{{short description|American singer-songwriter}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Craig Abaya | image = Craig_Abaya_2025.jpg | alt = | caption = Craig Abaya | image_size = | birth_place = Bernal Heights, San Francisco, California | origin = | occupation = Filmmaker, Musician, Songwriter, Photographer | label = | website = {{URL|http://abaya.com}} }}
'''Craig Abaya''' is an American multi-artist<ref>{{cite news|last1=Springer|first1=Denize|title=People on campus: digital dynamo Craig Abaya|url=http://www.sfsu.edu/~news/2004/fall/171.htm|accessdate=22 November 2014|publisher=San Francisco State University Campus Memo|date=December 20, 2004}}</ref> who served as director of Digital Media & Entertainment Programs for San Francisco State University College of Professional and Global Education from 2000 through 2014. He was the featured artist at Macworld/iWorld Expo in San Francisco, California where his film and photography were displayed in the gallery titled: "Craig Abaya: The Art of Rock and Roll from Analog to Digital."
==Early life== Abaya is a native of San Francisco's Bernal Heights neighborhood. He became involved in music during childhood, taking up the piano at age six, the drums at age eleven, and the guitar at age twelve. He became involved in film and photography at the age of nine.<ref name=star/>
At seventeen, Abaya enrolled at San Francisco State University where he proposed and earned a special major in multimedia, combining studies in film, audio, video, computers and electronics.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|title=Multimedia Studies: Faculty|url=http://www.cel.sfsu.edu/multimedia/faculty.cfm?selection=faculty&facultyid=143950|publisher=San Francisco State University|accessdate=22 November 2014}}</ref>
==Music and recording artist==
Abaya is a singer and cites his main instruments as guitar, piano, and drums. He also took up recording at a young age, moving from 2- and 4-track analog tape to ADAT and eventually to DAWs (digital audio workstations). At 17, he formed his first professional band, the grunge/metal trio Apparition. At this time, he also wrote and performed music with the local church youth choir. After disbanding "Apparition," he founded the 4-piece group "The Basics" and later, "Abaya," in an attempt to merge his divergent musical interests. He has won songwriting awards in various genres, including 10 from Billboard Magazine.<ref name=star>{{cite news|title=Fil-Am is 10-time Billboard honoree|url=http://www.philstar.com/entertainment/537352/fil-am-10-time-billboard-honoree|accessdate=22 November 2014|publisher=The Philippine Star|date=January 3, 2010}}</ref>
== Filmmaker == Although he became involved in filmmaking at age 9, his true entree into the craft began 3 years later. After selling his rare copy of [https://pencilink.blogspot.com/2008/04/famous-funnies-212-frank-frazetta-cover.html Famous Funnies #212] and financial support from his parents, Craig bought his first movie camera, which helped him earn him his first screen credit<ref>{{Citation |last=Vandergriff |first=David |title=San Francisco in the 1970s |date=1990-04-13 |type=Documentary |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1073511/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_15_cdt_t_1 |access-date=2025-09-17 |publisher=Chronicle Broadcasting}}</ref> from, then, NBC affiliate, KRON-TV. His footage included the funeral procession of San Francisco Mayor, George Moscone.
==Educator==
Abaya served as Director of Digital Media and Entertainment Departments and instructor at San Francisco State University College of Professional and Global Education from 2000-2015.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Digital Media Production - San Francisco State University Bulletin 2014 - 2015 |url=https://www.sfsu.edu/~bulletin/previous_bulletins/1415/programs/digi-media.htm |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=www.sfsu.edu}}</ref>
== Discography == ===Studio albums===
* ‘’The Fine Art of Politics” (2009) * ‘’One Bus to Mercy” (2019) * ‘’Fashion Statement” (2022)
===Singles===
* “This Jail I Made” (2018) * ‘’Truth” (2018) * ‘’Will I Walk on Water” (2019) * ‘’Behind Blue Eyes” (2020) * ‘’Laze the Day Away” (2021) * ‘’Q&A” DJ Qbert and Craig Abaya (2021) * ‘’Topsy Turvy” (2022) * ‘’Sex Sells” (2022) * ‘’Living in Analogy” (2022) * ‘’HATE” (2024)
===Guest Appearances===
* DJ Qbert “Bloom (Plantoids)” from the album Extraterrestria (2014) - song composition, lead and rhythm guitars, bass guitar
===Musical Scores===
* "Bridge School News" series (2008 -) * "Retrogirl" (2016) * "Retrogirl 2" (2017) * “Ambush” (2017) * "Cortical Visual Impairment" mini series (2020) * "Communication with First Responders During Emergencies and Disasters" (2021)
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" |+Directed features ! Year ! Title ! Credits |- | 2002 | ‘’Bruce Hornsby Live at Villa Montalvo" | Producer/Director |- | 2003 | "Joan Armatrading: All the Way from America” | Producer/Director |- | 2006-2020 | ‘’The Stern Grove Festival Videos” (series) | Producer/Director, Camera Operator, Editor, Music Mixer |- | 2008-2019 | ‘’Bridge School News” (series) | Producer/Director, Editor, Composer |- | 2015-2016 | ‘’Marissa Anne the Media Fan” | Producer/Director, Writer, Camera Operator, Editor |- | 2016 | ‘’Retrogirl” | Producer/Director, Writer, Camera Operator, Editor, Composer |- | 2016 | ‘’If I Had a Twin” | Producer/Director, Writer, Camera Operator, Editor, Composer |- | 2016 | "Ambush" | Director of Photography, Camera Operator, Line Producer, Editor, Visual Effects, Composer |- | 2017 | ‘’Retrogirl 2” | Producer/Director, Writer, Camera Operator, Editor, Composer |- | 2018 | ‘’The Nutcracker” | Director, Camera Operator |- | 2019 | ‘’Restless Soul” | Producer/Director, Camera Operator, Editor, Composer |- | 2020 | ‘’Cortical Visual Impairment” (mini series) | Director, Editor |- | 2020 | ‘’Stern Grove - Best of the Fest" (mini series) | Producer/Director, Camera Operator, Editor |- | 2020 | "Behind Blue Eyes" | Producer/Director/Editor |- | 2021 | "Regret" | Producer/Director, Camera Operator, Editor, Composer |- | 2021 | "Will I Walk on Water" | Producer/Director, Camera Operator, Editor, Composer |- | 2021 | "Q&A" | Producer/Director, Camera Operator, Editor, Composer |- | 2021 | "Laze the Day Away" | Producer/Director, Editor, Composer |- | 2021 | "Communication with First Responders During Emergencies and Disasters" | Editor, Composer |- | 2022 | "Thank You" | Producer/Director, Camera Operator, Editor |- | 2022 | "From the Ground Up" | Producer/Director, Writer, Editor |- | 2023 | "Clearly Through the Mist" | Producer/Director, Editor, Composer |- | 2024 | "Shout to God with Cries of Gladness" | Producer/Director, Camera Operator, Editor |- |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|2075299}} * [https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/08/11/entertainment-lifestyle/show-times/craig-abayas-fashion-statement-album-a-social-commentary/1854096/ Manila Times article on the album, Fashion Statement] * [https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/fil-ams-among-the-remarkable-and-famous-part-20/ Craig Abaya listed in Positively Filipino] * [http://www.abaya.com/ Craig Abaya's Website] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20130108073851/http://www.macworldiworld.com/live-zone/digital-art-gallery/ MacWorld Featured Artist for 2013]
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abaya, Craig}} Category:American male singer-songwriters Category:Singer-songwriters from California Category:Film directors from San Francisco Category:Film producers from California Category:Photographers from San Francisco Category:Living people Category:San Francisco State University faculty Category:20th-century births Category:Year of birth missing (living people)