Born in Rosario, La Union, the Philippines on December 25, 1963, Noel Cabangon is an award-winning folk singer, songwriter, and musician known for his socially conscious lyrics. His musical journey began at the age of 10 when he taught himself to play the guitar using an instrument that he had borrowed from a neighbor. In 1982, he began to build an audience when he performed in local bars and folk houses. After five years of performing as a solo artist, he formed the band Buklod with fellow musicians Rene Boncocan and Ron Dongeto. The trio appeared on several different releases before splitting up. Noel Cabangon released his first solo album, Pasakalye, in 2000. The album featured “Dito Sa Kanto”, which won the Awit Award (the Philippines’ version of the Grammy Award) for Best Folk-Pop Recording. Due to the popularity of his solo debut, Noel Cabangon became an in-demand songwriter, penning material for other artists as well as being featured on movie soundtracks. His next solo album, Himig Nating Pat-ibig, was released in 2006. His third album Byahe, was a big commercial success, earning him several more Awit Awards including Album of the Year. In 2009, Noel Cobangon collaborated with Filipino rapper Gloc-9 on the hit single “Bayad Ko”, which appeared on Gloc-9’s album Matrikula. Noel Cabangon’s next album Panaginip (2011) was also successful, earning him another Awit Award for Album of the Year. Further albums include Tuloy Ang Byahe (2012), the holiday album Acoustic Noel (2014), and Huwag Mangamba (Mga Awit Ng Pagtatagpo) (2015).