Philippine Music bits on Pinoy bands and singers

By Love Dela Cruz

Since the launch of iMusic, Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasids’ record label, they’ve recruited three acts to represent them. One is Dennis Trillo, Yellow Drama and Moms Cake.

During the press launch of Dennis Trillo’s album Moms Cakeband was there to be his opening act.

Luckily enough due to a misunderstanding (thinking that they were Dennis’s back-up band), I was able to interview this fresh band about their humble beginnings and their definitive style in entertaining.

Coming Together

Topher (drums), Gian (bass), Jerome (lead guitar) and Peter (vocals) started out like any other band, as friends. “Tropa tropa, Nagkakilala kami sa mga tugtugan, May isang tambayan doon kami nagkakilala (sa) Group Shop” Peter reveals. From hanging out and discovering that all of them are musically inclined and are able to play instruments, they soon decided to form a band, “Actually trip banda talaga eh, wala talagang serious” Jerome adds.

From playing in birthday parties, they soon entered band contests like Muziklaban and others, “Tapos sumali kami ng contest sa 2, tapos derecho (na)”. After a series of contest they found themselves entertaining audiences in restaurants and bars. According to Peter it was the group Datu’s Tribe that helped them out.

“Tinulungan kami dati ng Datu’s tribe, may bar sila. Purple Haze (yung) bar, yun hinire (nila) kami”. This bar not only became their first stop in the road to fame but also this served as their practice grounds, “Dun kami nag prapractice, kahit walang budget basta maka tugtog kami masaya kami.”

Every band evolves and they are no exception to this rule, when I asked them what type of rock music Moms Cake classify their sound Jerome replied, “Parang we tried different kinds of style in music, clinassify kami ng Muziklaban as fun rock. Mixed type of music eh, siguro it’s up to them.” To cut it short they want their own rock genre.

The bands influences revolves on Bob Marley, The Beatles, and anything hard core. Peter jokingly adds “Ako praise and worship”.

iMusic Discovery

The band is as fun as the music they make, when I asked them about how they were able to land a record deal with iMusic, they told me the whole story. The guys were out on one of their gigs in Katipunan, back when they get around five hundred pesos a night.

On this particular night, the bar had another band in line, “Meron (pang) isang banda na tutog kasama namin. Eh gusto nila mauna, di pina-una namin sila”, since they weren’t in a hurry to be somewhere they decided to walk over a restaurant named Bubble Gang Toppings. Here they saw one of the partners who was Boy 2 Quizon, “Natakot pa si Boy 2 sa amin, akala ni Boy mga hard core, magulo (at) maingay (kami).” I have to admit this was one of the funniest delivery of a story I had ever encountered, I was literally laughing like an insane person as Peter and the gang reiterates their claim to fame.

“Sabi namin, Boy 2 give us a try, give us a chance”. The scared Boy 2 did give them another chance and apparently, it was a start of a new era for Moms Cake.

Oddly Different from the Herd

Bands nowadays are like mushrooms, they seem to be popping out everywhere. With this tight competition in mind, how do they differentiate themselves from the rest of the herd? “Number one performance, tapos saya, kami yung banda na di pa cute” this is how Peter puts it. They are the “what you see, is what you get” bunch that delivers authenticity to its crowd.

The band doesn’t want to target one particular age group, they would like to known as a band that everyone can appreciate, whether you be an oldie or a yuppie. When I first saw them in stage, it was truly a shock to see their lead vocals dressed in a white gown. They obviously want to be recognized as a different kind of performers on stage.

They want their audience to appreciate not just the quality of their music but also their humorous stage performance, bringing in a dash of comedy in every song they perform. “Uuwi sila na masaya, na (naka) ngiti. Ok yung palakpak, (pero) iba kasi yung (galing) sa puso.” Topher sincerely adds. They also find the smiles of their fans to be the most rewarding.

Be sure to get the self titled album of Moms Cake, under iMusic, out now in your favorite record stores!

