Meanwhile,
Bamboo pursued what he now remembers as “a
lot of studies.” He even played in bands
in the US with other nationalities going in “a
lot of different directions.” The music-making
bug never left him and in early 2002, he exchanged
emails with Nathan, a childhood friend and former
bass player for Rivermaya, to explore the idea
of producing an album.
Nathan
broached the idea to Ira who was the guitarist
for Nathan’s current project then, Kapatid.
Ira then approached Vic, the drummer Ira befriended
during his previous stint with Passage Band.
Bamboo
explains, “The connection among the four
of us got going. We started discussing about forming
a band. For me, being in a band is a big commitment.
You have to see that you share common interests.”
Ira
butts in, “You may all be good musicians.
but you still have to work together. Otherwise,
you run the risk of throwing away six months of
your life down the drain.”
Deciding
on the band’s name turned out to be the more
challenging chore. Bamboo initially balked at the
prospect of using his name as his band’s
moniker. The other members eventually prevailed
when they argued that bamboo has a distinct Filipino
connotation and that it is a symbol of strength
and agility.
Minimal
hype, high anticipation
Sinisid
ko ang dagat
Nilibot ko ang mundo
Nasa puso ko lang pala
Ang hinahanap kong kulo
“NoyPi”
When
he started working out his musical ideas with the
other band members, Bamboo knew Ira and Vic, aside
from old friend Nathan, were the right musicians
for the band he had in mind. “I came home
from the US with only song sketches with me. The
first time we jammed, Ira was quick to add or improve
on my ideas. Vic offered his own ideas to flesh
out the songs. The collaboration I hoped to find
showed up right in our first meeting.”
They
debuted formally as band during a magazine launch
in late 2002. Most of 2003 was spent honing their
craft and keeping the collaborative spirit within
the band intact.
Despite
minimal hype, their first album became one of the
most highly anticipated releases of 2004. Led by
the anthemic proud-to-be-Filipino single, “NoyPi,” the
album As The Music Plays showed the band’s
keen eye for melodies and hooks. Subsequent single
releases, “Mr. Clay,” “Masaya” and “These
Days,” became hits on the radio. On hindsight,
their first album may have lit the fuse for the
current rage of a thousand OPM bands.
Besides
commercial success, Bamboo earned critical acclaim.
MTV Pilipinas named them Best New Artist of 2004,
NU 107 cited them with Artist of the Year and Song
of the Year awards and Manila’s pop stations
voted them local artists of the year.
Bamboo
explains, “There was no game plan as to how
the band and the album would be one year down the
road. Everything flowed together for the first
album. All I knew were the things I did not want
to do. I did not want to go through them again.”
The
unexpected success had the unenviable effect of
building up pressure for an equally massive second
album. Bamboo relates, “We definitely felt
the pressure for a big follow-up. We talked about
it (the pressure) and we agreed that the only way
to cope was to write songs that we felt needed
to be heard.”
A
wider palette of moods
I’m
stronger now
Stronger now than I was before
There’s no way you can
Hurt me
Move me
Stop me
“Mr.
Clay”
Light.
Peace. Love. was recorded between March and May
of 2005 and if anything, boasts of a wider palette
of moods and a range of themes than their debut. “Hallelujah” rocks
the cathedral, “Much Has Been Said” sounds
like one long goodbye, while “Alpha Beta
Omega” continues the growing social awareness
that recalls the sentiments of “Mr. Clay”
The
album received more accolades. Bamboo can only
say, “It [second album] was just a response
to the first album. Without the first album, it
wouldn’t even exist.”
Still,
the top five songs that would always be on their
in-concert playlist include three tracks from the
new album: “Hallelujah”, “Much
Has Been Said” and “Alpha Beta Omega.” “Mr.
Clay” and “NoyPi,” favorites
from their debut, round out the top five.
Bamboo
admits playing music is still a tough occupation
in this country. There are no guarantees. His only
consolation: “We’re happy doing this
together!”
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