i see red

Limiters of the Pupil photo shoot

2011-01-20T19:27:00.031+08:00

what?!

oh my goodness, I am about to photograph Pupil and the studio's receptionist tells me that I have only 3 strobes--and no tech assistant!

what?!

now how am I going to set up my lights? who's gonna pull down the backdrop? two of the strobes were fitted with softbox modifiers, don't you have a beauty dish? she says i can request for another modifier. but who's going to attach it to the lights? I can't do that. "Kasi usually merong kasamang assistant ang mga photographer na pumupunta dito." Ganun? But aren't studios supposed to have a tech guy on hand??? Geez, no reflectors, no decent posing chair, no light meter, no TV monitor, no computer... the studio i used before had all these on hand. I even had to ask her for the remote trigger for the lights. ah yes, siguro photographers usually bring their own remotes. sus. pero sabi sa website niyo you had all these plus the tech guy... "Ay di pa namin na-update yung website."

No use arguing with her, I had to make the most out of what i had... i wanted to have a butterfly lighting setup with a dark background, shet... the extension cords were too short, I couldn't move the lights to the center, di abot. o siya, 2-light setup na lang using the softbox and the white background.

so as I was setting up, in panic mode, guess who arrives first. ELY.

waaah! screams without sound. I come up to him and we discuss the shoot for a while. I knew they wanted something different, he says we should do portraits. I wanted that too, I wanted them to look cool and angas, not cute and pretty boy. now how to do that with a softbox and white background? think Rolling Stone mag, I tell myself.

Ms. Day and the rest of the band arrive--Wendell, Dok and Yan. I only manage to welcome them with quick hellos and then Ely says he's ready for his solos so the shoot begins.

Pupil is very easy to work with, they are very nice, no rock star ere at all. Actually that made it more difficult kasi they looked so KIND in the photos, I wanted 'angas.' They did pose better in the group shots, mas angas hehe. They are a band after all so they are better posing as Pupil than in their solos.

Ely is totally not hard to photograph, he looks great from any angle. And he is rock star personified, it exudes from him naturally, no effort at all. kahit na tumayo lang siya. It's up to the photographer to capture it, it's just there.

3 hours later we're done. not really the shoot I had in mind but all's well. I wanted them to look serious but not too intense like some emo/metal band. They were classy and mature, not pretty and boyish. I wanted them too look edgy and mysterious, I do hope I get another chance to shoot them again--thank you Ely, Dok, Wendell, Yan and Ms. Day for this!--but next time i will bring my own lights! =)

PUPIL “LIMITERS OF THE INFINITY POOL” OUT NOW!

The long wait is over.

PUPIL, with guitarist and frontman Ely Buendia, lead guitarist Yan Yuzon, bassist Dok Sergio and drummer Wendell Garcia, shake up the neighbourhood of established notions yet again with its newest album, Limiters of the Infinity Pool.

Pupil has always been known for reinvention and inspires yet again with their latest album. Limiters shows the band furthering its musical progression with strong songs from all members that redefine their sound. The album is a brilliant attempt to change today’s musical complacency – through the infinity pool that overspills with their genius in challenging the norms of Filipino music, creating something bigger that shows the music scene the confidence to go beyond its limits.

ERASERHEADS: The Reunion 083008

2008-09-04T12:36:00.011+08:00

SA WAKAS! The Eraserheads reunion concert is the best concert i've seen so far--from the stage, to the lights, to the giant video screen using rope lights a la U2. But most of all, the satisfaction that it brought not just to me but to the thousands of fans who went there is priceless! The emotional investment we put into this event has been returned in kind by the band. Indeed a group hug is in order! Not just for the band but more so for the jubilant crowd!

Alas it had to come to an abrupt end after the first set of 15 songs! I was backstage downloading files to my hard disk when I heard someone calling "Eon, Eon!" The tone in the woman's voice was unmistakable, something was terribly wrong. I watched as people came in and out of Ely's dressing room including Raimund who looked so concerned. Finally I saw a gurney being wheeled out of the room and I recognized Ely's shoes. God I was so scared. I approached the ambulance to get a closer look but moved back again because they might get upset with the camera i was holding.... I saw Diane crying.

Now how to tell the people outside... not knowing how the crowd would react, I called my friend and told her to meet me at the car na. I did not mind missing the photo opp, I came here to shoot the show, and there were many photographers around so I knew it was covered. And everybody was being asked to leave the backstage and the pit anyway.

I'm happy Ely is OK now. I am extra glad too that all four seem to be getting along na. There is talk of a repeat too, yeah! I hope I am still around to see it, the second and third set daw was the rocking part! Kung ngayon "ako'y lumilipad at nasa alapaap na..." sa susunod alam ko matitikman na ang langit! =)

VIEW THE FULL SET:
ERASERHEADS: The Reunion 083008

mari in METRO POST Mag!

2008-08-22T10:14:00.010+08:00

Hey check this out: I was featured in the maiden issue of METRO POST Magazine (July - August 2008)! I was tapped to photograph SITTI for the cover story--see the spreads here. The magazine is for free and can be found at San Francisco Cafe, Old Swiss Inn, Malcolm's Place, Metro Bar and Cold Rock.

i shot the photos for the Sitti cover article

ERASERHEADS Reunion Concert!

2008-07-13T13:53:00.003+08:00

THE MOST exciting, MOST anticipated and MOST historic music event of the year!!! =)

I have read the blind items about the reunion days ago but it was hard to believe since people at the eraserheads YahooGroup have been pining for an EHEADS reunion for so many years na. after so many false alarms it was so easy to dismiss the buzz created last week. Ricky Lo's article came out last Saturday claiming that it was confirmed but i still had my doubts. sa takot ko na ma-kuryente ako, i emailed a few people who should be in the know and ayun na nga! Yesterday i got a couple of confirmations! Then ELY BUENDIA himself confirmed it during Pupil's gig at Blue Wave Sunday!

i have shot all four, but never together--ngayon na ang pagkakataon!!!

Hail Kitchie, full of grace!

2008-04-19T15:03:00.013+08:00

I have been reading a lot of rave reviews of Kitchie Nadal's new album LOVE LETTER starting with the nifty album design, to the great production, great songwriting and new sound, and most especially the beautiful voice of Kitchie. Everyone knows how scary and difficult it is to come out with a sophomore album lalo na if the debut is as successful as her "Kitchie Nadal"--dang, how do you top that! But Kitchie apparently is not mindful of the commercial success (problema na ni ms. roca yun hehe) and just strove to come out with the album SHE wants. Overseeing everything herself, from art directing to arranging and recording, she had no intention of producing a sleek album "designed" to become platinum but rather chose to put her self out there, unabashedly displaying her spiritual and personal side. This album is indeed her love letter to us who have been waiting patiently for this CD for years. But more importantly, it is Kitchie's fragrant offering to her God, a musical public declaration of her convictions. well done, Kitchie! :)

I struggled to pick my favorite track but couldn't--it's like asking a parent to choose a favorite child haha! I like all the songs! The closest to being "the one" was the Tagalog song TADHANA probably because I have been hearing Kitchie sing a couple of lines from the song since years ago as an intro to her live performances of Wag Na Wag Mong Sasabihin when Tadhana was still unfinished.

"minsan nagbiro sa 'yo ang tadhana, o bakit pa binigay sa yo kung babawiin lang?"

I am a sucker for Tagalog songs and the melody is very catchy plus the arrangement they made is so beautiful, it was done sans the techno sounds of the other tracks and treated like a regular love song, Kitchie's soulful voice accompanied by an acoustic guitar, much like the classical version of WNWMS they did last year for the DQTV EP.

I settled on picking my top 5 tracks:
- Walk On Water
- Wide Awake
- Tadhana
- Takipsilim
- Love Letter

[To listen to this selection, please go to my multiply account.]

Aaaargh, can i make that a TOP 7 list?! Add Lala Land and Unconditional Love... ang hirap! :) Together this set of songs showcases Kitchie's new sound. They are a bit edgier than the rest of the tracks.

I love WALK ON WATER which is yes, as the title implies, about faith and to me it sounds autobiographical ("I am a human shooting star...to be humbled by your grace...").

I realize that these songs were also among the first tracks she wrote for the album, they were written years ago kasabay ng BUWAN. Somewhere along the way towards the end of recording, Kitchie's songs became, as she puts it, "more positive" -- they sounded happier! And why not, Kitchie does look happier now, and less introverted. Indeed during the Listers' Night last April 5 I was surprised to see a different Kitchie--i was amused to watch her candidly answering ALL the questions from the fans, playful, smiling all night. Peace written all over Kitchie's face. :)

It's not that i do not like the happy songs, I just like my music a bit dark. :)

Kitchie Nadal's LOVE LETTER was worth the wait and does not disappoint: it is innovative, bold, new, well-produced--a must-buy. It comes out at a time when remakes are again starting to make a comeback and foreign acts are making stopovers here in Manila promoting their albums. It's great to hear that aside from Kitchie lot of new albums from OPM acts are getting released lately.

Kitchie's songwriting appeals to my mind, her music trips my soul. Kitchie's vocals still rocks me to my core, sigh.

Kitchie's Love Letter

2008-02-18T09:34:00.011+08:00

Kitchie Nadal's much-awaited second album will be launched this March finally! I have had the privilege to hear most of the tracks from this album (there will be 15 daw) since more than a year ago and have witnessed how it has evolved and oooh all this time i have been wishing that it will be released na so you guys can hear Kitchie's new songs. Aside from her new sound and arrangements, Kitchie's talent as a lyricist continues to grow keeping in pace with her music which has evolved enormously as she experiments and makes use of the various inspirations she has picked up in her travels and experiences from the past 4 years.

Here's one of the songs, probably the first single that will be released from the album to be called Love Letter. It will be played over NU 107 FM starting today! :)

ARMOUR BEARER
Words and Music by Kitchie Nadal

biting back my smile and tears
waiting for the fireworks
counting backwards 6 5 4 3 2 1
darkness can't be as reassuring as this

Chorus
by many or by few
do what you have in mind
i'm with you heart and soul

by many or by few
i'm your armour bearer
i'm with you heart and soul

are we walking along abels street
Chasing each other's polarities
orphan widow and innocent blood
oh we were raised, we were raised, we were raised
beauty from the ashes

Chorus
by many or by few
do what you have in mind
i'm with you heart and soul

by many or by few
i'm your armour bearer
i'm with you heart and soul

Bridge
for the accuser
day and night has been hurled down
by the blood of the Lamb
and the word of our testimony
we did not love our life as to shrink from death

Chorus
by many or by few
do what you have in mind
i'm with you heart and soul

by many or by few
i'm your armour bearer
i'm with you heart and soul

i'm with you heart and soul

Listen to it at KitchieNadal.net or at garageband.com.

Dutdutan 2007: whose ink are you wearing?

2007-12-18T08:19:00.004+08:00

I have never seen so many tattoos under one roof before haha! PhilTAG (Philippine Tattoo Artists' Guild) had their annual tattoo convention last December 15 called DUTDUTAN '07 Philippine Tattoo Xpo. Aside from being a convention for tattoo artists and the tattooed minions to exchange notes and display their latest tats, they also had merchandising exhibit booths, a live tattoo competition, and a rockfest that featured a helluva great lineup of bands--the bands i shot: Valley of Chrome, Queso, Slapshock, Greyhoundz, Sinosikat, Kamikazee, Sinag, Nini Skirt, Cosmic Love, Kadangyan, Concrete Sam, Kamikazee. I was able to get access to the rockfest's pit courtesy of Greyhoundz manager Bubi Sanchez (thanks man!). Otherwise I would have gone home rather than shoot from the crowd which, as expected, was a bit 'animated' hehe. Siyempre, astig kasi lahat ng tao dun! ;-)

Except for Kat Agarrado of Sino Sikat (me tattoo ba siya?), the bands themselves were wearing beautiful tats so bagay talaga sila sa event. I was waiting for Reg Rubio to take off his shirt like Ian (Queso), Jay (Kamikazee) and Jamir (Slapshock) who showed off their inked bodies--beautiful skin art!--but he didn't, sayang. :)

Please check out my Dutdutan 2007 Philippine Tattoo Xpo and Rockfest photos here:
SET 1 and SET 2

Melody del Mundo returns with Stella's Notch

2007-10-30T20:18:00.000+08:00

The haunting voice that took us to dreamland with songs such as Five Years, Moden De, Siesyatnebonsotneicostolim (Awa), and Womb was heard again here in Manila, albeit for just 9 days. Melody del Mundo, original vocalist of Sugar Hiccup, visited the Metro with her Fil-Am band Stella’s Notch to promote their new album, "Beyond Wonderland" which features 11 songs written by Melody.

I was looking forward to seeing Melody perform live because I only got to hear her sing on CD. By the time I discovered Sugar Hiccup she had already migrated to the US. Finally I had a chance to watch her and photograph her and, in a way, show my support in her effort to continue making music--that yes, we still remember her and we want to see her sing again. :) After performing as a solo artist in the US for a time she joined a new band called Red Lily then later played bass for all Filipino female band Prettier Than Pink. Melody's current band Stella's Notch is an alternative rock band which she formed in 2003 with Melody on vocals/guitars; Dennis Diaz on keyboards/guitars; Miguel Rodriguez on drums; and Jeremy "Chadface" Arcinas on bass/vocals.

I did not expect to hear anything close to the old SH sound since Stella is more of a rock band, but yes, Melody still mesmerizes. iba talaga pag live!

I love the album although I can't help thinking how much better her new songs would sound if she got to work with some of our best engineers and producers here in Manila. But kudos to Stella's Notch! Even if it took them years to get this album out (alam niyo naman sa states, these guys have day jobs and it takes so much effort and dedication just to find the time to rehearse and play, lalo na to record an album!), it only shows how passionate they are with their music. The songs are pretty catchy, especiallly "Evil Jill," "Sub-rosa," the tango/rock-embellished "Loved Then Go" and one of my fave tracks "Don't Know You Anymore." Melody swoons in "Wounded" and "Blown Away" and I AM blown away. =)

Check out the live photos!
> Stella's Notch @ Magnet High Street
> Stella's Notch @ Club Dredd

Let's support our Fil-Am bands, OPM pa rin yan! Come back to us. :)

For more info about Stella's Notch visit their myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/stellasnotch

PS: If you want to buy the CD, limited copies of Beyond Wonderland are still available at MagNet High Street and MagNEt Katipunan.

access, access, access

2007-10-27T14:16:00.000+08:00

If location is the key to a successful business, for us photographers it is ACCESS. There may be dozens of event photographers now, both professional and hobbyists, what with the advent of affordable digital cameras and SLRs, but there are only a lucky few who get to step into that most desired piece of space called the photographer's pit.

If you have access, half the job is done. :)

I have been turned away from the pit so many times na, that is the disadvantage of being a freelance photographer. They will always ask you what magazine or newspaper you are shooting for and ayun na. Oooh if i only had a press pass! you can wave it around like a police officer's chapa and it'll get you in almost any gig/concert hahaha.

As a freelancer-hobbyist i try to get hold of a backstage/photo pass before the event by asking the organizer or the artist's manager. Ang hirap minsan--how do you explain to them that you just want to take photos for the love of it? :) Sometimes, if i'm lucky, they will let me shoot when i ask permission from the organizers at the site. It also helps when you know a band and they let you join their entourage so you can get in to take photos of them. Siyempre the best is when you are assigned as official photographer and are granted an all-access pass. you can take photos from anywhere--FOH, backstage, even on the stage. tapos me TF ka pa hehe. :)

Of course you can also shoot from the crowd pero that depends on what type of crowd meron. If it's a free concert and chicosci is playing, hala expect the jologs horde to come. They slamdance and push and lie on the ground (ang dilim pa naman, natatakot ako kung ano mangyayari kapag naapakan ko sila!)--pag ganun uwi na lang ako hahaha, not only because they look nasty but it sure is hard to get a good shot when you can't stand still to focus. And there is a danger that your gear can get damaged, or worse, stolen.

In the short time that i have been covering gigs i have managed to meet a number of people who have helped me get access to some events, salamat po! :) Some of them remember me from earlier gigs and they let me in, like artist managers, bands, station managers, even bouncers. yes, i love 'em bouncers, that's why i never pick a fight with them kahit na minsan ayaw nila magpapasok. I submit to them kasi i know they are just doing their job. you'll never know, maliit lang ang gig scene, sometimes they remember you. :)

Sax, Horns, Rakenrol!

2007-10-09T12:54:00.000+08:00

Kevin Roy of Razorback

Uhaw na ko sa rock gig after being out-of-town for so long so this trigger-happy tog went off to the Razorback and DRT gig at Handle Bar last Friday. :)

It was actually part of Revolver Productions' series of shows for their 3rd anniversary (sponsored by Jack Daniel's) and on this leg they pitted the two rock bands against jazz groups Saxophoro and The Radioactive Sago Project horns to stir up a rock-meets-jazz jam session. Darn, it sure worked! The show was a blast! =)

Rock meets Jazz!
- DRT vs. SAXOPHORO
- RAZORBACK vs. THE RADIOACTIVE SAGO PROJECT horn section

MORE PHOTOS HERE!

Seksing-Seksi Awit Awards Night!

2007-08-10T13:55:00.000+08:00

People forgot about the storm for a few hours as the 20th Awit Awards unfolded at the NBC Tent, The Fort last August 8. That night PARI was able to put up an amazing show with acts that became bigger and bigger as the awards night moved along. Opening the show were great bands like Imago, Sugarfree, Sponge Cola, Itchyworms and Sandwich singing one after the other in a medley of APO songs.

This was followd by performances from (hold on to your seats!) Pepe Smith, Wally Gonzalez, Kjwan, The Dawn, Razorback, Bamboo, Sitti singing a medley of Jose Mari Chan and Cecille Azarcon songs with The Company, Christian Bautista with Rachel Anne Go, Parokya Ni Edgar with Gloc 9 and Francis M, Faith Cuneta with Sheryn Regis singing novelty songs, Kamikazee, Gary V singing and dancing with son Gabriel, and finally there was Regine Velasquez & Ogie Acasid singing "Kailangan Kita" and "Narito Ako."

SO many great acts in one night! It was photo-op heaven! :D

The biggest surprise of the night was seeing Wally Gonzalez walk onstage to play with Kjwan! I tried to get a shot of him with the video clip about JUAN DE LA CRUZ band running in the background (in fact napasigaw nga ako kasi some of my JDLC photos were there! hala...), but i also had to stop and watch him play. WOW.

Now what could possibly top that? Well, Wally moved on over to the other stage to play with Razorback!! AND after playing a song together, PEPE SMITH COMES OUT TO JOIN THEM. WOWOWOW. Then the two rock icons perform HIMIG NATIN--oh my, what a sight! :) Finally I get to see them perform it live together. They played it in their 2005 reunion concert before but they did that reggae version which i do not like and they were with a bunch of other artists. Here it was just the two of them and ANG GANDA po.

PHOTO-OP HEAVEN. Every photographer in the house that night must have gone home with big smiles on their faces haha.

It turns out that Wally and Pepe were there to receive the "Dangal ng Musikang Pilipino Award" for the Juan De La Cruz band. Mike Hanopol was having a tour abroad so hi brother received the award for him.

Back to the other awards, KAMIKAZEE run off with 5 major awards including the top plums ALBUM OF THE YEAR ("Maharot") and SONG OF THE YEAR ("Narda"). They also won for Best Rock ("Narda"), Best Perfomance by a Group Artist ("Narda"), and Music Video of the Year ("Martyr Nyebera"). Seksing-seksi talaga sila that night! Too bad they weren't around anymore during the latter part of the show (they must have rushed off to a gig somewhere) to receive the ALBUM & SONG OF THE YEAR awards themselves.

SITTI tied with Amber for the Best Performance by a New Female Recording Artist award. =)

KITCHIE NADAL had only one nomination--AND WON, for Best Song Written for Movie/TV/Stage Play for "Majika." :D

For a complete list of winners please visit the Awit Awards website. Watch the the 20th Awit Awards on TV on August 19, Sunday, at 10 PM on ABC 5!

PHOTOS at the AWIT site and here. :)

Kjwan & Vina: The First Philippine IKONS!

2007-08-06T03:09:00.000+08:00

Kjwan and Vina Morales emerged as the winners in the IKON Philippines Finals held at the Le Pavilion last night and proudly earned the right to represent the Philippines in the ASEAN IKON Finals in Malaysia on August 12.

Winning both the judges' nods as well as that of the thousands of text voters who sent in their votes during the live broadcast over RPN 9, they bested the other finalists: Sitti and Skarlet in the solo category; Kala and True Faith in the band category. While Kjwan just breezed through with their excellent performance, Vina had to contend with a broken microphone which failed to work as she began her number. Remember it was a live broadcast so there can be no 'take two' but Vina, a veteran showbiz performer, showed that she was a trouper and continued dancing and smiling until the tech people were able to give her a fresh mike. Her display of composure under pressure probably helped her clinch the title since all the finalists delivered such winning performances. :)

Some photos from the finals can be viewed in MY FLICKR. More photos coming! :)

Rock music exhibit opens at The Met Museum

2007-07-28T16:48:00.000+08:00

Dong Abay performs during the exhibit opening

Rocked Age:Images of Loud Music Culture
Upper Galleries, Metropolitan Museum of Manila
With live performances by Cesare Syjuco, Elemento, Dong Abay, Markus Highway, and Pepe Smith. Until October 26, 2007.

PRESS RELEASE: The Metropolitan Museum of Manila in cooperation with the Galerie Astra will open Rocked Age: Images of loud music culture exhibit today, July 26, 2007 at 6p.m. at the Upper Galleries. This exhibit will showcase the influence of rock music in the works of Filipino artists.

The exhibit will highlight the works of national artist Ben Cabrera, ace lensman Wig Tysman, Cesare & Jean Marie Syjuco, Romeo Lee, Pandy Aviado, Fil Delacruz, Dan Raralio, Wawi Navarroza, Mari Arquiza, and interaction works of Jose Ibay with various artists. The exhibit will include paintings, sculptures and photographs.

The exhibit will be divided into sections such as rock as expression, rock icons and rock culture. It aims to educate the Filipinos how rock music in the Philippines started and became a popular music genre. This also exposes a deeper understanding how rock music influenced Filipinos, even the most ordinary of Pinoys.

Rock as expression tackles the origins of the Pinoy Rock. Rock icons section showcases the different personalities that became the face of rock music in the Philippines. While, rock culture section will give insights how the popular music genre affects everyday life of Filipinos.

SOME OF MY LIVE PHOTOS are included in the exhibit. :) At first they asked for some of the photos I took during the Juan de la Cruz band reunion concert in 2005, later they asked me to submit any photos I have of the Eraserheads and other bands popular during the 80s and 90s. After several screenings the selection i submitted was whittled down to 9 photos (including 4 solo shots of the eheads members), the final set looked... ahh boring hehe. They did not include the colorful concert shots hehe. Anyway, that's cool, after all I get to exhibit at THE MET MUSEUM and I have a whole wall to myself. I am grateful! :)

The Met Museum took care of printing (thanks!) and I was confident they would do a great job. The printer made a mistake printing the Eraserheads' photos though (the images were resized and distorted and set on an orange background ewww!) but the museum promised me that they will fix it after the opening so okay lang. So if any of you guys see the orange eheads set please lang, di po ako ang me gawa nun haha. They wanted to put the 4 images together in one print, but boy it sure didn't work haha. Hmmm kahit sa picture ayaw nilang magsama? joke :) Sabi nga ni Marcus after I apologized, divine intervention daw haha.

There were live performances by Pepe Smith, Dong Abay, Marcus Adoro, Elemento band and artist Cesare Syjuco during the opening so i just did my thing. :)

MORE PHOTOS HERE.

