Personal background Noel Cabangon comes from a modest family. He grew up in a small town in La Union province called Rosario.

As a kid he remembers performing at home every time his parents have some guests for a visit. Mesmerized with the sound and playing of the guitar by his relatives, he started learning how to play the instrument at the age of 10. Patiently he never stopped playing the borrowed guitar from the neighbor until he finds his fingers turned into green or get all the rusts of the strings. He grew up a shy and insecure boy running away from people who enlist his name every time there is a singing contest in there town. He was too scared to perform in public - on stage where the town's people would watch him. Lack of confidence made him repulsive from joining any contest or doing public performance. Not knowing that his talent for singing coupled with his songwriting skill would soon be his instruments in paving his own journey and creating his life-story. As a singer and performer Now, Noel is the voice behind the popular song Kanlungan or Pana-Panahon, as most people would call it. He is a singer-songwriter and musical director for theater. He started his career as a folksinger in 1982 and since then has been performing in various folk houses and music bars in Metro Manila. Noel has also performed in several concerts local and abroad. He has already released four albums under the Jesuit Music Ministry (JMM) label of the Jesuit Communications Foundation (Jescom) and one under Ballyhoo Records. His album includes: "Pasakalye"- 2001, "H'wag Mangamba"- 2002, "Medjas" 2003, and "Nol" (Christmas album) 2003. His music video "Kayod Kabayo, Kayod Barya", a song from Pasakalye which portays the hardships of street vendors and common Filipinos, won the Best Music Video Awards for the 2002 Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA). "Pauwi Na", a tribute to the Filipino overseas workers, from his album Medjas, was nominated as finalist in the Best Alternative Music Category, "Pasko Na, Pasko Na!" and "Ang Pasko Dito sa Amin", songs about the Filipino Christmas traditions were nominated as finalists in the Best Christmas Song category, while "Tinamaan Mo", from Medjas album, a bossa-nova-type about love was awarded as the Best Jazz Recording, all in the 17th Awit Awards a prestigious award being given to Filipino recording artists by the Philippine Association of the Recording Industry (PARI). Aside from being part of several collaborative albums, Noel recently released his latest and 5th album, "Himig Nating Pag-ibig", a collection of mostly original works which speaks not only about romantic love but also its other facets. This album was released under an independent recording company, Ballyhoo Records. Since the '80s, Noel was actively involved in the creation and popularization of alternative Filipino music. Together with Rom Dongeto and Rene Boncocan, he formed a folk group called Buklod in 1987. And this has led to the production of three albums which tackle socio-political-cultural issues: "Bukid at Buhay", an album which speaks of the lives, struggles and aspirations of the Filipino peasants; "Tatsulok", an album on human rights; and "Sa Kandungan ng Kalikasan", an advocacy album on the environment. Noel, together with Buklod, also participated and performed in Paris, France during the Bi-Centennial Celebration of the French Revolution in 1989. Then followed by a concert in Hong Kong in 1990. Before the group disbanded in 1994, he toured Germany together with Bayang Barrios and some Filipino farmers. Then proceeded to the Netherlands for another concert. In 2000 Noel embarked for a journey to Denmark for a concert with the Filipino migrants, then to Belgium and Switzerland. In 2002 Noel was invited to perform at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil. As an advocate for the debt cancellation of the Southern countries, Noel performed together with artists from Africa and South America. And then at the World Social Forum in Mumbai, India in 2004, aside from performing Noel attended a workshop on the relevance of music on the theme "another world is possible", where he met with several artists from other countries, which has led to the production of a collaborative album called "Arts in Resistance". As a songwriter While doing all his social involvements, Noel never stopped from performing at the bars where his

roots as a singer started. And he also never stopped from writing songs not only for himself but also for other artists who are in need of new materials to record. This was also the time when Noel first made his way to the mainstream music industry. He had his first song, "Hanap-hanap Ka", written for Calvin Millado, then an upcoming recording artist of BMG records, then followed by "Ang Diwa ng Pasko", a Christmas song for GMA7's Christmas Collection which was interpreted by Janno Gibbs. And after that he wrote a couple of songs, "Kita'y Maghihintay" and "Nasa Langit", for Agot Isidro, also a BMG recording artist. The latter song "Nasa Langit" became her second single. His being a finalist to the Metro Manila Popular Music Festival in 1999 opened a lot of opportunities for him in the industry. His entry to the festival "Dito sa Kanto", as finalist was interpreted by the APO Hiking Society. Then the following year he joined the ABS-CBN: Himig Handog sa Bayaning Pilipino, another songwriting festival where his song "Ikaw ay Bayani" made it as one of the 10 finalists. Since then, he has also written several songs for other mainstream artists like Cesar Montano, Randy Santiago, Dingdong Avanzado, Nikki Gil and many others. He also composed the theme song of Pahina, an educational television program of the ABS-CBN Foundation. He was also a finalist at the Asian Songwriting Festival Local Search 2000 with his entry Ikaw Lang. His song "Kayod Kabayo, Kayod Barya" was used as a soundtrack for the movie "Ang Tanging Ina". Recently, Noel frequently appeared as guest composer/singer for the television program of GMA7 "Debate" where he wrote and perform songs related to the topics on every episode. He also composed the song Alaala Ka Infanta, a special tribute to the people and communities of Infanta, Real and Nakar, Quezon province, who were ravaged by the three big typhoons in December of 2004. The song was performed at a concert in the town center of Infanta during the Earth Day celebration in April 2005. As a Musical Director Aside from being a recognized singer-songwriter, Noel is an active artist-teacher-member of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA). He has already written several songs and musically directed for PETA's plays which include: "Ang Tiririt ng Ibong Adarna", "Summer Dreaming", "Don Guillerno", "Romeo at Julieta: Isang Komedi" (a collaboration with the Black Tent Theater of Japan), "Dream Weavers," "Mga K'wento ni Lola Basyang", and "Walang Himala". He also joined the casts of PETA's musicale "1896," where he played the part of Jose Rizal. As an actor Noel has also acted as Jesus Christ in the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar where he portrayed the role of Jesus. The musical was staged at the Music Museum in June 2000. Affiliations Noel is an member of KATHA - an organization of Filipino composers, where he is also a member of the board; FILSCAP (Filipinos Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers); an Ambassador for Conservation of the Haribon Foundation - a foundation that promotes the protection and preservation of the environment; he is also involved in the campaigns of Greenpeace International an environmental organization; Jubilee South a network of south and north countries campaigning for debt cancellation of illegitimate debts of south countries; an individual member and member of the board of the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), campaigner for Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP); In 2004, Noel was given a special recognition by the provincial government of La Union during its 154th Foundation Anniversary, for his outstanding service and invaluable contribution to culture and the arts. And in February of 2007, he was chosen as the endorser/spokesperson for the National Arts Month (NAM) with the theme "Ani ng Sining - 2007" by the National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCCA).