Mention the name of Max Surban and what comes to mind? Novelty songs, of course. Max has recorded 28 albums for Vicor and four for Star Records in the past 27 years - all of them novelty albums. It comes as a surprise, therefore, to learn that his latest opus, "Harana ni Max Surban" doesn't have a single funny number in it and all the cuts are in Visayan.

During the presscon for his album, Max tells us that when he started singing in Cebu in 1964, his repertoire consisted of serious songs from artists like Mario Lanza, Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. Max was a machinist at the Visayan Electric Company when he decided to concentrate on a singing career. "I had been winning amateur singing contests in Cebu when someone asked me if I wanted to sing at a club," he recalls. "Babayaran daw ako ng P10 a day. E, ang suweldo ko sa VECO, P4 a day so I said yes. Bumili ako ng lumang Amerikana and that's how my singing career started."

Like many Cebuanos before him, Max sailed for Manila in search of better opportunities. He landed singing gigs at the Bayside and at Seafront which was frequented by expats. In 1968, Max dreamed of performing abroad like many Filipino singers. The only opportunity that came his way was a stint in war-torn Vietnam. Despite the inherent danger that came with the assignment, Max and his friends formed a band and took the Saigon gig. It was a hairy experience. "Kumakanta ka, tapos biglang may putukan kang maririnig," he says. With the escalation of the Vietnam war, his band went home after completing only four months of their six-month contract.

Max managed to get foreign gigs in a more peaceful place, Japan. His repertoire consisted of pop songs, soul and country music. Doing novelty songs was farthest from his mind.

In 1972, a friend Al Comendador, asked Max if he wanted to record a single for Vicor. At that time, Max says the record outfit's headquarters was a one-room affair in Raon. The office only had one table. When Al showed Max the song Vicor's headman Vic del Rosario wanted him to sing, Max was flabbergasted. "Bakit ganito ang kanta?," he complained "Wala bang love song diyan."

Boss Vic wanted to do a comedy number and Max resisted. He was more comfortable with ballads. "Matagal kaming nagusap. Ayaw ko talagang kantahin yung gusto nila. Sa bandang huli, pumayag din ako," says Max.

The novelty number became a hit in one week, according to Max and he received the princely sum of P50. He recorded more novelty songs and before long, Max started to enjoy doing it even if it meant changing his voice so he sounded funny. By 1973, Max started composing his own novelty tunes. Since then, he has composed all the songs in his novelty albums.

For the 14-track "Ang Harana ni Max Surban," Max worked on the lyrics for only one song, "Gugma Ako." The melody is based on an old American song he used to sing as a child. The other cuts on the album are classic Visayan songs like Maning Villareal's "Daw Dahong Laya," Mani Cabase and Saturio Villarino's "Patay ng Buhi," Vicente Rubi's "Carmela," Mil Villareal's "Nahadlok Ako," Ben Zubiri's "Matud Nila," E Pelegrino's "Gimingaw Ako," and Minggoy Lopez's "Ang Balud sa Kapalaran."

These composers and their songs may not be well-known in Manila but according to Max, they are quite familiar to the Visayan audience. Star Records will distribute the album in Metro Manila and key cities nationwide because the company believes there is a big Visayan market.

Max says his album appeals to senior citizens who long for this kind of music, the kind they don't hear on radio anymore. He is confident "Harana" will do as well as his novelty albums.

The singer started promoting the album in Tagbilaran, Bohol this month. He performed at a concert where he was told by the producer not to sing any of his novelty songs. Max could crack jokes between numbers but the cuts from the album had to be done with a straight face. The comic found it hard to do since he was used to spoofing songs and making funny faces.

We are confident, however, that Max will be back to his funny ways. After all, where would he be today without such hits as "Baleleng," "Christmas," and "Mi Tulo"? "Mi Tulo" is worth mentioning because KBP president Doroy Valencia banned the song from the airlanes in the 80s. Ka Doroy found the song title and the lyrics suggestive. Max explained, however, that he was singing about tears falling from his eyes because his loved one had left him and not about a sexually transmitted disease.

"Baleleng" was not controversial, at all. It was based on a popular Tausog song, which was as popular as "Dahil Sa Iyo" among the Tagalogs.

Max has already composed more than 300 songs in his 27-year career, many of them big hits, but he says the royalties from the songs have not made him a rich man. He remembers talking to an American composer who told him that in the US, one hit song could make a songwriter rich. With his many hits, Max only got minimal royalties from the record companies. Now, he has noticed some improvement. He is getting bigger royalties, though not as big as the payments received by his American counterparts. He says he earns more from doing concerts.