I met some online buddies in person for the first time: Eddie Boy Escudero, Rain Contreras, Wam Molina. Ebe introduced me to Wawi Navarroza who, aside from being the lead singer of The Late Isabel, is also a very creative artist and photographer. Nice to meet you all! I also saw a lot of visual artists and i suddenly remembered that i used to be a painter in another life haha. I was thrilled that Gus Albor still remembered me, idol ko sila ni Lao Lianben. Tamang-tama, there was an exhibit of their works downstairs and viewing them i felt the artist in me stir a bit. Ah may i find my Muse once again...

Pinoy rock icons

2007-07-25T00:19:00.000+08:00

70's Pinoy Rock and Beyond:
Lolita Carbon, Pepe Smith, Jun Lopito, Banyuhay ni Heber
Metro Bar, 23 July 2007

Four Pinoy Rock icons in one show, yeah! Hindi ko palalampasin ito! It's a great opportunity to document these artists who rarely perform na. But I wanted to go just because Lolita Carbon was singing--I have never seen her perform live. :) A friend of mine told me, if I want to watch Lolita I have to go catch her in rallies, dun daw siya kumakanta haha. I grew up listening to their music--I had cassette tapes of Heber and Asin back in high school, and my jeproks na Dad let me listen to his Juan De La Cruz LPs nung elementary pa ako.

I was there at 8 hoping to get a good seat up front but all dem seats were taken/reserved. A lot of fans in my age group and beyond haha. Like me marami ring sabik na mapanood sila. :)

Lolita was the first one to sing and my goolay, I was a mess haha, i was in awe. I wanted to just sit there and watch and listen to her pero siyempre i kept shooting. :) Ang galeng niya po sobra. (I was able to meet her backstage later for a photo op hehe.) Heber's set brought back memories of high school, he sang my favorite, that sad song "Nena." Heber and Banyuhay used to sing in Pisay in secret concerts at the school auditorium with a lot of other artists singing protest music... panahon pa ng martial law nun. Sayang, sana i was a rock photographer na nun!

And finally Pepe and Jun played a full straight set, straight as in they really did some serious rockin', man! Aside from a few JDLC songs, Pepe sang songs from "Idiosyncracies," an album he made in collaboration with Jun Lopito and Dondi Ledesma (too bad he wasn't there). I should have brought my CD para napa-autograph, next time na lang. :)

Please check out the whole set here.

Fête de la Musique 2007

2007-06-27T06:56:00.000+08:00

My third Fete! :D

The Fête de la Musique is celebrated every year all over the world. This year the Fête in Manila returned to the Malate area last Saturday June 23 with stages in Nakpil cor. Ma. Orosa (World, blues, jazz, funk, reggae & ska+ electronica); Adriatico St. cor. Nakpil (Hip hop & R&B); Plaza Rajah Sulayman, Roxas Blvd. (Universal/Main stage); Remedios Circle, Remedios St. cor. Adriatico St. (Rock).

I saw a lot of new bands, as well as some not-so-new but first time kong mapanood thanks to the Fête... i visited all the stages but i stayed mostly at the World stage because it was easier to get closer there. I left though when somebody started singing "Pass the Dutchie" haha, i just came back when Sino Sikat and Paramita were about to play. Pits were for official photographers only and i had no access pass. i really need a fast tele.. and a lens hood too, ang daming flares!

it rained for a while so i had to hide my gear and stop shooting and watched na lang... missed Kapatid and The Purplechickens... Drip was there early... shot Chicosci but i was like a mile away haha. couldn't get closer because of all the dancing kids, could not get my camera steady, had trouble enough using a slow shutter speed na nga eh hehe...

all in all it was a good shoot, not as tiring nor as exciting as my first Fete but more colorful than my second Fete. next year uli! :)

Kitchie@Gweilos

2007-06-14T18:50:00.000+08:00

Last Wednesday we find Kitchie singing in Gweilos Makati, an old haunt she frequently performed in during the "early days" when she was just starting out as a solo artist. Back then she was promoting compilation albums which included her song Deliverance. Now she's promoting her new EP, Drama Queen TV, a compilation of Kitchie songs written for telenovelas including the hit song--THE mother of all telenovela songs--Huwag Na Huwag Mong Sasabihin which she has reworked into a slow ballad, sans the angst, arranged beautifully like a Ryan Cayabyab piece, with acoustic guitar, strings and piano.

Back to the gig: I arrived and there was a band playing already... ay Chubibo pala... sayang, I should have come earlier, I have always wanted to watch them live. Mabuti na lang inabutan ko pa ang Patawad. :)

And the surprise of the evening happened during Kitchie's set: Ricci Gurango of mojofly was in the house to watch Chubibo of course, and when Kitchie was about to sing Runaway Angel, an old Mojofly song she sings regularly in her gigs, she invited Ricci to play bass for them--and pumayag siya, yey!!! nice to see them play together again. :D

Jack Rufo (right) also used to play for mojofly

View the whole set at KitchieNadal.net!

solid

2007-06-13T11:20:00.000+08:00

CLICK to view selected photos posted on my kitchie site through the years... i'm sure they are familiar to the fans who have been there since the beginning. :)

i have been photographing Kitchie since December 2004 and i have always credited her for inspiring me to take up my camera once again and become a rock photographer. thus, my life begun at 40. :)

Rico Blanco leaves Rivermaya

2007-06-01T08:14:00.000+08:00

Rico Blanco at Metrowalk last May 4, his last night as Rivermaya

Rico played his last gig with Rivermaya at Metrobar right after this gig at Metrowalk last May 4... nobody knew what was coming, kung alam ko lang i would have gone to Metrobar... the atmosphere at Metrobar was pretty sad daw and very sentimental. the news spread fast that night... dami speculations... for days many people were left wondering if it was true.

But now it's confirmed: Rico Blanco is no longer with Rivermaya. Rico made a statement at his multiply site saying that his "work is done" and that he is going to "pursue endeavors outside of the entertainment spotlight." Indeed his site is filled with info about his extra-musical endeavors--he has started a group called a million flames that seeks to inspire people to help change the country in little ways. "Ikaw ang liwanag sa dilim. Set the example. Be a flame."

Is Rico leaving the music scene? hopefully not. dumating na rin siguro siya sa point na he wanted to do something more meaningful, when music was no longer enough... i'm confident this will only make him an even better, more inspired artist in the end. mabuhay ka Rico! :)

saka bumalik ka.

Kitchie releases EP: DRAMA QUEEN TV

2007-05-26T18:13:00.000+08:00

Even if Kitchie Nadal has not released a new album since her hit debut in 2004, she has been able to write several songs for TV (Majika, Rounin, I Luv NY) and commercials (Sunsilk Greatest Day and McDonald's Love Ko 'To). She has also contributed to 3 tribute albums (Ligaya for UltraelectromagneticJAM, Pag-ibig for kaminAPOmuna, and TL Ako SA 'Yo for Hopia Mani Popcorn). In fact there's enough new material there to make a new album. Kitchie did not remain idle at all. And at the same time she's also writing material for her sophomore album--i have heard some of the tracks and they are so good. i think kitchie is not in a hurry at all to release the album. e bakit nga ba magmamadali hehe, wala naman deadline since they are indie... meron ba ms. roca? :) Kitchie seems to enjoy the freedom to keep writing and rewriting and rearranging the songs. the songs continue to evolve. i can wait. :)

But she knows her fans want something new, so this coming June Kitchie is releasing an EP called DRAMA QUEEN TV. The concept is to compile all the telenovela theme songs of Kitchie into one album. A new version of the hit song Wag Na Wag Mong Sasabihin is also included, now arranged as a ballad with piano and acoustic guitar. And to help bridge the gap between albums, a new song BUWAN from her upcoming album has been included (it will be used as a theme song in a new production coming soon).

Track List:
1. Buwan
2. Iniibig Kita [Rounin]
3. Wag na Wag Mong Sasabihin (new version)
4. Makulay na Buhay [I Luv NY]
5. Majika
6. Wag na Wag Mong Sasabihin (Instrumental)

All music and lyrics © by: Kitchie Nadal
Executive Producer: Roca Cruz
Produced and arranged by: Jack Rufo
Co-Producer: Kitchie Nadal
Published by: Be.Live Artists and GMA Records for Majika and Makulay na Buhay
All rights reserved.
Design by: Amazing Grace
Lay-out: Yvette Co
http://www.kitchienadal.com
http://www.kitchienadal.net

The EP shall be available only during her gigs so make sure to come see Kitchie perform live in her DRAMA QUEEN TV bar tour:

MAY 31 - STARZ BAR Malabon
JUNE 1 - 22ND STREET Marcos Highway
JUNE 2 - 22ND STREET Las Piñas
JUNE 8 - I LOVE YOU STORE
JUNE 13 - GWEILO'S MAKATI

Kitchie is now busy completing her second studio album which will showcase a different more mature sound with Kitchie experimenting with electronica, trip hop, and found sounds and working closely with arranger Jack Rufo.

For updates and gig skeds keep visiting KitchieNadal.net! :)

i'm with the band

2007-05-23T08:40:00.001+08:00

it's an adventure really, something to make my life more exciting. :) when we got to the venue the area behind the stage was teeming with people. i wanted to put away my gear afraid that it might get crushed when we wade through this sea of people. saka i wanted to turn to bodyguard mode muna. while waiting in the car i was praying silently for His protection and that nothing would get out of control. crowds are very volatile, anything can trigger a stampede and i have always been such a safety first freak. thank God, i saw how His hand took hold of the place during our set---malakas ka talaga ke Lord, kitch. :)

the crowd turned out to be a loving audience and they welcomed her with loud cheers and applause. :)i must look pretty silly when i shoot, i get so lost in the set that sometimes i catch myself cheering like a fan haha. she sang "Isang Mundo, Isang Awit*" as an encore, she's been playing around with it for a while now and this the first time i saw her perform it. although it did not seem to register to the Callalily generation in the crowd haha, the song absolutely unfamiliar to them. after traveling and gigging around the world and meeting lots of OFWs there, Kitchie was inspired to take up this old Leah Navarro song.

we'll be redesigning the site soon, maiba naman. we'll be getting more inputs from her. :)

*Isang Mundo, Isang Awit
Leah Navarro
Words & music: Nonong Pedero

Ngayon mundo'y gulung-gulo
At lahat tayo'y litung-lito
Pag-ibig sa kapwa tao
Sa daigdig dapat ituro
Kung bawa't puso mayroong pagmamahal
Kapayapaa't kasiyahan tiyak na makakamtan

Lahat tayo'y pantay-pantay
Sa biyaya ng Maykapal
Lahat sana'y akbay-akbay
Handang tumulong kanino man
Kung bawat tao ay marunong magmahal
Ano mang kulay o salita
Tiyak na makiki-isa

Refrain:
Je t'aime, te amo, I love you
Watashi wa anata o aishite masu
Ich liebe dich, iniibig kita
Wo ay ni
Paano man sabihin
Ang mundo'y turuan natin
Tanging lunas ang pag-ibig

Isang mundo, isang awit,
Isang sigaw... Pag-ibig.

2 years na

2007-05-10T12:12:00.000+08:00

i was looking through my old files and found some photos from 2005... wala lang...

SM San Lazaro, 21 July 2005

Barbie Almalbis' first gig as a solo artist.
Mayric's, 4 July 2005

Juan Dela Cruz Reunion Concert
WTC Manila, 11 June 2005

i had a run-in with a veteran photographer recently who posted a couple of photos of an artist in a public photo pool. college grad naman ako, i understand it was his attempt to show the human side of a celebrity but it really was... well, i could not look at them without wincing. i emailed him privately with all the 'po' and 'please' and courtesy i could muster and he shot back with an email saying i had no right to tell him to pull out the pics (kaya nga po nakikiusap eh), na i'm suppressing his freedom of speech (huh?), and kulang na lang sabihin sa akin "kilala mo ba kung sino ako." he asks me "how long have you been a photographer?" huh? i emailed back to tell him na he doesn't have to do anything, it was just a request. i did not explain anymore, did not answer his challenges anymore, i though it would have been useless to reason with him. apparently he looked me up after that, saw my pictures, kasi he emailed me back saying he thought i was just one of them avid fans or groupies.

well, I AM. unabashedly. so?

so it's not true na 'wala lang' yung post ko sa taas... my heart has been dashed in a way that's why i had to look back... i started shooting artists in 2005. two years... a little more than two years... kahit na ten or twenty years pa yan i know i will always have a lot to learn. i just had to look back, iniisip ko me katuturan ba ito. and then i found these photos and told myself yes, 2 years ago they may not have meant anything pero ngayon they look different... me history na siyang kasama.

tuloy ang ligaya. :)

Marcus@Mayrics!

2007-04-30T12:16:00.000+08:00

After spending the whole afternoon under the sun taking photos at the Aliwan Fiesta I hurried over to Mayric's for one of Marcus' rare gigs kasama ang isang platitong cheese stix at 2 bote ng malamig na beer... :)

Meron pa dito.

Kuh Ledesma releases new album 'K'

2007-04-27T09:12:00.000+08:00

It has been 7 years since Kuh Ledesma released a solo album so what a joy it was for her fans to finally get a copy of her much-awaited album simply titled K -- K stands for everything positive in the Pinoy...

Katapatan, Kadalisayan, Kapuri-puring Kagandahan... mga Katangiang buhay magpakailanman matatanto sa musikang di dapat kaligtaan...

Released by her very own indie label Bravo Records, K started as an album of Filipino classics innovatively arranged by BOB AVES to incorporate jazz, rhythm and blues and synch. Later they added George Canseco's SIYA NA BA as a carrier single hoping it would be pop enough to gain radio play. The music was actually finished as early as 4 years ago but Kuh was unable to complete the vocals due to her busy tour schedules abroad. In fact the album launch this month was almost postponed again because Kuh was about to leave the country for a US-Canadian tour. At the behest of Bob Aves (who, according to Kuh, threatened to throw away the areglo haha) they pushed through with the release, squeezing in a launch party and a radio promo before she left for the US.

K
Kuh Ledesma
2007, Bravo Records

1. Mutya Ng Pasig
2. Pakiusap
3. Saan Ka Man Naroroon
4. Nasaan Ka Irog
5. Siya Na Ba?
6. Ugoy Ng Duyan
7. Bayan Ko
8. Dahil Sa 'Yo
9. Bulaklak
10. Lahat Ng Araw (Silayan)

Kuh at the K album launch in Teatrino

I wonder what would have happened if it was released 3 or 4 years ago... local acts like Bamboo and Kitchie were just about to release their debut albums, OPM bands were just about
to begin a renaissance of sorts in the OPM scene. I guess now is
the right time for K since these are the times for revivals and
rearrangements of old OPM and the young people are interested
to know OPM classics.

Kuh knows that K will be appreciated by those who know the classics, but she also says, "I hope this album reaches out to younger people, and speaks to them about the beauty of our music and the nobility of the Pinoy character."

Listening to K, I was so taken by the first track MUTYA NG PASIG with it's magnificent arrangement and siyempre Kuh's beautiful voice! It makes you wish more of our young singers would pay attention and learn from the maestra, Kuh; to know that singing is about using one's voice like a well-tuned musical instrument, that singing is not just about vocal affectations or belting or reaching high notes. Another bonus in the album is the addition of Grace Nono's vocals and chants in some of the tracks!

I wish Kuh would release an album of new original songs though. And please sana tantanan na ang Bulaklak haha, tama na po (and it's not even OPM). I still wait for the day when Kuh starts singing 'regular' songs again, to see her in an intimate show wearing maong and her signature white polo shirt... like in the old days. :)

For more info about Kuh, please visit KuhLedesma.net

PoW! Earth Day Jam

2007-04-25T12:00:00.001+08:00

Chicosci (taken at the Earth Day Jam 2007 last April 20)

This is turning out to be a blessed week for me: last Sunday I received an email saying that I am the recipient of a complimentary FLICKR PRO account from PinoyCentric.com*--wow!

This morning I received another email this time from the Flickers Photo Club saying that one of my photos has been chosen as one of three Editors' Choices: Photos of the Week--PoW! :D

Editor's Comment: This is a beautifully executed shot by any means. Technically excellent, sharp where it shoud be, concert lights, the expression, composition, exposure. Pure energy!!

o de bah! ;-)

Although i get my high from the rush that goes through me in every concert shoot and most of the time that is enough for me, I admit that sometimes i wonder if all these is meaningless. am i doing anything important nga ba? it really warms my heart when I learn that people appreciate and see the passion in my work. :)

and then this. bonus na ito hehe.Thanks to FPC and Pinoycentric! Mabuhay kayo! Para sa mga musikerong Pinoy!

Please view my EARTH DAY JAM set... and try to run the slide show, it's cool!

*Pinoycentric is a Pinoy culture blog which features articles that put emphasis on the state of the Filipino visual, film, literary and performance arts. Written by Filipinos from all over the world, Pinoycentric's "vision of keeping a global nation in touch with its scattered parts through its gifts, dreams and memories, achievements and continuing struggle" is truly laudable and I salute them! :)

Kitchie & Rico sing Joey Ayala's Ilog

2007-03-29T19:16:00.000+08:00

i can't stop listening to it... mabuti na lang ginawa nila ito, although all the songs in the album maganda talaga this song really is my favorite track... Rivermaya's tribute album to the golden age of alternative Pinoy rock "Isang Ugat, Isang Dugo" has gone platinum since it was quietly released last October 2006. ganda points to kitchie for doing this kahit guest artist lang siya on the album... bigla ko tuloy naalala yung "Walang Hanggang Paalam" ni Joey Ayala and other songs ng generation ko hehe... this is a good way to introduce the kids today to the other great OPM songwriters we have before the eHeads era.

ILOG

Ang buhay ko ay isang ilog
Umaagos tungo sa laot
Sa pagdaloy ay lumiliko-liko
Ngunit dagat pa rin ang inaabot

Ang buhay ko ay isang ilog
Umaaagos tungo sa laot
Sa pagdaloy tayo ay nagkatagpo
At ngayon tayo'y magkaisang tunay

Lilikha tayo ng bagong daan
Uukitin sa bato ang kasaysayan
At walang hadlang na di malalagusan
Habang tayo ay magkaisang tunay

Lilikha tayo ng bagong daan
Uukitin sa bato ang kasaysayan
At walang hadlang na di malalagusan
Habang tayo ay magkaisang tunay

Kitchie and Rico's voice blend well together, ang sarap pakinggan ng track na ito... two rock icons together in a song! ooh, i would love to shoot a photo of them performing this song together. :)

Himig Natin

2007-03-27T23:19:00.000+08:00

I had fun making my very first playlist in my Multiply account, sineryoso ko nung una haha, sabi ko kailangan mailagay ko yung selection ng songs that sort of defines me musically, ambisyosa... haha ang hirap pala so i just chose a short set of favorites. The first song was a no-brainer: HIMIG NATIN by the Juan de la Cruz band will always be my ultimate favorite rock anthem. Every time i listen to it i am transported back in time to my elementary school in Cavite, to that moment when that song first registered in my young brain: it was the school fair and they were playing Himig Natin over the sound system. I was awed by the haunting guitar solo that was echoing, no, soaring and gliding slowly over the campus--and that moment has been stuck in my memory since. That was in the 70s... my jeproks na dad who dresed like Rico J had three JDLC LPs back then which we listened to at home (Himig Natin, Maskara, and a live album)... me and my brother Antonio were the only ones who shared my Dad's passion for music, although i never did learn to play an instrument, naging music lover lang din. My brother later played drums in several underground rock bands in Manila. ako naging rock photographer pag laki ko. :)

I had a chance to shoot the JDLC band in their reunion concert in 2005 at the World Trade Center in Roxas Boulevard, it was my first time to see all three members (Wally Gonzalez, Pepe Smith and Mike Hanopol) play together. I remembered my dad the jeproks, he would have loved to see that. It is one of my most memorable gigs. Aside from the music i was there to try to get photos of these rock icons playing live and be part of history. :)

Sitti rocks

2007-03-18T17:24:00.000+08:00

Sitti... Bossa Rocks
Music Museum
16 march 2007

I got to Music Museum early and was able to catch the rehearsals and sound check. i didn't want to distract them so i just sat there and watched; but Sitti still saw me in the dark and walked over to me to say hi. She remarked that it's been a while since we last saw each other, and my goodness, she REMEMBERS when! very sharp memory... ang galing! very smart girl, UP kasi eh hehe. :)

i was really looking forward to this gig, expecting to hear a different set of songs aside from her usual bossa numbers. i checked out the set list and got more excited: it included Wag Na Wag Mong Sasabihin, haha. i guess Kitchie Nadal's WNWMS is now a staple in Pinoy rock production numbers (Sharon Cuneta used it too in her Mega concert), o di ba astig!

since the show was called Bossa Rocks, i thought that the song selection would be all-rock. what were they going to do with these songs, that's what people came for. it turns out that Sitti was made to sing songs from different genres, including rock, and in the end she says that she still prefers bossa, so she finishes the last set with her bossa numbers--ergo, bossa rocks! :)

Rock star pose as she sings "Wag Na Wag Mong Sasabihin"

although i still love her bossa, i have always wanted to hear Sitti sing pop and ballads and other non-bossa songs. she is a good singer and no artist should be boxed or labelled. and i see that this is Sitti's way of showing people, and her fans, that yes, she can sing other songs.

i especially loved her rendition of NARDA, the Kamikazee song. with a classical mike onstage, lit dramatically by a couple of spots, Sitti sang Narda ever so tenderly. you see! Catch the second night this Friday, March 23, and listen to Sitti sing outside the box people have put her in. Go, even just to hear her sing this song, it's so worth it! :)

Hindi lang yun... THEN she sang Ang Aking Awitin, another beautiful OPM pop classic, and sings it beautifully as well. She also sang this other song, Tinapay, an original written by her bassist. It's very good, i hope she includes it in her next album. She sang Paglisan, Tuwing Umuulan, and many more. Again, i don't want to be a spoiler since there is still a second night, but they will be having a different set of songs i guess since Aia de Leon and Jett Pangan will be there. So go to the Music Museum on Friday and watch and see yet another facet of Sitti.

PHOTOS FROMB BOTH NIGHTS HERE >>> gustavpula.multiply.com! :)

Rapping with Mo Twister

With guest Cooky Chua

Kitchie Nadal meets Kitchie Na Day

2007-02-09T22:51:00.000+08:00

While taking a break from work kanina naisip ko lang manood sa YouTube and i came across Michael V's Kitchie Na Day video again. haha i've seen it many times before but it still never fails to make me laugh. napag-tripan ko lang na pagsabayin yung video with the original version and voila! a Kitchie Nadal-Kitchie Na Day duet! :)

view the duet at YouTube! :)

The Kitchie Na Day Wag Na Wag Mo Sasabihin video first came out on the TV show Bubble Gang on February 2005. It was just a few months since Kitchie's debut album was released and WNWMS was immensely popular. I know the date because that was the night i was introduced to Kitchie, right after her set at Hard Rock Cafe. And i was there beside her when she was told that the Kitchie Na Day video was aired that night. Haha she screamed and said "oh no...ano, nakakatawa ba?" i wonder what it feels like to be spoofed. :)

Sana one day Kitchie and Michael V do get to sing together. That almost happened in August 2005 when Kitchie had a gig at Zirkoh Bar in Quezon City. While waiting for her set to start Michael V and Francis M went backstage to meet Kitchie. Later during her performance Kitchie was about to sing Wag Na Wag when she called out for Michael V, asking him to go onstage: "Halika jamming tayo!" Too bad Michael V left already, that would have been fun!

btw the Kitchie Na Day video is included in Michael V's new album "The Bubble G Anthology."

