Ely Buendia Drops Cinematic “Kandarapa” Music Video — Watch
The music video embraces an arthouse aesthetic that seemingly takes cues from the classic film The Seventh Seal and the works of the late master auteur David Lynch.
ELY BUENDIA: Photographed by Lawrence Del Rosario
ELY BUENDIA: Photographed by Lawrence Del Rosario
Fresh off his lead actor stint in Padamlágan (Night Light), the 2025 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival entry, OPM rock legend Ely Buendia has released the cinematic music video for “Kandarapa.”
Premiered on October 19 via Buendia’s official YouTube channel and simultaneously livestreamed on TikTok, the launch allowed fans to interact directly with the “Bulaklak sa Buwan” singer in a live Q&A session following the debut. Produced by Buendia himself in collaboration with his record label, Offshore Music, the video was directed by the label’s in-house creative, Gada Nyssa Zayco.
At the first-ever Filipino Music Awards, “Kandarapa” earned a nomination for Rock Song of the Year. The track also serves as the third single from Buendia’s sophomore solo album, Method Adaptor, which is nominated for Album of the Year.
“When I first heard ‘Kandarapa,’ I felt the courage behind it. It takes a certain kind of bravery and strength to begin a song with an admission to say that you or something is not okay right from the first line, before any instrument even begins,” shares Zayco in an official press release. “I wanted the visuals to feel like a dream you’re half-aware of, caught between wanting to wake up but at the same time trapped.”
Aside from her creative work for the label, Zayco also directed the music video for Pinkmen‘s “Di Pa Rin Sapat (Ang Sahod),” a five-minute visualizer featuring guerrilla-style shots and political imagery that depict the struggles of the working class and highlight the issue of underpaid labor.
In the music video, Zayco adopts an “arthouse” approach, experimenting with the presence and absence of color through black-and-white visuals. Reflecting on the collaboration with Buendia, she shares, “He gives you space to create, yet challenges you to see things from a deeper place […] I used to see him as someone almost unreachable — a legend whose work defined generations.”
Watch the music video for “Kandarapa” below: