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For the past 20 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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Kami nAPO Muna Tribute to APO album review
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COMPILATION tribute albums are big in the Philippines. Since the success of the Eraserheads tribute album, Ultraelectromagnetic Jam, which featured the best Pinoy rock bands singing their versions of a variety of Eheads classics, record companies have put tribute compilations on their top priority of releases.
Recently, I got a hold of a copy of the latest tribute compilation album: Kami nAPO Muna - An album paying tribute to APO Hiking Society, who are perhaps the owners of the best OPM catalog in Philippine music. The artists covering the APO hit songs are not so much different from the Eheads compilation: Barbie Almalbis, Orange and Lemons, Kamikazee, Itchyworms, Boldstar, Imago, Sandwich, The Dawn and Parokya ni Edgar to name a few.
The basic idea of these tribute compilations is to sell old, tried-and-tested hits by legendary artists to a new market -- in this case, the Pinoy Rock market.
Since bands are hot in the Philippines nowadays, it is reasonable for labels to cash in on these hot bands. And indeed they have. The initial sales and reception of the APO tribute album has put smiles on label executives’ faces and dough on their pockets. Releases like this also curb out the possibility of flops that a brand new, all-original-album might bring. Very clever.
Revival Nation
The Philippines is always known to be the biggest market for revived music. In fact, almost all the top 50 albums in the last decade contain a revival or two. Some albums on the list are even made up of all revivals, like Regine’s Y2K.
Thing is, revivals are cash cows and It’s just a matter of what music trend is hot on the radio to make use of to give new life to old tunes.
In this album’s case, it’s the music of APO . I mean, who could go wrong with the APO catalog anyway? Their songs have withstood the times and are forever etched in Filipinos’ souls.
In saying this, I have to say that Kami nAPO muna is a good tribute compilation album. Though not every rendition is memorable, many of the rock artists did give justice and new life to APO’s masterpieces.
Among my favorites are: Imago’s take on ‘Ewan’, Kamikazee’s version of ‘Doo Bidoo’, Orange & Lemons’ ‘Yakap sa Dilim’, Parokya’s ‘Pumapatak Na Naman ang Ulan’, and my favorite - The Itchyworm’s cool recording of ‘Awit ng Barkada’.
I have been an APO fan since high school in the early 90s, which is a time when APO’s best hits are already decades old.
Actually, the original APO versions would be enough for me to take to a deserted island and cherish it ‘till the sun says goodbye, but I wouldn’t mind having this supplemental compilation as well.
The future of the past
Question now is: What’s the future of reviving the past? The answer should be: bright.
Soon we will see Rey Valera tributes, Rico J. Puno, Sampaguita, Hotdog, Cinderella, Asin, Maria Cafra, another eHeads tribute, and another APO perhaps.
But wait. Didn’t they release these tributes already? I guess yes but that’s the point of it, right?
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NEW YORK - Soulworks Records, the small independent Filipino American record label made another breakthrough: It put the first indie Fil-Am compilation album, Rock in the Box, in the worldwide market by making it available in premiere internet music stores like the billion-song seller, iTunes Music store, Yahoo Music, Rhapsody, Music Now and some 40 more online music stores.
Earlier this year, the label scored its first victory by doing the feat for the first time with Jersey City indie Fil-Am band -Bleud, which benefited immensely both in terms of sales and popularity. The band became one of the most sought after groups in the Fil-Am music scene.
But unlike the Bleud achievement, this compilation album, instead of bringing out one act, has put the spotlight on 14 of the best indie East Coast acts. “ It is a great to see these talented Filipino American indie acts become internationally recognized through these popular internet music shops. People from all over the world will get to know that there is indeed a well of talents in our Fil-Am music scene”, says Ed Sunico, executive producer of Rock in the Box.
Indeed the benefits from having a Fil-Am indie artist in a global music store are countless, but the most important is having the artist and his/her music available for streaming and eventual sale in almost every home in the world with an internet connection. “ It is overwhelming. Now, these striving, and gifted Fil-Am artists has a the amazing chance get into every iPod, and every PC out there. I mean, most of these artists hold day jobs to support their music and they aren’t even signed with a mainstream record company that pays big advances, yet still they get global exposure.”, adds Sunico
It is common for mainstream acts and American indie-labels to get their acts into stores like iTunes, but for a small, indie, and Filipino label to do likewise is a cause for celebration.
Rock in the Box was released in August of 2006 and, in less than two months, is now available worldwide. The album contains the music of great Fil-Am talents: Alfa Garcia, The Speaks, Bleud, The Happy Analogues, The Kuwagos, The Moonbugs, The Third Element , Titofelix , Grim Bottle, Jay Legaspi, Sodapop Suicide, Jay Legaspi, Rubberband, Bagwis and Blue Mellon Pop.
To see and hear the album or the songs though these major online music stores, just type the name of the artists in the store’s search bar. You can stream their music for a preview, buy the song, or get the whole album.
So what’s next for the label?
“ A lot”, says Sunico. “The label will be distributing the albums of some of the artists in the compilation like The Kuwagos in late November or early December, and The Happy Analogues in early 2007. We are also working on the albums of Binky Veloria, Alfa Garcia and Sodapop Suicide.”
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MANILA -- Maricel Soriano can very well be considered the queen of digital films.
She has just finished the drama “Inang Yaya” with Sunshine Cruz for Unitel Films and the horror flick “NumbalikDiwa” with Albert Martinez for Cinemabuhay (owned by Albert).
Now, she’s all set to star in another digital film produced by TAPE, to be directed by award-winning writer Jun Lana, who gave up megging Regal’s “Mano Po 5” for this project.
TAPE’s Malou Choa Fagar says this will be a trilogy done for a good cause. All its proceeds will go to the Couples for Christ’s Gawad Kalinga project that helps construct homes for the poor.
Malou and Maricel are close friends and Malou is glad that Maricel is now more open about her life, as she has shown when she guested in Ali Sotto’s show on ABC-5.
Meanwhile, Malou denied rumors that they’re getting Jericho Rosales to co-host “Eat Bulaga.” “We have no such plans,” she says. “As it is, loaded na sa hosts ang show.”
How about Rochelle Pangilinan of SexBomb? It’s said Rochelle is leaving her manager Joy Cancio so she can go back to “Eat Bulaga” after Malou had a falling out with Joy.
“Also not true,” says Malou. “May kontrata pa siya kay Joy.” (MNS)
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MANILA -- NYOY Volante is associated with acoustic music. Isn’t he threatened by the current proliferation of pop rock bands? ‘No,’ he says. ‘I like the music of Hale and Cueshe. I believe there’s room for all of us.’
Which is his favorite band? ‘I’m a fan of RiverMaya. Dati, Eraserheads ako, but I was able to appreciate more the songs of Rico Blanco when I started writing songs myself at mas nakakaintindi na ako. Rico is really one of my heroes in songwriting.’
Nyoy was with some friends in a restaurant when he saw a piano and started playing with it. ‘It turned out Vehnee Saturno was there and he heard me. He took me to Viva and they made me cut an album of love songs. Naging balladeer ako and it didn’t click as it wasn’t me. I went to the live scene, singing in bars during happy hour. Doon ako nakita ng Vicor and I’ve since cut three albums for them.’
He has not just record his fourth album for Vicor, ‘Now, Hear This’. He used to sing with Mannos but they’ve since disbanded and he now has a new band playing with him.
‘I was thinking of a name for them but they said they wanted to be just identified with me, parang si Dave Matthews. This is my first album of all original songs, mostly composed by me. It has 11 cuts, all love-oriented but not like the usual love songs na puro ballad. This one is more for easy listening, very radio friendly. Iba-iba ang music, merong ala-jazz, bossa, at alternative. The carrier single is ‘Nandito Lang’. The other cuts are ‘Without You’, ‘Kundiman’, ‘Baby, Stay’, ‘Ayoko Na’, and I even have my own version of ‘Ama Namin’ that I dedicate to the Lord.’(MNS)
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MANILA-- ROBIN Padilla is very pleased with his first project with GMA, the movie “Till I Met You” that reunites him with Regine Velasquez.
“Happy akong maging Kapuso,” he says. “Wala akong masasabi sa very warm welcome na ibinigay nila sa akin, from the crew up to top management. They made me feel na talagang natutuwa silang magtrabaho ako sa kanila. We shot the movie sa hacienda ni Kuh Ledesma in Alfonso, Cavite and I even stayed at the Tagaytay rest house of Atty. Felipe Gozon, GMA Network’s big boss, para mas malapit ako sa location. Tumira na ako roon even before the shooting started as I befriended muna the horse that I’d be using in the movie. Set kasi in a ranch ang story kaya kailangang nakakabayo ako.”
Why did it take six years before he did another movie with Regine when their “Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw” was such a big hit?
“Aba, matagal munang niligawan si Ms. Regine bago pumayag na magtrabaho kami uli. At siempre, we have to look for the right project, like this one na co-production pa between GMA and Viva Films, with no less than GMA Films president Annette Gozon Abrogar writing the story idea. Nang magsu-shoot na kami, I followed her suggestion na ipagupit ko ang buhok ko na two years kong pinahaba. I remember, sa first movie namin, pinakialaman din niya ang haircut ko, with positive results.” How is it working with Regine?
“Noong una kaming magkasama, suplada siya. Parang ilaw. On and off. Pag cut ng direktor, biglang nawawala. Hinahanap ko pa lang, umuwi na raw sa Bulacan. Mas nag-enjoy ako ngayong katrabaho siya. Bagay nga sa’min ang title na ‘Till I Met You’ dahil parang ngayon ko lang siya talaga nakilala.”
Did he try to woo here?
“Naku, tinatanong ko pa lang how she feels about Muslims having several wives, sabi agad sa’kin, ‘Ay hindi ko type. Gusto ko, ako lang mag-isa ang asawa.’ So tinigilan ko na ang balak kong panliligaw.” (MNS)
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Jose Penala, the only Filipino-American who made it to the semi-finals of famed American Idol's Season 5 is back this fall as he joins other Filipino-American artists in a Holiday Compilation Album.
Jose, who is more famously known as "Sway," began singing at the young age of seven. He hails from South San Francisco, where he met fellow musicians Darell, Jerome and Lionel and together they formed "DnH" or Drop n Harmony. This San Francisco based group, was a favorite in the Bay Area and were likened to a Filipino Boyz II Men. In 1998, they were signed by a professional label and released their self-titled debut album in 1999.
At the end of 2001, Jose was feeling disenchanted with his current group. It was at this time that he collaborated with Errol Viray and Andrey Silva of KAI and Cyrus Mallare of Innerlude. During this initial collaboration, the four singers: Jose, Errol, Drey, and Cyrus, realized that they shared the same passion for music and similar visions of success. This led to the creation of a new group, “6th Day”. Their debut album, "Forever Starts Today" was released to International audiences and received much success in the Philippines.
This fall, 6th day will be joining top Filipino-American artists Jordan Segundo of American Idol Season 2, Irma Laxamana of PINAY, One Vo1ce and Bryan Chan, formerly of LMNT in a DVD compilation celebrating the treasured holiday season by performing live classic traditional holiday music, as well as introducing a new classic song of their own.
For more info visit www.brownjungle.com
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