Kitchie Nadal's new song 'BUWAN'

2007-02-07T01:50:00.000+08:00

Kitchie Nadal is set to release her much-awaited second album this March and a lot of her fans can't wait to get hold of it especially after hearing a sample track of her new song BUWAN at her website KitchieNadal.net. They
won't be disappointed at all because her new album includes songs that showcase a new sound that is completely diferent from her pop rock debut album -- i hear fusions of techno with Asian/ethnic as well as the use of found sounds (like in her TL Ako Sa 'Yo cover for the Hopia Mani Popcorn compilation album where she inserts the sound made by the karayom on the record player hehe, a subtle footnote to the oldness of the song). BUWAN for instance has a slow dance tempo which, for me, conjures images of Mindanaoan dancers doing the singkil or the pang-alay, but after hearing her sing it in her Baguio concert last weekend parang puwede ring pang Igorot dance! :)

The new album shows where she is now musically -- evolving, maturing, seeking new ground, experimenting... and having fun! I don't want to say anything more lest I spoil the surprise, basta! exciting new songs! i can't wait to have my copy! :)

Make sure to watch her concert with Barbie at the Araneta Coliseum on March 9 "LET'S ROCK MANILA" -- the two rockers will be playing with an orchestra with no less than Gerard Salonga as musical director! Ayayay, too bad i'm gonna miss it since i would be out of town... i hope they make a big production number of Buwan. :)

Now wait till you hear WALK ON WATER. ;-)

LivELY!

2007-01-30T00:16:00.000+08:00

Marcus Adoro made a surprise appearance!

The Filipino bayanihan spirit came to the fore once again as the OPM community got together in a special concert "LiveELY" for the benefit of rock icon Ely Buendia. I was not able to cover the whole event but while I was there i felt something different in the venue: everyone was smiling, the security guys were nice, walang slamman, walang wild, there were a lot of photographers pero di magulo -- parang ang babait lahat ng tao! I guess the Spirit that prompted the organizers and the artists to work together overflowed to all the people there. :)

Ely himself was surprised by the whole thing, and was probably overwhelmed to know that a lot of people cared for him that he decided to share a portion of the proceeds to charity.

"I have to be honest; I would rather be the one playing onstage right now than be the reason for all the commotion. But as Marcellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction said, “That’s just the pride talkin’.” Another part of me is genuinely grateful and endlessly touched by the love and support that everyone has given me and my family. One is rarely given an opportunity to see who his friends really are, much less thank them." - ELY

Kitchie Nadal

Rivermaya

Parokya ng Kamikazee :)

Yan reads a text message from Ely while kid brother Yael looks on.

Mong Alcaraz of Chicosci

Marcus Adoro

More photos over here. For more updates about Ely and the event just visit elybuendia.com.

btw, SUPER THANKS to my friend Melo Balingit who let me use his Canon 70-200mm 2.8 IS lens! oooh, ASTIG to the max talaga ang lens na yun! it was my first time to use one. haaay, pangarap ko... :)

pop rock megastar

2007-01-27T18:05:00.000+08:00

does this fall under rock photography? :-)

Sharon Cuneta pretends to play the guitar as she sings Kitchie Nadal's "Wag Na Wag Mong Sasabihin", my favorite number in her Mega Tour concert series. This one was taken during her show at Island Cove in Cavite last Saturday. This number is always a winner with the crowd kasi it is totally unexpected... and cute hehe.

One other favorite photo from this 'gig' is this one taken during rehearsals, the day slowly turning into night in the background. In typical mega fashion, Sharon is able to fill up all those seats.

Kitchie & Barbie

2007-01-10T12:49:00.000+08:00

I just saw a video of Barbie and Kitchie singing 'Firewoman' on MYX. It was a duet they performed on Barbie's concert at the Araneta Coliseum last May 19, 2006. I suddenly remembered that i have pictures from that show, here are some...

The DVD must be coming out soon kaya nila ni-release yung FIREWOMAN video. You can check out more photos here.

Metrowalk RT sessions

2006-12-14T12:27:00.000+08:00

i woke up this morning with a splitting headache. i guess i was standing too long in front of the speakers at last night's rock gig at Metrowalk (99.5 RT Sunday Sessions anniversary). i have to buy earplugs na haha. but then i won't hear the music... scratch that...

the lights were muy terrible... Metrowalk set up a couple of light stands a few meters in front of the stage. tapos the lightsman was using mostly red and yellow instead of the white ones! there were no lights on the stage mismo, sus! i remember the lights during 99.5 RT's Ripe Tomatoes gig at Greenhills (see samples here), it was one of the best so i was looking forward to tha same kind of lighting here. i guess it depends on the venue.

i knew i would end up with a bunch of underexposed, red, low contrast photos so i decided to shoot in black and white na lang whenever the lightsman felt like turning the stage into a disco haha. all that blinking! kaya siguro sumakit ulo ko!

ang ganda ng black and white... all you will see is how the light falls on your subject, there are no colors to distract you... photography is, after all, about capturing light.

abangan ang mahiwagang link! :)

MiG in Manila!

2006-12-08T10:22:00.000+08:00

Got to see MiG Ayesa at his album launch at the SM megamall yesterday and yeah yeah, i know i went there to shoot MiG, i confess: i also lined up and had my CD autographed hehe. How often do you get to meet an international rock star right? And he is a kababayan at that so let's support him! Thanks also to the MAPsters for giving me their official MiG Fan Club dogtag! :)

The launch was well-attended and the crowd was pleased to finally see the man they voted for in Rockstar. The audience laughed everytime he made a joke and spoke in Tagalog (Filipinos love that). He sang 5 songs i think while playing the keyboards although I wish he had a band so he could have rocked out more. For his encore, at the behest of the crowd, he sang WE WILL ROCK YOU backed up only by the audience -- MiG asked them to play the WWRY beat by pounding on the catwalk/runway haha! astig!

I will be uploading the photos to my site soonest!

UPDATE: u can view the photos at arQuiza.com now! :)

TL Ako Sa 'Yo

2006-12-06T14:07:00.000+08:00

Kitchie will be in S.O.P. this Sunday for the launch of the new Manila Sound album from Viva. She will be singing T.L. AKO SA 'YO... ay grabe kapag narinig niyo it's so cool! me bago na naman tayong kanta from Kitchie while we're waiting for her next album hehe. Abangan! :-)

naaliw lang ako sa kanta kasi i got to hear some words used only during the 70s like "dehins" and "utol" and "type kita" and i don't know if you guys really know what TL means hehe. TRUE LAB ano. ;-)

TL Ako sa 'Yo was originally sung by a band called Cinderella, kapanahon ng Hotdog, VST & Company and The Boyfriends (me album ang tatay ko ng mga yan haha, LP pa tawag noon -- long-playing! yung malalaking vinyl records). These bands were the creators of the "Manila Sound" in the 70s - it is a very light kind of pop music that uses Taglish, and the songs were usually about juvenile sentiments (crush, pers lab).

Other songs by Cinderella: Ang Boyfriend Kong Baduy, Superstar Ng Buhay Ko, Sa Aking Pag-iisa, and the immensely popular Bato Sa Buhangin.

end of lesson. nabibisto na edad ko eh hehe. :)

MiG's CD launched in the Philippines

2006-12-01T11:03:00.000+08:00

What do you know, MiG Ayesa will be launching his debut album HERE in the Philippines! Filipinos will be able to get their copies of his CD on December 5, the Australians this January, while the the rest of the world has to wait until it's regular release on March 20, 2007 pa! MiG delivers on his promise during his visit here last August where he announced that he will be releasing his album here in December.

MiG was one of the final three in the first season of Rockstar: INXS. Born in the Philippines, raised in Australia, MiG is a singer-songwriter who has also starred in stage musicals like WE WILL ROCK YOU and RENT in London even before he joined the Rockstar competition. It is not surprising really that he decides to launch his CD here because this is probably his way of thanking all the kababayans worldwide who voted for him in Rockstar. :)

Watch out for MiG here in Manila, he will be promoting his album THIS WEEK (Dec. 4 - 8)!