Tags: Philippine Music, Philippine Pinoy Bands, Philippine Entertainment, Philippine Music News

By Antonette V. Pua

Former The CompanY member, Reuben Laurente, confessed in a recent interview that while with the group, he was a “reluctant” tenor. Everyone who knows about The CompanY and the songs they made famous, definitely knows Reuben since he spent 14 fruitful years with the country’s premier vocal group.

Except for the fullness and high range of Reuben’s voice though, there’s nothing much that the public really knows about him since he barely spoke during interviews. He was then perceived to be a shy fellow.

So when news of Reuben’s exit from The CompanY circulated in mid 2005, a number raised eyebrows but those who’ve trailed his journey with his former group cheered because, finally, he could let his star shine.

Fame though, was not one of the things Reuben considered while contemplating on leaving. He simply wanted to try something new.

It was just unfortunate that some people were quick to pass judgment on Reuben for leaving The CompanY, which, they presumed was his passport to his musical career.

“I didn’t leave the group just like that. I informed them five months before the expected date of my departure. I even helped them look for my replacement,” says Reuben, adding that the girls of The CompanY remain to be good friends of his.

In spite of his exemplary talent and perseverance to back it up, Reuben knew going solo after years of being in a vocal group is like getting blood out of a stone. Yet, his attitude towards work helped him reap success in less than a year of being a solo artist.

Last year, he has released two Gospel albums entitled “Reason For This” and “Langit,” which, was nominated in the best religious album category of the Catholic Mass Media Awards in November last year. Before 2006 closed, Reuben came out with his double CD “Pop Virtuosity” under D’Concorde Recording Corporation. It was an album, which celebrated Reuben’s passion for diversity in music.

No wonder he earned the moniker Manila’s Pop Virtuoso!

Some cuts in “Pop Virtuosity” are now famously played for GMA-7’s TV dramas. “Nasasaktan,” a poignant love song, has been picked as theme song for “Makita Ka Lang Muli” while “Muli” (a remake of the 90s hit popularized by the late Rodel Naval) was once used for a Koreanovela titled “Into the Sun.”

Apart from the recording scene, Reuben also actively treads the boards. He has, in fact, auditioned for the role of Lun Tha in the Broadway production of “The King and I,” and hopes to do “St. Louis Loves Dem Filipinos The Musicale.”

In the international scene, Reuben is contemplating on joining the World Championship of Performing Arts in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California come July.

In our Q & A session, Reuben shared the obstacles that he had to deal with before landing on the plane which he is standing on at the moment.

Read Tugtog’s Q&A with Reuben Laurente >>

By Phoebe Dorothy Estelle

Many say that men hardly speak out whatever’s inside their hearts and minds. But some of them use music to discuss their true feelings. Perfect example are the songs of Silent Sanctuary, which the band claims as true confessions of love and their own world views.

Silent Sanctuary is composed of Sarkie Sarangay on guitars and lead vocals, Chino David on Violins, Anjo Inacay on cello, Allen Calixto on drums, and Paolo Legaspi on bass.

The band formed when they were freshmen in college. A guy named Norman was the former front man of the group and also the songwriter behind the independently released “Ellipsis of the Mind.” The remaining members would like to follow Norman’s pattern and style of songwriting.

Silent Sanctuary went through to various changes that included losing Norman. The new vocalist Sarkie, they met through auditions.

“Our first album was conceived mainly for ourselves,” Anjo shared “Now we are ready for another phase. All the negative moods are now gone and the optimistic, much brighter dimension of the band will surely be enjoyed by our audience as well.”

The men themselves have diverse influences- Sarkie likes Bob Marley, Dave Mathews for Allen and Paolo. While Anjo and Chino admire Eraserheads , Apocalyptica’s, Yo Yo Ma and Stephane Grapelli.

An Album of Different Colors

Fuchsia is the band’s new album released under Universal Records. “Rebound”, “Kundiman”, “14”, “Sandali lang” and the carrier single “Ikaw lamang “ are love songs for the sentimental with an edge, it’s music video is already being played on MYX channel.

The two English songs in the album- “For Tonight” and “Kismet” posses catchy lyrics and alluring instrumental exhibition best for mending hearts. Meanwhile, “Parol” or lantern not only speaks of Christmas but serves as a symbol of the hope to be loved for all seasons.

Other songs in the album are “Nagtahan” named for that famous bridge we all know, “Summer Love” for those who caught the love bug, and the fun track “Pink 5ive” for all you Bio-Man fans.

The band also makes use instruments not common in most rock groups like the cello and violin. But for Silent Sanctuary, these instruments add flavor to their music and style. Both the rocker and emotional will definitely love the way Sarkie sings. The lyrics are sure hit to the ladies as well as to the lads who are deeply in love.

Grab a copy of Silent Sanctuary’s album and bring new colors into your music collection.

Tags: Silent Sanctuary, Filipino Band, Philippine Music News, Filipino Music Industry

By Love Dela Cruz

Last March 12, 2007 Dennis Trillo held an Album launch at the Virgin Café, Tomas Morato. The place was packed with press people and fans trying to get a glimpse of the young actor. This charmer that graces the small tube as Eliseo in GMA’s top rating show Super Twins, has now extended his talent to our airwaves.

Dennis and His Music

Dennis’s self-titled album with 12 tracks, is a mix of originals and a few revivals. The album’s sound is classified as experimental. His carrier single “All out love” by Air Supply came from a commercial he shot a few years back. We can also hear Dennis’ original tracks like “Lumilipad” and “Para sa’yo” which were composed by the main man himself–Ogie Alcasid.

Dennis Trillo is the first recording artist under Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid new recording company called iMusic. Their efforts have finally paid off as Dennis’s album, is now released in all record stores nationwide. As of March 11, 2007 the album already sold an estimated of 250 copies.

According to the producers, Dennis deserves this break because he’s one of the most hard working entertainers in the industry. Dennis’ fans seem to share the same sentiments, as they believe that Dennis will be successful in this new endeavor.

The Band Keeps On Playing

The show started out with iMusic’s other talent like Moms Cake. A fresh and “raw” band that promotes not just a different kind of music but an entirely different meaning to stage performance. They started with all originals and ended with a medley of our favorite pinoy songs, or as what we may all know as “Show band” music. They also sang Kamikazee’s “Narda”.

The guys were entertaining as an opening act and truly hyped up the crowd but everyone was there to see Dennis and hear his soothing voice.

Then boy wonder arrived on stage with Yellow Drama, another iMusic talent. I had an opportunity to talk to them about Dennis. The guys admitted that since Dennis is a known actor they used to think that he was one of those air-headed celebrities but they were shocked to know that he was as regular as they were, “Down to earth, saka mabait, sobra”. The band and Dennis have been practicing for a week before the album launch and what they’ve observed Dennis’s love for rock music and simplicity.

Dennis’ arrival on stage filled the bar with screams and shrieks from his beloved fans. You could see the energy coming from his face as he started to perform. His carrier single “All out of Love” was the most recognized and the most anticipated among the set he performed. He finished it off with his favorite song (not part of his album) from Incubus called “Drive”.

Despite the fact that the Resto-bar was jammed packed with screaming girls hovering over Dennis’s presence, he was still able to go down stage and entertain them personally.

Girls lined up, took out their digital cameras and cell phones so they may have a chance to get a picture with their hunky idol. This amazing rapport with his fans is the proof of his success. Whether he’s off fighting bad guys in a fantaserye or just serenading our hearts with his cool voice, Dennis is a true force to reckon with. His recipe for success is his talent, charisma and genuine care for his fans is truly admirable.

It seems that the new breed of stars, like Dennis Trillo, are not just focused on one field but rather want to try different things and what can I say, they’ve all become versatile and flexible.

By Phoebe Dorothy Estelle

The heat wave of summer gets even hotter with the release of great new albums from big stars Lani Misalucha, Janno Gibbs, and sensational heartthrob, Dennis Trillo. These celebrated Philippine recording artists give us new tunes and singable melodies that will truly melt the heart of every Filipino music fan.

Check out this new album previews as gathered by Tugtog.com.

Asia’s Nightingale Soars High

After years of hiatus in the local arena, the Asia’s Nightingale Lani Misalucha comes back to serenade her Filipino audience.

For her one-month stop over, the top caliber diva had two major endeavors. For the fortunate ones they witnessed her concert at the Araneta last March 17, which Rowell Santiago directed and Louie Ocampo acted as musical director.

On the other hand, those who were unlucky should be rejoicing to find that Lani released an album that’s definitely a treasure for her followers. Lani’s self-titled album consists of 14 tracks of old favorites that were given new flavor with her stunning voice.

Tracks in the album include “Never Knew Love Like This Before” (Stephanie Mills), “A Certain Sadness”( Astrud Gilberto), “All In Love Fair (Stevie Wonder), “Hold Me” (Teddy Pendergrass), “Always And Forever” (Heatwave) and “Never My Love” (The Association).

Whle songs like “Very Special Love” (Maureen McGOvern) to “I just Wanna Stop” (Gino Vanelli) and the bonus Christmas track brings out the quality of her voice. The rest of the tracks are “I Live For Your Love” (Natalie Cole), “These Dreams” (Heart), “Love Me Again” (Lani Hall), “Come In From The Rain (Diana Ross), and “Someone In the Dark” (Michael Jackson).

With her new album under Universal Records, Lani Misalucha fans will definitely feel they were’t left behind by their favorite diva.

Dennis Trillo Takes On New Role

Young good-looking actor, Dennis Trillo, have wowed fans with his numerous screen projects and TV soap operas. Now, his followers will be more than happy to know that he has accepted another challenging role as a genuine recording artist.

His first recording venture simply titled Dennis, is also one of the most publicized new albums this season since it is considered the “baby” of popular songwriter/singer Ogie Alcasid and Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez. The two singers own the Indimusic, together with the talent manager Leo Dominguez, who produced and released Dennis’ album.

The carrier single is “All Out of Love”, a song popularized by 80s mega group Air Supply. Dennis also recorded his version of another 80s favorite, “Love Is All The Matters.”

In the single “Magtatagpong Muli” he sings with Regine Velasquez while “Para sa Iyo” is an original OgieAlcasid composition. Other cuts are “Her Smile”, “Mangarap lang”, “All That I Know”, “Tanga” (written by Victoria), “Sayaw sa Hangin”, “All That I Know”, “Kung” (written by Odette Quesada) and “Lumilipad”, whih is the next single to be released.

“Seriously, tama ang pagpili namin kay Dennis as our first recording artist kasi alam naming magiging bestseller ang album niya. I don’t want to predict anything, kung kailan ito maggu-gold or magiging platinum,” said Ogie.

The heartthrob is currently promoting the album and his fans will have the opportunity to be intimate with him in the “Win-A-Date With Dennis” contest promo. So girls, what are you waiting for?

The Little Boy in Janno Gibbs

Actor/comedian Janno Gibbs has been a hot gossip item because of his colorful personal life. But when it comes to Janno the singer, only sterling remarks are written about him.

In his latest album - “Little Boy”, Janno offers ten songs that will make listeners forget their own anxieties. Seven of these tracks are his original compositions.

In the first track “Walang Kadala-dala”, Janno translates into music his view on natural shortcomings. His soulful voice blends really well to the melody of this single. While in “Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo” (Rey Valera’s original), “Ikaw Lang at Ako”, “You are to Me”, Let Me Be The One” (a duet with Jolina Magdangal), “Pinakamamahal”, and “Ako si Superman” Janno showcases his vocal power as a balladeer.

Versatility is the one the best quality of S.O.P’s front man that’s why his collaboration with rap artist Andrew E make the “Sexy Mama” a hip-banging ditty. On the other hand the title track “Little Boy”, sounds like a confession of someone who is juvenile at heart.

The “Little Boy” album under GMA Records is said be the most personal album to Janno so far.

There are many albums set to release this summer but these three artist are surely the first to conquer the spotlight and win the hearts of Pinoy music lovers. Watch out for more new album previews from Tugtog.com.

Tags: New Albums, Filipino Music Artists, Lani Misalucha, Janno Gibbs, Dennis Trillo

By Jodelen O. Ortiz

Music is in the air we breathe. There are many genres to choose from: classical, country, folk, pop, jazz, rock, grunge, psychedelic, RnB, techno, Americana and many more. In every genre, an artist rules out the others. And an artist become an icon, or to some, a demi-god.

I can be a fan of someone who has just released his first album or an artist who was been dead for decades, some musician who wasn’t heard of by others. One common denominator: I love the artist and his song and that alone mattered, that alone was reason to be his fan or more so, to aspire to be his Number One Fan.

Every music fan has the ultimate dream of meeting with his favorite performing band or artist and witnessing them perform live in concert. Every artist would like to know and meet his Number One Fan and Ultimate Follower - the one who buys every album released, keeps himself updated with the latest news about Mister (or Miss) Favorite Artist and who would surely break a neck or slap he-who-drops-a-negative-comment about the favored musician.

Among college students, there is a very thin line between fanaticism and cultic worship, seriously. In my experience as a Techno student, (Techno is the choice of students in coolly addressing the College of Engineering and Architecture), Black Trenchcoat Mafia does not refer to the group of students who terrorized Columbine High School, in our school it refers to the followers, or rather worshippers, of the rock band Metallica, Black Sabbath, Razorback and other deep-throat rock icons.

They, lovers and defenders of hard rock, wear black from shoes to lipsticks and makeup. Freedom of choice gives them immunity from prejudice.

Around the world, their number grows and quite surely, big enough to keep the careers of their favorite artists. Fans inspire publication and selling of posters, magazines and books about famous artists. Some Number One Fans, keep albums of articles and pictures of their Favorite Artist while some believes the world should know he is Favorite Artist’s Number One Fan by the print in her bag, the wallpaper of tiled artist’s photos, or a website dedicated for such an artist.

I can go on enumerating what extent other aspiring number one fans go and I’ll end up unsatisfied because it would remain lacking – for in the world of aspiring fans there is always a unique way of snatching the distinction from another person. Thank goodness, WikiMusicGuide comes with a solution.

WikiMusicGuide is a free music guide for music fans created by music lovers. It features mainstream and independent artists and bands of all genres. The main page contains a Featured Album / Site, Featured Upcoming / Indie Artist and Featured User / NumberOneFan for the week, all taken from its fast-growing pages. The Top Ten Songs and Top Ten Albums are also updated frequently. A highly visitor-friendly site, WikiMusicGuide also includes Current Events and What’s Popular in the music scene.

The NumberOneFan (NOF) Awards has been officially started on February 23 of this year with the following basic criteria: Make sure the favorite artist’s page is always factual and updated, free of vandalisms and plagiarism. Update includes albums, singles, tracks, personal and career information or biography, all information that are allowed by the Favorite Artist for publication. Copying content from other sites or plagiarism is a no-no and will automatically disqualify the candidate from winning the NOF.

Only those who are chosen by the Admin Board are given the prestigious NOF logo with authorization for use to personal sites and as email signatures, provided they state the name of the artist to whom they are NumberOneFans. Also there can only be one NOF per artist and from their rank, one is chosen to be featured on the WikiMusicGuide homepage every other week.

The first awardees were Kellan and Outofthesky (Charity McKay), NumberOneFans of Fall Out Boy and Madonna, respectively.

Outofthesky, is a 17-year old Southern American WikiGuide who started liking Madonna just last year but did not relent supporting the artist ever since. She watched the “1989″ episode of the VH1 I Love the ’80s series, with one segment dealing with Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” music video and the subsequent controversy with Pepsi and the Roman Catholic Church.

“The actual video was never shown in its entirety, however, so I decided to find it online. I was kind of mesmerized by it, and I ended up watching other Madonna music videos, too. It all just kind of snowballed after that,” she said in a WikiMusicGuide interview. “My favorite song, overall, is “Drowned World/Substitute for Love”, and my favorite album is Like a Prayer.” Outofthesky shows us that the NumberOneFan is not discriminatory in age and duration of fanhood.

Kellan6, born Kellan, likes Fall Out Boy because of the band’s complex drumming, great vocals, and above all, the genius lyrics, written by Pete Wentz. He has created and has been regularly updating the FOB artist page and six album pages.

What WikiMusicGuide has provided is the criteria for choosing NumberOneFans who express their support to artists online. It does not determine who among the general public is the Number One Fan, especially those who do not use the internet or the web. In this case, the gauge would be very basic and simple: Who knows the complete biography of his favorite artist? Who knows all the albums and songs of his favorite artist? Who knows the completed, present and upcoming events and activities of such artist? In short, who knows his favorite artist by his whole heart?

As with WikiMusicGuide, it promises to surprise the music fans. Its ultimate goal is to channel NumberOneFans to their Favorite Artists.

By the way, did I mention that WikiMusicGuide is Filipino-owned and majority of its editors are Filipinos? Surprise. It is a brainchild of Bienvenido David III who is presently based in Connecticut. Definitely, a site we Filipinos could be proud of.

Tags: Philippine Music News, Philippine Music Industry, Filipino Music Fans, Philippine Music Guide

By Phoebe Dorothy Estelle

Eric Santos was once an aspiring singer who eventually earned his throne as the Philippines’ Prince of Pop for indeed, ever since he won in the first ever “Star in a Million” talent show, his supremacy as a balladeer rules.

Aftr just one year, he accepted several awards for his performances such as Best New Male Artist (Aliw Awards), Best Performance by a New Male Recording Artist (Awit Awards) and Best New Male TV Personality (Star Awards for TV) after winning from the prestigous contest in 2004. From his outstanding rendition of “This is the Moment” he went all the way to recording chart toppers. “Pagbigyang Muli”, “Di Ko Kaya” and “Kung Akin ang Mundo” are a few of lovers’ favorite themes.

Hailed as the certified platinum artist, he captured the hearts of the many by being the voice behind famous show anthems of radio station DWWRR (ABS-CBN’s FM radio station) singing a duet with Heart Evangelista, and the “Search for the Star in a Million” theme with his co-champions Christian Bautista, Mark Bautista and Sarah Geronimo.

He also became the favorite to sing the themes for many top-grossing Filipino films.

The prince was also able to collaborate with industry royalties. Like in the revival of “Parting Time, he worked with R n B Princess Kyla. Total Performer Vina Morales sang with him on “Come what May” while Asia’s Songbird, Regine Velasquez, joined him on the hit “Bakit ba Iniibig Ka?”

The former dentistry student went on to star in his own successful concerts like the “Night of the Champions” series with Christian, Mark, Sarah, Frenchie Dy and Rachelle Ann Go; “The Prince of Pop and the Comedy Concert Queen” where he bested his limitation as a balladeer while performing with ace comedienne Ai Ai delas Alas. Recently, his concert with real life sweetheart Rufa Mae Quinto titled “When Erik Met Rufa the Repeat… to the Max!” drew huge crowd during the Valentine concert season.

Erik shared that his passion fro singing comes from the heart. “Ang gusto ko sa isang singer ay mapusong kumanta. Maraming singer na magagaling pero iilan lang iyong who can sing from the heart,” says the young balladeer who looks up to Martin Nievera.

Performing in front of huge crowd cast Erik to euphoria especially when he is out of the country. “Masaya ako when I’m out of the country. Kasi nakakarating ako sa mga gusto kong mapuntahan. Ang sarap mag-perform sa Filipino audience sa abroad,” he said.

Being part of the Philippine entertainment limelight, Erik was aware of the intrigue surrounding him and his group in A.S.A.P, The Champions. One those was the comparison of Christian’s achievements versus his triumphs. Incidentally, Christian was his co-finalist in “Star in Million.”

“ I’ll just do my job, lagi naman ako, sa bawat performance ko, I do my best, “ Erik said.

Having romantic relationship with Rufa Mae is another source of intrique. His detractors are saying that h’se just using the sexy actress to further his career.

“I really have to adjust to showbiz life, kung baga hindi kasi normal. Kapag showbiz kasi may mga taong nakikialam or nai-involve,” Erik lamented.

Although according to Erik, he’s never irritated with the press or people who question their relationship. After all, showbiz success wouldn’t complete be without rumors that can add spice to a star’s flourinshing career.

Tags: Erik Santos, Philippine Music Artists, Star In A Million, Filipino Singers