of the Philippines - Vibrant, vivid, scrappy, sketchy.

Like a good FPJ flick.

Bonus points if anyone can guess where the title of this song actually comes from. (Hint: It involves crunchy birds.)

Click on the streaming service of choice below to check it out!