CURRENTLY promoting her new single, “Liwanag,” I thought this would be a good opportunity to revisit Julianne and repost an updated remix of a 2007 feature that I wrote about her for the Manila Bulletin.
Oh, and the new single sounds real good, too.
SOUL CHILD
By EDWIN P. SALLAN
SHE could have gone the bossa nova route, sold a lot of CDs and probably be a household name by now. As a matter of fact, that was exactly what one major record label wanted her to do after hearing her demo music.
But singer-songwriter Julianne Tarroja or simply Julianne won’t have any of it. While she has nothing against the recent bossa nova craze and can in fact, jump in the bandwagon and easily be a standout doing it if she wanted to, the 26-year Interior Design major says that’s not exactly what she had in mind when she submitted those demos.
“Yes, I always wanted to write my own music and have a purpose to doing it. But I want to keep everything real, to keep things organic without being afraid of being judged for my artistry.”
With musical influences that include Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Erykah Baduh, India.Arie, Jill Scott and at one point, even Jewel, the lovely, acoustic guitar-toting chanteuse does know a thing or two about keeping things real. Writing introspective songs about personal choices and fateful circumstances (“the dark and bright sides of life,” she quips), very few singers can match the gritty honesty in which she bares her heart and soul in her songs.
All of this is not lost on MCA Music’s Ricky Ilacad, whose musical instincts are widely acknowledged in the industry as usually spot-on. Without seeing Julianne as something else and just allowed her to do her thing, Ilacad’s MCA Music rolled the dice and made her the label’s first-ever OPM signing.
Julianne’s music, a unique fusion of folk, jazz, neo-soul and R & B would later be given the name “OPM Soul” by MCA’s drumbeaters, is further honed and enhanced in the studio by Mike Luis of Freestyle who produced most of the album and Dan Gil of The Chilitees who oversaw two tracks. Other veteran musicians who played in the CD that would later be called Grateful include Rivermaya’s Mark Escueta, Wendell Garcia, Rommel Dela Cruz, Daniel Crisologo, Dexter Aguila, Sach Castilo and Kakoi Legaspi.
The result is one of the year’s most original releases. Grateful opens with Tulak Ng Bibig, the first single and lone Tagalog track. “It’s a frustrating love song about a person drawing the line with somebody who says something but actually means another,” Julianne says.
In describing some of the album’s other tracks, you can’t help but be reminded that Julianne is in fact, still a very young 24 and it shows in her songs. She says it’s easier to write songs “when I’m sad unlike when I’m happy, I just want to shut up as I really don’t have much to say.”
“Grateful is one of my most special songs and is about being happy and thankful for that special someone in your life, the one who got you out of that dark place,” she continues. “I wrote it after a really bad breakup. The Queen In Me is about knowing the guy is for you if he brings out the queen in you. I’m still looking for that guy while Choose To Believe is me in a bad position, sad, stuck and trying to look for God.”
During our interview, Julianne wasn’t just describing these songs to us in detail, she was actually singing a few bars of the songs in between. We were impressed not only by her soulful vocals (which devoid of studio magic still sounds very beautiful) but also by her deft guitar playing. “Music has always been a big part of my life,” she recalls. “My dad, who was the musician in the family, taught me to play the piano and guitar. I have been part of a choir and was also with a band for almost five years.”
“I just want to perform. This is what I know, this is what I do best,” she declares. “All it takes is for one person to like one of my songs for me to find doing this very rewarding. I don’t want to be just another flavor of the month sensation. I find that very limiting. I’m thinking ahead. I want to stretch my wings and go global with this, too.”
THANKS in large part to their now celebrated soccer team’s Cinderella runner-up finish in the recently concluded World Cup, the Netherlands are making waves again. Well, their national soccer team actually are not the only pride of this otherwise low-profile European nation.
Back in 2007, I had the chance to interview Niels Fiejen, one of the best pool players in the world who only recently placed second in this year’s WPA World Eight-Ball Championship. Three years ago, Fiejen was in town not as a professional pool player but as a DJ who headlined a series of gigs not surprisingly called The Cue Sessions.
And here’s how my 2007 encounter with this multi-talented guy turned out as documented by an article I wrote for the Manila Bulletin back then.
THE TERMINATOR
By EDWIN P. SALLAN
ONE way or another, Niels Fiejen knows how to kick butt.
Well, anyone who goes by the moniker The Terminator should know a thing or two about blowing whatever competition comes his way. As a pool player, this incredible Dutchman is simply one of the world’s best, being a member of the same Mosconi team that consists of the best European billiards champion. He is also one of the very few who could lay claim to beating our very own Efren “Bata” Reyes in his own game. As a matter of fact, it was that particular feat that pretty much made his “Terminator” reputation.
“I’ve always been a pool player first and foremost,” he declares. “This game has taught me so much about my personality, my weaknesses and my strengths.”
But Niels admits that his lifelong passion for this particular sport also started at the same time his love for music started. “I was 17 when I started playing pool and it was right about the same time when I bought my first record.”
By 18, Niels was already a DJ “on the side.” “My dad had a CD player with pitch control and a turntable with pitch control by coincidence,” he recalls. “A friend of mine had an old mixer at home which I could have and that was it, I was hooked.”
Niels was a resident DJ in a club called “de Kleine Kunst” in his native Holland for a year and a half (“but only when he’s not playing pool,” he insists) and thrilled patrons there that would number as many as 400 in virtually the same way he dazzled pool fans with his signature moves. As recent as two years ago, Niels was a featured attraction in another hot club called “One Four” in his hometown, The Hague. Here, he will be headlining a series of parties called The Cue Sessions, obviously as a double reference to both his passion for DJ’ing and his background as a pool player.
“As my style kept on developing through the years, I found the ones that I like the most in progressive-house, tech-house, deep-house, house and a little techno,” he reveals. Unlike his celebrated compatriot, Armin van Buuren who was actually in town just a few weeks ago, Niels is not a big on trance. “Everything but trance,” he stresses.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about this guy’s DJ’ing style is that there is nothing complex about it. The guy just keeps everything simple. “Whether it is a pumping beat or nice vocals, whatever makes me move, I got to buy and spin,” he exclaims. With a spinning speed that “lies between 126 to 136 beats per minute,” his sets have a way of telling everyone to “just shut up and dance.” His own mixes (Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter ’06 and “07) that anyone can personally download can attest to this.
It also shows in his candor. Niels is not the type of DJ who tries to impress people with a supposedly vast knowledge of music and genres. He doesn’t dazzle interviewers by mentioning musical influences that no one’s ever heard of. He admits to listening to “regular hit music, slower music, Top 40, reggae, house, the 80’s, Maroon 5, Keane, Coldplay, Blues Traveler, you know, everything really.”
This is probably what makes him just as adept at the turntable as he is with a cue stick. One way or another, Niels Feijens does really know how to kick butt.
RECENTLY, I got the chance to catch Bamboo’s outstanding performance at Encore during the second leg of the Rock N’ Rogue concert series. With a repertoire of greatest hits and their usual and surprising takes on Rivermaya classics (including an acoustic reading of “Ulan” and a rare performance of “Awit Ng Kabataan”) that Bamboo Mañalac himself originally sang lead on, the band brought the house down as expected and sounded even better (look up “spatialized”) with the high tech equipment provided by organizer JB Music.
Two years ago, I wrote a feature profile on Bamboo for the Manila Bulletin. Revisiting that piece, much of what I wrote about the band remains eerily spot-on. Excerpts:
There’s a reason why the band Bamboo stands head and shoulders above everyone else. Whether we’re just listening to their own soulful brand of groove-oriented rock in our iPods or are actually witnessing their mesmerizing intensity onstage, we know there’s simply no other combo quite like this quartet.
And several years after they first unleashed their now signature song, “Noypi” to an unsuspecting public and gave a then already comatose band scene a much needed jolt of consciousness, Bamboo has yet to get old, literally and figuratively. What keeps Bamboo Mañalac, Nathan Azarcon, Ira Cruz and Vic Mercado fresh, unpredictable and very much at the top of their game is their penchant to constantly reinvent themselves with every release, from the glorious riffs of “Hallelujah” to the rest of the refreshing fusion of rock, rap, jazz and yes, gospel in “Mr. Clay” and the rest of As The Music Plays.
They even managed to put their own stamp in the better-than-interesting cover versions (including an electrifying reading of Buklod's protest anthem, “Tatsulok” and a faithful-to-the-original rendering of Anak Bayan’s “Ang Probinsyana”) in an eclectic selection of big hits and cult classics in their latest offering, We All Stand Together.
Bamboo says the band's kinetic performances, constantly recognized with a regular inclusion in the NU Rock Awards’ Best Live Act category, is no accident. The charismatic frontman in fact admits that this is something that he at least, has wisely invested in. Yes, there is a conscious effort on the band’s part to put on a good show. “Our interaction with our crowd is something that we do care about,” he notes. “We know it's a long race.”
Although Nathan stresses that music, above all else, is still what Bamboo is all about. “It’s something that we’re very serious about,” he declares. “We’re trying many things out and we’ll see where this is going.
With influences as diverse as The Beatles for Ira, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest for Nathan, Frank Sinatra for Vic and everything in between for Bamboo, expecting the unexpected is more the rule rather than the exception for this band.
And not doing as the Romans do is probably why this band is always a step ahead of the competition and yes, continues to stand head and shoulders above everybody else.
SPEAKING of boats, here’s a different kind of sailing adventure I wrote about in 2007 for the Manila Bulletin. A yacht party like no other.
BAY WATCH By EDWIN P. SALLAN
MANILA Bay does not exactly smell like roses nowadays. Hell, it hasn’t been a sought after place by the city’s elite for a long, long time. But for one lazy Sunday afternoon, it became the ideal venue for one of the most memorable parties in recent memory.
To kick off its X Community Party Series, Soundsgood Music Marketing recently organized a yacht party aboard the luxurious King of Sports III yacht to cruise around yes, Manila Bay. And for six hours between 5 to 10, about 75 guests partied the night away in an atmosphere akin to that popular gin drink’s Bilog Ang Mundo commercial.
With an interesting mix of locals and expats from the diplomatic circle and multinational companies as well as foreign exchange students, professionals and of course, myself, we comprised what Soundsgood ringleader Edge Pamute calls the “X Community.”
“The X Community is trendy, Class A-B, mobile, and very global,” says Edge. “They expect a different kind of party environment, as they are aware of the different party trends in other continents. With this series of parties, Soundsgood is giving them more than the usual event.”
And more than the usual event was exactly what we got as we partied to the eclectic mix of music provided by DJ’s Brian Cua (house, electro and techno), Austrian Stefan Lowenstein (60’s latin soul, salsa and old and new funk) and Edge himself (nu jazz, bossa nova, broken beats) covering each side of the yacht. As if that wasn’t enough, the already propulsive beats were further enhanced by live music from Raffy Francisco on saxophone, James Bald and Marcus Maguigad on percussions.
Being aboard a yacht with more than 70 total strangers including a few hulking bouncers who are more than ready to throw troublemakers overboard is quite an experience. In between all that dancing, I had a chance to interact and get to know the other guests well. There was a couple of folks who are having careers in a not too common field called international development. There was a diplomat from the Turkish embassy as well as a girl working for the embassy of Argentina who kept telling me there’s more to Argentina than that namesake corned beef that it’s strangely famous for in this country.
There was a lovely telecoms executive who was dancing the night away with her French fiancé whom she hopes to settle down with in romantic Paris soon, a young bank executive who was lamenting about our, well, lamentable political system, a real estate executive from Tagaytay Highlands who like the rest, enjoyed watching the fireworks display at the SM Mall of Asia area and a couple of young lookers from Israel who are just savoring the panoramic view of the city and its famous sunset.
With San Mig Dry and Absolut drinks plus plenty of tasty cocktails to go around with, there was also plenty of time to marvel at the King of Sports yacht that was built here in 1993 and since then has been the vessel of choice for most surfing, diving and other chartered adventures all over the country. It has an air-conditioned salon, guest rooms, shiny wooden floors, DVD, karaoke and Xbox entertainment and a terrific sun deck where many of us hung out at some point.
The Soundgood yacht party was indeed an auspicious way of pushing the envelope for a new kind of alternative entertainment. It certainly had a lot of X factor going for it. “ We created the X Community Party series for the discriminating partygoer,” Edge muses. “This is for those who want an alternative to the usual and identical events and parties churned out by every event organizer in the country, the place where people can hang out, be with friends, enjoy refreshing drinks, dance to the edgiest tunes, but all in an environment that is unusual, edgy, and innovative.”
IF you’ll believe everything Atom Henares tells you, then good things do have a way of landing into some people’s laps. At least that’s the impression he initially gave me when I interviewed him in 2008 for the Male Icon section of MAXIM Philippines magazine.
Of course, the truth is, any amount of success has to involve a fair share of hard work as well and the man forever associated with rock station NU 107FM is no exception.
Well, he may be a lot of other things to other people but for me, Atom Henares ranks among the most intriguing personalities I’ve ever had the privilege of doing a feature profile on.
And he is probably a hell of a loving dad for son Quark and daughter Cristalle, too. With Father’s Day coming up, I guess there’s no better time as any to repost this slightly revised version of that 2008 MAXIM magazine feature.
Photos taken from Atom Henares’ Facebook page.
ATOM HENARES Interview by EDWIN P. SALLAN
NU 107 main man ATOM Henares on the benefits of being guilty by association and how to accomplish so much in life without really trying.
Is Atom really your real first name? What inspired your folks to give you that name or nickname, whatever the case may be?
The A is from Alfredo and the tom is from Tomas, the names of my great grandfather and grandfather on my mother's side. People call me Atom Bomb for short but the bomb is usually spelled B-U-M. That’s because when people ask me what I do, I usually say "as little as possible!” When people tell me to grow up, I ask them, “why would I want to do that?” My son Quark got his name because quarks are particles smaller than atoms.
Most people equate you with NU 107 in particular and rock music in general. How do you feel about that? Do you actually have other endeavors that people are not aware of?
I'm a Harvard MBA so I do have a grown-up side to me. I'm actively involved in the investment and management of a large palm oil plantation in Mindanao, power plants and electric utilities in the Visayas, a paper company and real estate projects including Serendra and Market Market in the Fort.
I have to say all of that because when I tell people that I work with NU 107 they say “Really? Why don’t you go out and find a real job?”
But truthfully people are much more interested in NU 107 and UNTV, our TV station than in my other businesses. UNTV is programmed for news and public affairs during the day and Ang Dating Daan, religious programming at night.
When people ask how I got associated with Ang Dating Daan, I say that we have an ex-deal arrangement. I give them airtime and they promise to make sure that I go to heaven. Do you want to come with me?
Have you always been a big fan of rock music? Growing up, what were your favorite songs? Albums?
Rock rules and some of my favorites growing up were: The Beatles’ “In My Life,” the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction,” Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and Chicago Transit Authority’s “Make Me Smile.” I am also a big fan of the Police, U2 and Aerosmith, as well as our very own Juan dela Cruz band, especially their song, “Himig Natin.” The Dawn’s “Salamat” and Eraserheads “Ang Huling El Bimbo” are also favorites. These are bands who made a major contribution to the local music scene.
When you first started NU 107, did you ever think it would become the institution that it is now?
NU 107 is built on my love and passion for rock music. We have been around with the same format for over 20 years. That’s longer than any other station on the airwaves today. And we still sound as fresh today as we did in 1988. As you know, our staff includes major rock artists who eat, live, play and even dream rock music.
But I think our biggest contribution to our community is that we have given Philippine rock artists a broadcast platform to showcase their music 24/7. We support them by producing live events and we honor and celebrate them annually at the NU 107 Rock Awards that is also televised.
Your siblings Ronnie and Juno were once part of in the entertainment industry. Ronnie is still a formidable talent manager who was once a matinee idol in the 70’s and was even a leading man of Ate Vi, now the governor of Batangas. What’s it like being surrounded by all that celebrity?
Despite my unique name and accomplishments I’ve always been known in relation to someone else. First I was the son of Larry Henares, the writer, nationalist and Cabinet Secretary to President Diosdado Macapagal. Then I was the brother of Ronnie, the singer, actor and matinee idol or of Juno the Repertory Stage Actress. Eventually, I was known as the husband of Vicki Belo, beauty consultant for the stars, and since she has become even more famous, now as the Ex of Vicki Belo. Finally, and proudly, I am known in relation to my kids Quark and Cristalle, both of whom grew up so well. . . despite their parents.
What were the perks of having a popular movie star for a brother, aside from those lovely adoring fans, of course? Given your physical resemblance, have you ever been mistaken for Ronnie?
I was actually Ronnie’s manager and the money I earned from that paid for my vices at college. It’s really fortunate for me that Ronnie and I look alike. Because when I do something scandalous they attribute it to him. A long time ago I went to Boracay with a Spanish girl who went totally naked on the beach. Three weeks later Ronnie’s wife complained to me that Filipinos are so malisyoso because someone told her that Ronnie was in Bora with a good looking naked foreigner in the beach, when in fact she was with him in Manila at that time. Hindi ko inamin!
One of the highlights of the annual NU 107 Rock Awards is seeing you on stage presenting with some of the sexiest women of the season. Do you have any particular favorites among those women? Any favorite moments?
Rosanna Roces taking her top off on stage was a defining moment for the Rock Awards. You have to remember that there is a lot of intermingling between the rock, indie film and the experimental art scenes. The scene is very young, vibrant and passionate.
Beautiful and sexy stars and celebrities attend and participate in the Rock Awards because many of them are either directly involved in the scene or indirectly connected or supportive of it.
Your son Quark is a celebrated rock musician, a filmmaker and from what we've heard, a babe-magnet like his old man. What advice do you give him when it comes to dealing with women?
I am a big fan of both Quark and my daughter Cristalle, who is the Managing Director of Belo Essentials. In a parent-teachers meeting at Montessori sometime ago, the teachers were so impressed with how smart, hardworking and fun they were. Then the teachers looked at Vicki and I back then and said at each other “some parents really don’t deserve such wonderful children.”
Quark was in the Ateneo honor section in high school, won a Palanca Award for Literature in College and is now an accomplished movie, television and TV commercial director. But Quark and I have the same limitations with women. We are both too gentlemanly. And on top of that Quark is a really nice, decent guy.
As for advice regarding women I think that the Nike ad really nailed it on the head with the phrase “Just Do It!”
You're one of the few estranged husbands we know who remains in very good terms with his ex-wife. How would you describe your relationship with Dr. Belo now?
When women tell me what a great ex-husband I am, I usually agree and say that means that you have to first marry me and then divorce me before I am nice to you. Seriously, Vicki and I have gone through so much together in our earlier years, when we were both still starting our lives and careers. And then there are Quark and Cristalle. Those are bonds you can not replace. We are very supportive of each other.
We won't ask you how old you are but whatever the answer is, we’re willing to bet that you actually look much younger than your actual age. Do we have Vicki Belo to thank for that?
Vicki is one of the best and most respected dermatologists in Asia. She single-handedly created the beauty industry in the Philippines and is often asked to give talks and lectures in international dermatological conventions. To answer your question: Only Belo Touches My Skin!
Final question, is it great to be Atom Henares? Or would you rather be someone else?
My life has and continues to amaze me. At Harvard, I was the classmate of greats like Meg Whitman, former co-founder and President of Ebay, and Elaine Chow, now U.S. Secretary of Labor. But I was also the classmate of Jeff Skilling, the disgraced President of Enron who is now serving a jail sentence.
I have witnessed and participated in historical and economic events that helped shaped our country. And I have dealt and befriended influential and interesting personalities from Presidents of the Republic to rock stars to celebrity strippers.
I have amazing friends and a wonderful family.
And every so often I ask myself how I got so lucky and wonder what I did to deserve my good fortune. And ultimately I ask myself when I can again become Atom Bum...and respond to the question what do you do by answering as “as little as possible!”
JUST a few months after he was handpicked by the celebrated rock band, Journey as its new lead singer, I had the chance to interview Arnel Pineda back in 2008. Literally a journeyman musician, Arnel impressed the members of Journey when they saw several videos of him posted in YouTube singing their big hits.
The rest as the cliche goes, is history. Here’s that 2008 profile that I wrote about Arnel for One Philippines, an entertainment and lifestyle magazine for Filipinos abroad. Once upon a time known as the “Steve Perry of the Philippines,” he is now simply the Arnel Pineda of Journey.
ARNEL PINEDA’S LONG AND WINDING JOURNEY By EDWIN P. SALLAN
THEY say that in order to go places, one literally has to go places.
That’s exactly what Arnel Pineda did. From Cubao to Makati to Olongapo to Hong Kong to yes, even cyberspace and now to San Francisco and beyond, the journeyman singer from Sampaloc, Manila has taken the roads most and less traveled in the pursuit of his rock and roll dream.
And at 40, a new life begins for the newly-anointed frontman of Journey. Yes, Journey, that stadium-filling rock band responsible for a string of hits in the 80’s that included “Don’t Stop Believin,” and “Open Arms” has just welcomed him aboard. And the irony is that for all his travels, Arnel did not even to have to travel some more to audition for what he now calls “a dream gig.”
Thanks to the rapid advances in technology in general and the website YouTube.com in particular, it was Journey who came looking for Arnel and not the other way around. See, the band, whose contemporaries include the likes of Styx, Toto and Foreigner has been enjoying a renaissance of sorts in recent years after some of its greatest hits have been featured in such high profile film and TV productions like Charlie’s Angels (“Anyway You Want It”), the Oscar-winning Charlize Theron-starrer, Monster (“Don’t Stop Believin”)and just last year, in the closing credits of the final episode of the HBO mob series, The Sopranos (“Don’t Stop Believin” again).
Problem is, the original voice behind those classics, Steve Perry has already left Journey, apparently for good, way back in 1997. Although Perry’s shoes have since been filled on two occasions by sound-alike and okay, look-alike vocalists in Steve Augeri and Jeff Scott Soto, they simply weren’t acceptable enough for most of the band’s fans. So the search continued.
“I was frustrated about not having a singer,” guitarist Neal Schon admitted in an earlier interview. “So I went on YouTube for a couple of days and just sat on it for hours. I thought I would never find anybody.”
And then Neal found Arnel. A battle-tested veteran of such touring bands like Ijos, Amo, New Age and most recently, Zoo, whose cover performances of Journey’s songs uploaded to YouTube including a stunning note-perfect, goose-bump worthy reading of “Faithfully” got Schon’s attention. A couple of email exchanges and one fateful phone call later (“I didn’t believe it was Neal Schon who actually emailed and called me”) and just like that, the latter’s long musical journey ended with well, Journey.
Dubbed in YouTube as “the Steve Perry of the Philippines,” Arnel makes no bones in acknowledging his longtime admiration for the former.Still overwhelmed by his sudden good fortune, he says his stint with Journey also gives him the honor and opportunity “to preserve Steve Perry’s legacy.”
“My voice is my weapon and my greatest fear would be to lose it,” he told the local media during the recent launch of “Pain In My Heart,” Zoo’s latest single, a “farewell gift” of sorts. “I’m happy to be a torch bearer for Filipinos. With this gig, the fire of the Filipino spirit is with me.”
“Arnel brings a soulful and passionate voice to Journey,” continues keyboardist Jonathan Cain. “His personality is very well-suited to our music. He’s a sincere, authentic person with a great smile and a big heart. I think fans are really going to love him. With Arnel’s soaring tenor, Journey returns to our heritage sound.”
Of course, we all know that popular Spiderman mantra that “with great power comes great responsibility,” right? Well, Arnel reveals that attached to his Journey selection are tons of responsibility and hard work. Arnel’s official Journey begins with an exciting but grueling world tour that starts next month in Santiago, Chile and includes stops in Las Vegas, Paris, Japan, Australia and hopefully the Philippines by the end of the year. Recording an album of all-new material is also part of the band’s busy schedule.
“There’s a lot of hard work involved,” Arnel admits. “I need to familiarize myself with all those Journey songs I grew up with and that require proper vocalization. Although the band loves my accent, they hired a speech therapist to soften it a bit and there are also some English words that I need to fix. I’m also at the gym everyday to increase my stamina as this will be a long tour.”
Arnel happily announced that he has already bonded with his new bandmates that also includes bass player Ross Valory and drummer Deen Castronovo. “They’re already asking me what Filipino food I can cook when we hit the road,” he muses.
“It’s so exciting to sing with one of the best bands in the world,” he adds.“ I’m actually looking forward to the scrutiny I’ll get from the hardcore Journey fans. I know they’ll expect me to sound exactly like ‘the voice’ but that will never happen. I know there's only one Steve Perry in this world. What I’m bringing to the table here is my own singing, which is pure Filipino. The band and the fans are going to have a taste of that for a long time.”
Arnel says it won’t be a problem for him at all if Steve Perry, whom he never met, decides to come back to Journey. “If that happens, I’m more than willing to step aside,” he reveals. “But I’ll be more than thrilled to perform with him on the same stage if given the chance.”
His selection as Journey frontman came at a time when Zoo was beginning to make waves, whose debut album Zoology was launched only during the last quarter of 2007. Its kick-off single, the rollicking “Gimik” is already a huge radio hit and has the makings of an OPM classic. He does not dismiss the possibility of rejoining them in the future in a possible post-Journey scenario.
“Zoo will move on without me and I’m sure they’ll be fine,” he declares. “But me and those guys, we’re like a brotherhood, and if the time comes that I’m no longer with Journey, then who knows?”
ROCKEOKE? What's that? Well, the invitation I received for an IBM Smarter Planet Appreciation Party last year pretty much hit the nail in the head with this definition:
“It’s an innovation in the party scene.
Rockeoke is basically live karaoke—where party people sing with a live band playing. It’s open mic so you sing in front of everyone, usually with a little help from a bottle of beer and a willing band ready to play any song/s you want.
It’s a brilliant idea because the truth is, no matter how old or young you are, you (usually) still nurture that secret desire to become a rock/pop star.”
It really can’t get any simpler than that. While I wouldn’t consider it much of an innovation since open mic things have been going on for quite a while not just here but particularly in the US and other countries, I have to give credit to Mag:Net Café in Bonifacio High Street for coming up with the term (at least as far as I know and for our own local consumption) and for an initiative that has become very popular and has since been imitated in so many other forms, even though it takes place in a less than ideal regular Monday night schedule.
I got my first brush with Rockeoke at an Intel Christmas party in 2008 where I got to sing R.E.M.’s “The One I Love” with The Johnnys (one of Mag:Net’s two Rockeoke bands) and managed to walk away pretty much unscathed. Although I would get to sing this same R.E.M. rocker for the few more Rockeokes that followed (in several other events and one regular night at Mag:Net) especially since I know the words by heart and also when the lyrics of other tunes I wanted to take a crack at aren’t available, I managed to expand my “repertoire” (repertoire!) by also having successfully, well, taming, other rock classics like Soul Asylum’s “Runaway Train,” The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” and “Lovesong”, Gin Blossoms’ “Till I Hear It From You,” The Police’s “Message In A Bottle” and most recently, Live’s “Selling The Drama” and the Stone Temple Pilots’ “Interstate Love Song.”
And not just with the same band but also with Oven Toaster (Mag:Net’s other resident Rockeoke band) and with the harder-rocking Velcro who played their own brand of Rockeoke in the recent IBM party at Capone’s and also at the Intel party that followed at Toyz Lounge at The Fort. The Johnnys themselves played at Microsoft's own Rockeoke Christmas party at Gweilos last year.
Rockeoke has become so popular that its concept is now even adopted by other venues and events. I’ve also heard of an Acoustica night and even a Pianoke night, similar open mic nights in other venues with self-explanatory live accompaniment.
It's a different kind of rush. Yes, it's karaoke with a tad more spectacular twist. And a few more fireworks to boot if you manage to do it well. While I don’t think I sing exceptionally well to start a new career, I think my vocals are good enough not to embarrass myself and perhaps to even impress a handful of friends. And while there are still a few unscaled heights that I still want to climb such as Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out,” Nirvana’s “Lithium” and The Killers’ “All These Things That I’ve Done,” I’m okay with the few “greatest hits” that I’ve managed so far.
As Mag:Net Cafe would put it in one of its earlier Rockeoke invitations, the basic mechanics remain simple enough:
Pick up the mic. Suck it up. Rock on.
Now you try it.
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Watch actress Sheryl Cruz try her hand at Rockeoke in this video uploaded in YouTube by filmmaker Quark Henares, one of Mag:Net's Partners (that's him in the pic below this post's title) and I presume, Rockeoke brain thrust. Sound quality is bad but well, you get the picture:
What to do on a Tuesday night? I’m sure there are several options. If you’re not planning on staying home, you can either dance your night way at some club, rock till you drop at a rock and roll joint or just quietly chill out in some lounge or coffee shop.
Or you can also try something different, like playing a game of Music Trivia at Attica Bar and Lounge in A. Venue in Makati. Produced by Daylight Productions and hosted by DJ Jerome B. Smooth, it is easily the most exciting part of the watering hole’s By Request Tuesdays as the game takes your musical knowledge to its extreme limits.
Personally, I thought this would be a piece of cake for someone like me who started my career as a music writer. But as I’ve been finding out the hard way for the several Tuesdays that I’ve been here since I was invited by events organizer Ria Reyes last November, it’s actually a lot more challenging than it sounds.
Here, you and your friends form a team that will play for three grueling rounds of Name That Tune, Rewind and Sing-A-Long, each consisting of 15 songs in question. As chosen and played by Violator DJ Euric Lumanog and his partners Nick and Jason, who also stand as the game’s panel of judges, Name That Tune is pretty much self-explanatory except that aside from the tune, each team also has to name the artist to which it is originally credited to. Spelling, punctuation and complete name (including groups that have a “The” in them or songs that are spelled as “U” instead of “You”) all count a lot so it is important to write all the correct information on each team’s provided whiteboards as seen in the pic above.
Round two is where things get a little tougher. In Rewind, the playing teams also name both the tune and the artist that recorded it, only this time the tunes are played backwards, so many of them are barely recognizable. Unlike in Name That Tune where a team gets one point for every correct answer, Rewind rewards those who did their homework with two points per right answer. This allows teams that are leading to further pull away and those trailing on points to mathematically catch up.
The final round is where it all comes together with a bang. No more whiteboards this time. The only thing required here is lyrical proficiency or whatever passes for it. Euric will announce a particular category (i.e. 90's alternative rock or 80's new wave or 2000 plus OPM) and a team will then send a representative to play for the tune.
While the tune is playing, each representative’s finger must be on the edge of the table. He or she must then tap the center of the table (as seen above) once the song stops. The first one to tap gets the chance to sing the missing lyrics (usually the chorus but not always) for three big points. If he or she gets even just a single word wrong, his team gets a one-point deduction and this also allows the second person to tap the table a chance to steal.
So far, many teams have come and go but there are three teams that have consistently slugged it out for top honors and that is the Slizzles who have won twice so far and LRG who have won once. The team I belong to, the Krungz, has already won five times and we hope to resume our winning ways when Music Trivia returns after a well-deserved hiatus.
For a team to be really competitive, it must have a healthy balance of “youth and experience” (sounds like a political tagline, doesn’t it?) which also means having members who have a good knowledge of songs from as many genres and eras as possible. I’m pretty good at getting the older pop and rock tunes right, even singing the correct missing lyrics to The Beatles‘ “Michelle” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand” on two separate occasions (which is actually a little embarrassing given that I’m the only one who tapped the center of the table and no one even hoped to steal) but am a little dumbfounded when it comes to the more current stuff that the DJ’s and well, most of the young participants seem to be more partial to. So yes, it is important to have teammates who are also good at R & B and hip-hop and other current genres.
We’re usually only playing for a bottle of Jagermeister (which doesn’t do anything for me since I don't really drink) but as such regulars like Gadgets Lifestyle Editor Michelle Callanta, fashion designer Kat Sy, actress Michelle Madrigal, make-up artist Ria Gamboa, events photographer Pam Santos (who provided the pics for this blog), Marie France PRO NJ Torres and my good friend Ria (my, there’s a lot of chicks who do come here) would likely attest, there’s also a fair amount of pride and bragging rights involved, especially if you’re part of the winning team.
Other famous faces that occasionally drops by on Music Trivia Tuesdays include Paolo Paraiso and his supermodel sister, Bubbles Paraiso, Cristine Reyes, Chito Miranda of Parokya Ni Edgar and Carla Humphries who also competed and sang their hearts out during this particularly fun-filled night.
There are lots of laugh and lots of good music. Most of all, there’s a lot of good, clean fun for all our brain-wracking troubles. Just how much fun? Let me put it this way. Even when I'm ready to call it a night, I still find myself trekking to Attica for my much-needed Music Trivia fix. It's that habit-forming.
To his credit, Jerome B. Smooth does know how to keep things interesting and tightly paced. And while the players can say what they want about Euric, Nick and Jason, the fact remains that they are, well, fair, in all fairness, hehe. Everybody cheers for those who get things right and at the end of the game, we congratulate the winners and maybe even share a drink or two with them.
Yes, there are many other ways of spending your Tuesday nights. Be that as it may, we still hope to see you at Attica next week.
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Here’s Music Trivia’s usual “goodbye” song to signify the end of the game:
CURRENTLY on a bar tour to promote their second album called, well, 2nd Album, Pinoy Soul pioneers Sinosikat? continue to mesmerize old fans and new converts alike with their own brand of what singer Kat Agarrado describes as “groovy, funky, baby-making music for the soul.”
Now an even more potent unit with the addition of Noel Asistores on bass and David Starck on keyboards, I wrote about this band in 2007 for the i Section of the Manila Bulletin. Since then, Sinosikat? went on to achieve the expected greater heights. Kat bagged Singer of the Year in the 2007 NU 107 Rock Awards while the band snagged Best World/Alternative Music honors for “Turning My Safety Off”, Best Jazz Recording for “Akin Ka”, and People’s Choice for Favorite Group for “So Blue” in the 2008 Awit Awards,
Recently, the iced tea brand C2 also signed them to perform the product’s carrier commercial single, “Best About Life,” that also featured arrangements by the band. Sinosikat also performed the song during its formal launch on the Sunday noontime show, ASAP.
The new album’s carrier single, “Nung Iniwan Mo Ako” was written by Sugarfree’s Ebe Dancel. Featured in the video below, it’s a haunting ballad featuring Kat’s evocative and crystal clear vocals in a moving lounge arrangement. It’s just Kat, a piano and a painful loss.
Sinosikat? and 2nd Album are distributed by Warner Music Philippines. For more information and schedule of their ongoing 2nd Album tour, visit their official site here. You can also join their Facebook and Multiply fan pages.
And here’s my first encounter with Sinosikat? in 2007:
SOUL PATROL
By EDWIN P. SALLAN
SINO Sikat o Sino Si Kat? Is it who’s famous or who is that lead singer? As double entendres go, the name of this much talked about band is quite the mystery. And it wasn’t even the idea of its members.
“Actually, it was Vic Mercado and Nathan Azarcon of Bamboo who suggested that name,” recalls vocalist Kat Agarrado. “Nathan would always sing ‘sinosikat?’ repeatedly whenever he sees me. I was a little hesitant at first, but the band agreed it was a good one. It could create interest which it does now. One word with a question mark. One answer is pretty obvious, the other, merely a matter of time. A question or so much as a statement. You decide.”
Yes, it’s one word with a question mark. Well, there certainly is no question about this band’s ability to get our attention, what wiith music they describe as “an orgy of jazz, soul, funk, rock and broken beats.” Sinosikat? is what happens when individuals with diverse musical influences join forces and develop their own unique sound.
Drummer Reli De Vera grew up listening to music from the 50’s and 70’s as well as being heavily influenced by his father, an accomplished bass player in his own right. Guitarist Nick Azarcon got his groove from the likes of Sting and The Police, Jeff Buckley and grunge legends Alice In Chains. For her part, Kat is big on Ella Fitzgerald, Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, Bamboo as well as “music from the 70’s era.”
And with the help of equally seasoned session musicians that included Aya Yuson of WDOUJI, Mong Alcaraz of Chicosci, Ira Cruz and Vic Mercado of Bamboo and their former bassist Allen Umali, it’s small wonder Sinosikat?’s self-titled debut CD has as Kat would put, “a little bit of everything.” “It has good vibes and sets the mood right. It’s groovy, funky, baby-making music for the soul,” Kat enthuses.
The sultry singer anchors the 10 tracks of the band’s Warner Music release. They give a fresh funkydelic take on their cover of “Telepono,” a song originally recorded by the 70’s funk outfit, The Advisors, an act whose hit, “Yugyugan Na” was also covered by Karl Roy’s P.O.T. not too long ago. “The moment we heard this song we thought it was super and we wanted to let this generation know that there was a band na kasing groovy nila dito sa pilipinas dati pa,” exclaims Kat. Sinosikat?’s update of “Telepono” includes a reference to text messaging that the original didn’t have.
Other standout tracks include originals like “Akin Ka” (which Kat says is about “a lover who worships the object of his affection from afar”), “Prayer” (“an inspirational song about faith and facing challenges”), “Pag-Ibig,” (“our ultimate love song”), “Tragic Beauty” (“about a free-spirited wild child”) and the current crowd favorite, “Turning My Safety Off” (“about wanting somebody back after a breakup”)—all performed with inspired aplomb by a band worthy of being at the forefront of the so-called Pinoy Soul Movement that they themselves co-founded with Cosmic Love and Pinoystories two years ago.
“Pinoy Soul is more a movement than a genre,” Nick points out. “It espouses friendship and love among musicians and music lovers alike. The music is very different from what is considered as pop nowadays. It is earthy, sultry, sometimes slow, but all the time heartfelt in its emotions. What it seeks to accomplish is bring more intimacy into the music, taking in also the vibe of the crowd as part of the experience of being musicians, and playing live.”
Kat is more animated when she talks about this movement. “Ang saya lang parang get together lang namin ito once a month. Dahil magkakaibigan kami sa totoong buhay noong-noon pa. nabuo talaga ito out of love and friendship,” she beams. “We plan to make the Pinoy Soul Movement big and introduce everyone to a different but comfortingly familiar sound that they can add to their iPod playlists. Our mission is to promote and spread the love. Pag-ibig ang aming main ingredient and of course to promote original pinoy music na may taste at may mission to inspire.”
That’s quite a mouthful. Are these pretty much the same things that they hope to accomplish with their record? “We never considered the songs here as part of a supposed theme,” says Nick. “The music is a reflection of the kind of collaboration between the members of the group. We can write about anything under the sun, and while the lyrics are important, the music should always be able to get our messages across without any further explanations, and that is what we focused on.”
Well, it certainly doesn’t hurt that Kat sings and performs these songs with Diva-esque authority, thanks also in part to a chops-honing stint with no less than Pinoy Rock legend Wally Gonzalez as well as jamming with other musicians including the members of Bamboo.
“I feel very fortunate and blessed to play music with the living legends and the pioneers of Pinoy Rock,” says Kat. “That’s actually where I get my inspiration from. it is a priceless experience. My bandmates are cool about it and besides I represent Sinosikat? and it’s like taking one for the team.”
A driven band that’s “influenced by the past and inspired by the future.” Yes, it may only be a matter of time before people stop asking the question that their name prompts. There is at least one definite answer for that now. Sinosikat? ang sikat ngayon.
Now claiming to be the number one music channel in Asia, Channel [V] (yes, it’s spelled with a bracket) has recently relaunched its Philippine network with a new line-up of shows and new VJ’s to compliment your favorite music videos and more.
“With a bigger and better Channel [V] Philippines, we’re featuring new local shows that cater about fashion, entertainment, reality TV and lifestyle of today’s Pinoy youth,” declares Channel [V] Philippines owner Ronald Singson, who along with Channel head JM Rodriguez welcomed guests during the launch held at The Fort’s NBC Tent. “Along with that, we’re also introducing a new breed of fresh faces; new VJ’s and hosts who are all set to make Channel [V] Philippines the People’s Premier Music and Lifestyle Channel,”
Among the network’s new shows are the following:
In Command. An all-requests show where the viewers and fans are, well, in-command.
[V]’d Out. A show that features famous personalities showcasing their favorite music videos.
[V] Life. This one features noted and larger-than-life personalities who not just work hard to stay on top of their game, but also find the time enjoy the perks of their success. Hosted by Claudine Trillo.
[V] Trends. As the title suggests features the latest trends on the pop culture scene hosted by TV personality and eventologist Tim Yap.
Bente-Uno. A countdown of the 20 most popular songs on the channel.
Circuit TV. Where the hottest spots and events are showcased by host JR Isaac.
Over the years, Channel [V]’s line-up of formidable VJ alums read like a who’s who in recent music history as its Philippines and International networks gave us the likes of Joey Mead, Paula Taylor, Angela Chow, David Wu, Danny McGill, Rick Tan, Sophiya Haque, Brad Turvey, Nonie Tao, Amanda Griffin and even the late, great Francis Magalona or simply Francis M.
Hoping to be part of both that honor roll and Channel [V] lore are Australian-born model and host Cliff Ho, actress and host Megan Young, Channel [V] International’s resident VJ Alvey, and Filipino-German model and host Maike Evers.
“We chose them for their a knockout personalities,” says Channel [V] PR consultant Cat Arambulo. “They possess the qualities that define Channel [V] Philippines as a music channel that goes beyond boundaries—fun, fashionable and not afraid to be different.”
Graced by several celebrities and VIP’s from the music other industries, the launched also featured spirited performances by Rico Blanco, Side A, The Dawn, 6 Cycle Mind, and Radha.
Channel [V] Philippines now airs on SkyCable Channel 25 and is also available on other cable providers. Also visit its official website here.
YOU’VE seen this German composer’s name on the credits of countless films, many of them box office hits like Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight that’s currently on heavy rotation on HBO and opening this week, Guy Ritchie’s big screen adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes.
Hans Zimmer’s body of work pretty much speaks for his musical genius. And in 2005, I was fortunate enough to be granted a 15-minute telephone interview with him as part of the promotional efforts for Batman Begins, then a newly-rebooted comics franchise.
Since my piece came out in the i Section of the Manila Bulletin, Zimmer has done more memorable scores for films like Frost/Nixon, the Pirates of the Carribean and the Madagascar franchises and The Da Vinci Code and its sequel, Angels & Demons, either by himself or in collaboration with equally noted film composers like James Newton Howard, shown in the photo with him above.
In that 15-minute interview, Zimmer also talked about his desire to write score for videogames as well, which actually became a reality last year when he became involved in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a first-person shooter game for PC’s and gaming consoles.
Here’s a slightly-tweaked version of that 2005 article:
THE COMPOSER OF THE EVOCATIVE
By EDWIN P. SALLAN
HIS majestic brand of film music gave life and character to soldiers, gladiators, undercover agents, samurais and knights in shining armor, among other action heroes. Now Academy-award winning musical scorer Hans Zimmer brings new life to a different kind of knight, a brooding, dark vigilante who prowls the night and protects his city from underworld figures and criminally insane elements.
In a big way, Batman Begins is not just a prequel to a successful film franchise that presented the popular DC Comics superhero in a stylishly Gothic reinvention from the extremely fertile imagination of the prodigous Tim Burton. It is also thankfully not the disappointments that the last two installments were, which were helmed by the far less imaginative Joel Schumacher.
What the new film is is an equally fresh take on the origins of the Dark Knight with no less than Christopher Nolan, the director of the now cult classic, Memento handling the reins. Nolan is probably one of the few new filmmakers that can match and perhaps someday surpass the imagination and creative juices of his peer Burton.
And it shows in the choice of musical scorer. With an already impressive credentials that include such memorable scores for Gladiator, Crimson Tide, Black Hawk Down, The Last Samurai, Mission Impossible 2, King Arthur and The Lion King, where he won his only Oscar so far, Hans Zimmer is obviously a no-brainer for the job. Zimmer's oft-evocative film music deftly swings from gritty to melancholy to ethereal to frenzied and provides just the right kind of atmosphere for any given situation.
He is also a pioneer when it comes to fusing both electronic and orchestral elements as well as the Westernized with the indigenous. In his canvas, East meets West means a compelling clash of musical cultures that works well for his film projects.
For Batman Begins, the usually intense nature of Zimmer's music is tempered by the rather laid-back style of James Newton Howard (My Best Friend's Wedding, Runaway Bride, Pretty Woman), whom he personally asked to work with him for this project.
“I love James Newton Howard,” he candidly admits during a 15-minute exclusive telephone chat with this writer. “I’m a big fan of movies and I’m particularly a big fan of his work. I thought it would be really great to do this with a friend. When we began our work, we were simply good friends. Now we’re great friends. That’s how much I enjoyed working with him on this film.”
Working with a fellow artist on a certain film project is nothing new to Zimmer, who actually prefers to work in “a collaborative way.” In an interview with Stephanie Jorgl of Apple.com, he once said: “I’m not very ego-driven about being The Composer. Whoever brings in great ideas should be welcomed.” Besides, it “gets really lonely in the studio when you’re working on your own,” he admitted to us.
He has in fact worked with artists of diverse musical background. He was an assistant to fellow film composer Stanley Myers (The Deer Hunter) in his first film project, the Daniel Day Lewis-headlined indie classic, My Beautiful Laundrette. In Gladiator, which eventually spawned not one but two million-selling soundtracks, Zimmer played beautiful music with the eclectic Lisa Gerrard, she of the avant garde outfit Dead Can Dance.
His own Media Ventures music studio has also housed such composers and occasional collaborators like Mark Mancina, Trevor Jones, Steve Jablonsky, Geoff Zanelli, Trevor Horn and Klaus Badelt, among many others.
For Batman Begins, he actually invited Danny Elfman, who scored the Batman film series and a fixture of Tim Burton films. “When I started doing work on this project, Danny was in another building near my studio laying down tracks for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I told him, why don’t you come over and help me out with this. And he said, ‘I’ve done that, it’s your turn now’.”
Zimmer and Elfman are actually contemporaries, both having started as pop musicians for new wave bands back in the 80's. Elfman was actually the frontman of Oingo Boingo, a band best known for the dance hit, “Stay” and the theme song of John Hughes’ teen comedy, Weird Science. Zimmer, along with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes, was a member of The Buggles, a one-hit wonder whose only hit was the chart-topping “Video Killed The Radio Star,” a song whose video earns the distinction of being the very first to be aired by MTV on its maiden broadcast.
So how does Zimmer compare his work in Batman Begins to that of Elfman’s, I asked. “I don’t,” he replied. “My job is to create and invent, not to do what he has done or revise or modify someone else’s work. What we did is Chris Nolan’s Batman, a totally new movie with a totally new approach.”
If he sounds annoyed with being compared to a fellow composer, well, he’s not. That last remark should not be taken the wrong way because the very genial Zimmer is far from disrespectful of another film composer’s work. He did say he is a big fan of movies and among his fellow musical scores, he cites Ennio Morricone, John Barry and John Williams as just a few of his favorites. “The music to Close Encounters of the Third Kind is one of the most amazing things I've ever heard,” he enthuses, “The CD soundtrack is something that I play all the time.”
And just as Danny Elfman is in his best element when he’s working with Tim Burton and James Newton Howard excels in films by Garry Marshall and M. Night Shyamalan, Zimmer’s finest work are those that he collaborated with directors like Ridley Scott, a frequent collaborator for films like Gladiator, Hannibal, Thelma and Louise, and Black Hawk Down; and James L. Brooks (Terms Of Endearment, The Simpsons) where his rather understated work in As Good As It Gets remains one of his all-time favorites. “With Ridley and James, I get to re-invent myself just like they do with every new project.”
Of course, there are also filmmakers that he prefers to not work with, given a choice. One of them ironically is a director he greatly admires, Steven Spielberg.
“Why would I ever want to work with Steven when that would mean that I won’t get to hear the beautiful music of John Williams complimenting his work?,” he argues. “In the same vein, what would be a film by Sergio Leone without music by Ennio Morricone?”
So how does a relatively new filmmaker like Christopher Nolan manage to get him to do Batman Begins? The Batman franchise is certainly the least bit that attracted him to the project. “The last thing I want to do is a Batman film,” he admits. “I don't have any particular preference as to what type of films I want to do music for. But Chris and I had a very interesting conversation about the project and the next thing I knew, I was already on board."
Asked if he is happy with his work on Batman Begins, Zimmer replied: “You know, I’m German and for us, happy is a very big word. We don’t use that word. The truth is, I always find some fault in my work and that inspires me to constantly improve and do better.”
When I told him that his work in Batman Begins pretty much approaches the grandeur and intensity of his award-winning work for The Lion King, Zimmer quips, “I guess I’m just very good with children whose parents die in their films.”
As for future endeavors, Zimmer is also a big technology buff and actually uses his own formidable arsenal of Apple-branded hardware including a PowerMac G4, a Powerbook, an iPod and Mac OS X for creating film music. I asked him if the emerging videogames medium is something where his work can be further appreciated, he said he’ll be thrilled to be a part of it in whatever way he can contribute. “But not because it’s a billion-dollar industry,” he qualifies. “I love technology so I’d like to be a big part of its exciting progress although I still don’t know how.”
Watch Hans Zimmer talk about his work on Sherlock Holmes:
HED KANDI returns to Manila this month in a back-to-back concert slash party with American pop-punk band, Boys Like Girls for just one night at the SMX Convention Center.
And just like that, this 2006 piece that I wrote for the i Section of the Manila Bulletin does not feel dated anymore, specially for those who still don’t know what Hed Kandi is all about.
FULL HOUSE
Hed Kandi comes to town with a greatest hits retrospective
By EDWIN P. SALLAN
HED KANDI is in the house—our house, to be more specific.
The UK-based record label, radio show and international club sensation founded by DJ and A&R man Mark Doyle and recently acquired by the equally reputable Ministry Of Sound is coming to town in what is shaping up to be a greatest hits performance of well, epic proportions. Classic hits from 1999 to 2006 are in the marathon playlist of Team Kandi’s finest DJ’s in their much-awaited event this coming March 31st at the World Trade Center.
Hed Kandi’s arrival in town along with the recent visit of Paul Van Dyk and the upcoming sojourn of Chicane seems to signal a renaissance of sorts for house music which is defined by Wikipedia.org as “electronic uptempo music for dancing with a comparatively narrow tempo range, generally falling between 118 beats per minute (bpm) and 135 bpm, with 127 bpm being about average since 1996.”
Largely responsible for such a renaissance is BigFish Manila, the country’s leading dance music production outfit whose unparalleled dedication in bringing the top DJ’s and dance acts from all over the world has resulted in successful staging of club tours by such reputable acts like Slinky Cream, Godskitchen, Gatecrasher, Pacha, Space Ibiza, Miss Moneypenneys, Global Underground, the Ministry of Sound and of course, Paul Van Dyk and Chicane themselves.
Armed with the slogan, “This is our life, This is our music” that is reflective of its firm resolve, Big Fish has been pretty much bringing in the big fishes as of late. In more ways than one, the group was indeed partly instrumental in reviving a sub-genre of dance music that saw a decline since the start of the millennium due to factors like its own stagnation, the global rise of hip-hop and the re-emergence of rock and indie music.
The upcoming Manila gig of Hed Kandi is expected to be no different. Promising a “glistening night of disco excess, a dazzling paradise of glittering mirrorballs, stylish dancers and super sexy tracks of Team Kandi DJ’s,” all attendees are expected to dance the night and wee hours of the morning away in what is more than likely to be a full house affair, pun intended.
Hed Kandi fans will also be treated to the very best of its classic compilations including the Back To Love, Deeper, Disco Heaven, Disco Kandi, Hed Kandi MIX, Nu Cool, Serve Chilled, Twisted Disco, Winter Chill and the particularly huge Beach House series that netted Bonnie Bailey’s smash radio hit, “Ever After.”
In explaining the return of house music to mainstream acceptance, its Wikipedia.org entry correctly points to “re-invention” as key. “A willingness to steal or develop new styles and a low cost of entry encouraged innovation,” says the entry. “The development of computers and the Internet play a critical role in this innovation. One need only to examine how house music has evolved over time to evaluate the effect computers and the Internet have had on house music and music in general.”
Well, not since the genre-defining house records like Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”, Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express” and New Order’s “Blue Monday” have we seen house music at its propulsive best. Because unlike other forms of electronic dance music like trance and techno, which has a more synthetic and yes, accelerating numbing approach, the live music feel as well as the black and Latin influences that characterizes most house recordings generate a more sexy and euphoric heat to it.
That said, disco may not be totally back in a big way but given its recent resurgence, no one is likely to be betting against the House this time. Let’s party.
SHE could have gone the bossa nova route, sold a lot of CDs and probably be a household name by now. As a matter of fact, that was exactly what one major record label wanted her to do after hearing her demo music. 
“Grateful is one of my most special songs and is about being happy and thankful for that special someone in your life, the one who got you out of that dark place,” she continues. “I wrote it after a really bad breakup. The Queen In Me is about knowing the guy is for you if he brings out the queen in you. I’m still looking for that guy while Choose To Believe is me in a bad position, sad, stuck and trying to look for God.”
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