Bayang Barrios' Malaya - a short profile ( Malaya means Free ) If your ears have been reeling from the vocal histrionics of singing contests and flash-in- the-pan "music" idols, the timeless sincerity of Bayang Barrios' voice is a most welcome refresher. Whether she's lilting us with her unique lullabies and love songs ("Harinawa", "Isipin Mo Nalang") , or rousing us with heartfelt pleas for planet earth ("Nag-iisang Mundo", "Bagong Umaga"), Bayang's brand of world music/folk never fails to mesmerize. And now, four years after releasing her last album, Bayang continues on her journey with the aptly titled, "Malaya". Inspired by her new found freedom as an exponent of independently produced and distributed music, "Malaya", at its heart, is a collection of classic songs from her heroes: Joey Ayala ("Bathala"), Gary Granada ("Iisa") and Asin's Lolita Carbon, whose masterpiece, "Gising Na, Kaibigan", is the album's first single. No stone went unturned in the production of the album, as the most celebrated musicians in the industry lent their talents to Bayang's now fifth indie release. Mike and Angelo Villegas, Kakoy Legaspi, Louie Talan, Michael Alba, were just some of the names tapped to contribute, all in support of an album that represents both a sea change for the industry (indie releases have seen an upswing in recent years), and for classic Filipino music as well. This is a treasure trove of less-popular but nonetheless timeless OPM, re-visited and re-introduced to a public hungry for musical substance. Malaya, indeed. =)