A Filipino rock band that was formed back in 1993, Parokya ni Edgar is famous for its original rock novelty songs and often sarcastic covers of famous songs. Parokya ni Edgar has also explored and experimented with various musical genres, from alternative rock to pop rock, funk, rapcore, among others.
Chicosci is a band composed of five members which is based in Manila. Members of the band are Miggy Chavez, Carlos Calderon, Mong Alcaraz, Joel Salvador and Ariel Lumanlan. Ariel Lumanlan is their newest member, as he joined the group last November 2007 when Sonny Basquisal left the band as their guitarist.
A rap-core band from the Philippines, Slapshock was formed in 1996 by several students from UP Diliman. They played in clubs in Manila before signing a recording deal and releasing their first album in 1999. To date, Slapshock has released 5 albums, and in 2003 was nominated for Best Artist by MTV Asia.
The band Cueshe is a pop-rock group originally from Cebu City. In 2005, they released hit singles like “Stay,” “Sorry,” “Ulan,” “24 Hours,” and “Can’t Let You Go.” The band is a popular favorite among many, but critics and detractors have labeled them as a one-hit wonder. With the release of their new album, hopefully the band will prove them otherwise.
After Image was a Filipino pop rock band that was active during the 1990’s. They popularized songs like “Habang May Buhay,” “Next In Line,” and “Mangarap Ka.” The band was made up of 5 members: Bobit Uson on bass, Chuck Isidro (formerly of 6cyclemind) on lead, Rogie Callejo on drums, Arnold Cabalza on keyboards and Wency Cornejo on vocals. Francis Reyes from The Dawn was the former guitarist of this band before Chuck Isidro.
Due to manager conflicts, the band disbanded in 2001 and after 7 years of being disbanded, the group returned with a new album, “The Place in the Sun” with the carrier single “Musikero.”
For After Image fans like myself, you’ll surely love the song, plus the great video. It’s great that the band’s back together and making music again. I’d have to say that After Image has grown and is a whole lot better than before.
Noel Cabangon has been in the underground music industry for several years already but became a household name when his hit sing “Kanlungan” went commercial. The song was an instant hit - and was used for a lot of television advertisements. But some people still don’t know much about the man behind the touching lyrics and melody.
Noel Cabangon is an active Greenpeace volunteer since 1996, and actively campaigns for clean energy as the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior comes to Asia for its Clean Energy Revolution Tour.
Undoubtedly one of the most successful Filipino singers of all time, Lea Salonga (Maria Ligaya Carmen Imutan Salonga-Chien) has achieved worldwide success that other singers can only dream of. Lea is well-known for her portrayal of Kim in Miss Saigon, as well as Eponine. She is also the first Asian to play the said role in Broadway. She is also the first to win an Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, and Theatre World Awards for a single role.
On January 10, 2004, she married Robert Chien, and has a daughter named Beverly Nicole who was born on May 16, 2006. Below are two videos, one of Lea Salonga singing Sun and Moon in Miss Saigon, and another one where she sings Don’t Cry for me Argentina live.
Marifil Nina Girado was born on November 1, 1980 and is more popularly known as Nina. Often dubbed as the Philippine’s Soul Siren, she has released 4 albums to date and is known for her vocal belting. Most people often remark that she looks like Mariah Carey and her vocal ability to sing in whistle register (C3-G7) often adds to the description.
Known as the Philippine’s Queen of Soul, Jaya is a Philippine singer with African-American ancestry. Born Maria Luisa Ramsey, she started as a backup dancer for her mother Elizabeth Ramsey, a comedienne-singer. Jaya is now one of the hosts of SOP, a noontime show she co-hosts with Regine Velasquez, Kyla, and Ogie Alcasid.
South Border is one of the popular Philippine bands that have released love songs that were played on almost every radio station. But as good things are not always meant to last, South Border has gone through its share of ups and downs. Having replaced members more often than they release albums, Jay Durias is the only original member that has stayed and has continued to create music that thrills its fans.