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Filipino Bands
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Mayonnaise |
Monty is the hefty frontman of the band and is definitely a large person so Mayonnaise does get recognized and remembered
because of this not-quite-tiny detail. But after the fact lies what the audience take home with them after watching Mayonnaise
perform - guitar-driven tunes with ultra-catchy hooks and compelling lyrics. Radio listeners seem to agree, as airplay of
their first single The Only Thing, and the current, Eddie Song, are steadily rising. And the songs are what
the band attributes to winning 2004's Red Horse Muziklaban. The current line-up is actually the third, as member changes had
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inevitable in the band's history. Some of the songs have been around that long, but in different versions. The songs change
with each change in the line-up, as each new member brings their own input and flavor to the song. The original Bakit
was written in 1999, back when there were only three members in the band and Monty was, he jokes, fifty pounds lighter.
Then they made an acoustic number of bakit, which didn't sit well with Monty, who missed the rockier version. Hence, Bakit
Part One and Bakit Part Two. The Part Two is a new song all together, while Bakit Part One is the new
version of the original.
From the emotional depth of the songs, you would think that Monty is either very depressed or a serious guy with a giant
chip on his shoulder. It will then surprise you that Monty is quite the comedian, cracking jokes every five minutes, especially
when you least expect it. Monty kids around as easy as breathing, sending his bandmates, and anyone else within earshot, into
constant hysterical laughter. It's a bit difficult to reconcile the charming joker with the pained and angry guy singing his
guts out on The Only Thing or Bakit.
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Cueshe
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Their name, Cueshé, is a portmanteau of "Cue" meaning banana cue; a local street food consisting of skewered caramel-coated
bananas, and the pronoun "shé" (pronounced shay), was named after their former vocalist, who is female. In their earlier days
as a show band in Cebu, the band would practice at the bedroom of their drummer Mike Manaloto - their first rehearsal studio.
After their practice, they would eat their favorite snack, the banana cue. A motorcycle accident happened on December 24,
2001 injured the female vocalist. Jay Justiniani replaced the former vocalist right after her recovery. | |
Ruben Caballero later joined the group. At first, he, together with Jay, was only on vocals. But later on, he shifted into
greater heights, as he became a rhythm guitarist/vocalist. The pianist/keyboardist Jhunjie Dosdos then came into the band
to showcase his talent he honed during his younger days.
On March 2005, the group decided to push through the "rock mecca of the Philippines", the city of Manila which has led
their career to take-off. Hit singles ("Stay," "Sorry." "Ulan," "Can’t Let You Go" and "24 Hours."), a double platinum
album ("Half Empty, Half Full"), accolades (Favorite Artist, Favorite Group and Favorite Song—for the song "Stay" at
the 1st MYX Music Awards; SMART Texters’ Choice Hitmaker of the Year at the 2006 MTV Pilipinas Awards; Band of the Year
at 2006 SOP PasiklaBand Awards; Best Breakthrough Artist at 2005 SOP Music Awards), sold-out gigs and concerts—all achieved
in a span of one year. | |
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JUAN DELA CRUZ BAND
"The original members were Wally Gonzalez - lead guitar, Bosyo - drums, Alex Cruz - sax/flute, Bing Labrador - keyboard
and Sandy Tagarro - bass guitar. Bosyo, Alex & Bing left JDLC band & formed Anakbayan."
The Juan Dela Cruz Band played at the Antipolo Rock Music Festival in December 1970, Pinoy Rock's version of Woodstock.
In 1971, the Juan Dela Cruz Band released its first album, titled Up in Arms. The album, which was released by Vicor
Music, had the following musicians:
- Wally Gonzales (lead guitar/vocal)
- Rene Segueco (organ/piano/vocal)
- Clifford Ho (bass/vocal)
- Romy Santos (flute/sax/clarinet)
- Bobot Guerrero (drums)
- Sandy Tagarro, although not included on the album cover or credits (except for the writer of "Lady in White Satin", was
the drummer and lead singer on the album. Bobot Guerrero stepped up to the drums after Sandy left the band.
The album was not a commercial success at that time, but nowadays is a highly sought-after rare record on vinyl. It showcased
the psychedelic-progressive sound prevalent in the early '70s. Included in the album was a cover of a Frank Zappa Song ("Mystery
Roach"), a cover of a Leon Russell song ("Stranger in a Strange Land") and a psychedelic instrumental jam entitled "Requiem
for a Head", along with the band's original compositions.
After Up in Arms, Joey "Pepe" Smith and Mike Hanopol joined the band. Along with remaining member Wally Gonzalez,
the trio arguably started the "Pinoy rock" movement with the song "Himig Natin" (English "Our Music"). Although it wasn't the first song to be sung in Tagalog, it was the first song of its kind that was sung in
the country's native tongue.
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