DEC. 5 - MTV MUSIC SUMMIT, The Fort Open Field

DEC. 7 - his album showcase at the SM Megamall, 3 PM

Thank you to his fans the MAPsters (MiG Ayesa Pinoyfans) who are all so friendly and devoted to MiG (sobra! hehe). The MiG fans abroad are also great, they never fail to ask permission first before they use my photos of MiG, thank you for the respect (and the linkback!). :-)

CD info:
MiG
MiG Ayesa
MCA Music

Peter Frampton (Guitar)
MiG (Piano; Vocalist)
Matthew Wilder (Producer)
Rob Mathes (Producer)
Paul Buckmaster (Producer)

Track Listings:
Angie
Baby, I Love Your Way
Can't Find My Way Home
Day After Day
Have You Ever Seen The Rain
Jeremy
Kiss From a Rose
Life on Mars
Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Wake Me Up When September Ends
Waterloo Sunset
Who Wants to Live Forever
Wrapped Around Your Finger

MiG Ayesa Pinoyfans YahooGroup
www.migcentral.com
www.mignation.com
www.myspace.com/mignews
www.myspace.com/miguelayesa
www.teammigayesa.com

burn baby burn!

2006-11-24T13:01:00.000+08:00

It's a good thing I didn't go home after the folks at the BURN magazine launch turned me away when I asked permission to shoot the event at the SM Mall of Asia last night (OK lang po, i understand! i know you had official photographers) kasi it was an awesome show and i managed to get some nice pictures! I decided to take photos na lang from the audience area, which i usually don't do because it's hard to go around in the crowd (in fact i hit a couple of girls accidentally on the head with my lens while i was trying to get some shots, sorry!) and i am very wary of pickpockets. but they had these strong lights which lit the artists so dramatically onstage that i just could not resist. mabuti na lang! :-)

I got in just as Johnny Alegre was wrapping up their set. Here are some random picks, i will upload the rest of the photos on my site soon! :-) >>> UPDATE: visit PHOTOS.ARQUIZA.COM now!

Sitti

Chillitees

Dice & K9

Ely Buendia

Nyko Maca

Drip

Moonstar88

Kat Agarrado of Sino Sikat?

AIA for Imago

Champ for HALE

LOKOMOTIV

BAMBOO

amazing Grace Nono

2006-11-22T11:00:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday I went to The Philippine American Jazz Festival held at the Rajah Soliman Plaza just to catch Grace Nono perform live! I've been listening to her music since her first album came out in 1992 but i have never seen her perform live so this was my chance to finally see her and photograph her as well. The festival actually listed Bob Aves as performer but I found out that Grace would also be there to render vocals for Bob's performance that night, so even if she didn't sing any of her songs OK lang. I finally got to see her sing! :-)

And she was truly enchanting as she chanted, her voice soaring like an offering to heaven in that cool and perfect evening. Even if the sound system sucked (grabe ang feedback, ano ba yun, how many times do you get to have Grace Nono tapos ganun pa) she did not seem to mind, she just stood there pensively and with eyes closed sang as if in meditation. wow...

Grace was also making Pangalay-like
hand gestures to Bob Aves' music... coolness

Jazz master Bob Aves plays the octavina

To read more about Grace, Bob and their music please visit her website (gracenono.com). i have more photos at my flickr gallery, check them out. :-)

myx mo sayang

2006-11-12T09:44:00.000+08:00

Safety first: empty CCP grounds a few minutes after Myx announces that the concert cannot continue anymore due to some unruly fans.

The MYX Mo 2006 concert last night was stopped at around 9 pm, just when the main show was starting to warm up. While the audience up front was generally well-behaved and we were enjoying the show, di namin alam meron na palang nagkagulo sa likod. We don't know what happened but i overheard some security people talking later and they mentioned that a lot of people got beat up (I read in one mailing list that some kids started to climb the fence to get inside the grounds when the main show begun tsk tsk). Too bad, after all the excitement MYX built up for the show it had to end this way. Kudos to Myx na rin for prioritizing the audience's safety, they would rather pull the plug (with much gnashing of teeth i'm sure) than risk further injury to the kids.

I caught a short message on Myx this morning thanking the people who showed up last night with some clips of the performances... sayang talaga kasi the footage looked great! There were so many cameras kaya there were so many angles covered. And aside from the usual giant screens onstage (there were also screens set up on the CCP grounds) they also had these screens atop the stage which showed different shots of the band playing a la coldplay, astig!

The security was really strict and they were all over the place. For the backstage area, no ID no entry. I was able to get in only through the help of Barbie's group (thanks!). There were long lines of kids submitting themselves to the security checks at the entrances and everything looked very organized like last year. I was looking forward to a rocking good show... sigh... especially since this is my first rock gig in 2 weeks...

Aia of Imago

I got photos of Sandwich who opened the main show, Kamikazee, Callalily and 6cyclemind (from the pre-show) and Imago whose set was cut short because of the incident. Aia was already all fired up after singing Anino (tama ba?) and was about to sing Taralets when one of the producers came up to talk to the crowd.

MORE PHOTOS HERE

walk on water

2006-10-26T16:31:00.000+08:00

Before she left for her US Tour, Kitchie Nadal made a guest appearance in Soul Ties 2, a show at Bagaberde which features Lana J, Joaquin and Quest (Kitchie and Lana J are both managed by Roca Cruz). It was a no-covers night so Kitchie chose to sing two new unreleased songs: 'Walk on Water' and 'Buwan.' What a treat for the audience! It's quite a thrill to hear these new songs which also feature a new sound -- I especially like 'Walk on Water' which Kitchie performed mixed with electronic music provided by DJ Akshai Sarin. WoW is yes, as the title implies, about faith and to me it sounds autobiographical ("I am a human shooting star...").

'Buwan' is a Tagalog song with a very interesting melody which sounded to me like a fusion between Indian and Mindanaoan dance music (pang-alay?), very catchy. And magaling talaga si Kitchie when she writes in Tagalog.

I'm glad Kitchie is not afraid to experiment and try new things. Ay, I can't wait for that second album! :-)

C'est La Sitti!

2006-10-25T16:19:00.000+08:00

C'est La Vie... Love Sitti
Hard Rock Cafe
20 October 2006

i arrived at Hard Rock Cafe around 8PM and the place was packed! this is the normal sight in all her gigs... amazing, in spite of the high-end ticket prices it's still SRO -- sikat talaga si Sitti. And she just had a couple of shows at The Captain's Bar too.

great show -- nice outfits, Sitti's hair and make up is getting better and better, and because of Sitti i have started to appreciate the singer's shoes haha, as in now i notice them na. e paano naman, i usually shoot rock bands. ;-)

and siyempre Sitti, as always, is one heck of a performer. high energy all the way... that's one thing i like about her, even if she has shows almost every day, still she is able to give her all each time. attagirl Sitti!

MORE PHOTOS HERE

Sitti deserves all the success because she worked really hard to get where she is now. SHE blazed the trail for the current craze in bossa music here in Manila -- you go to any record store and you will find the displays dominated by bossa CDs, what with all the record companies churning out their own bossa collection (lahat na yata bi-nossa haha, pati ba naman VST & Company!).

Ngayon na lang yan... i remember when Sitti's Cafe Bossa first came out in January 2006. I noticed it immediately because of the beautiful cover. it reminded me of the Kitchie photos used by Warner to promote her album -- same color, with Kitchie also looking down. Mysterious ang dating: who is this girl? We saw her promoting bossa music all by her lonesome on TV, on the radio, in her regular gigs at Stonehouse and other venues... It took a while before sales picked up but when it did, whoosh, ayan na! not only has it gone platinum, it SPAWNED a whole new line of albums and a number of local bossa singers have come out of the woodwork. lahat gusto na mag-bossa! thanks to Sitti, the bossa evangelist. :-)

do you want to know why they keep coming back to her shows? try to catch one of her gigs and see what sets her apart from the other bossa singers: she's not just a singer, she's a joy to watch when she performs -- iba kapag LIVE!

PS: buy Sitti's second CD SITTI LIVE! -- maganda cover hehe!

fliptunes rock

2006-10-15T11:56:00.000+08:00

ooh ang sarap mag-shoot! :-D

i covered the fliptunes.net launch party last Friday night where 15 bands played including Rivermaya, Up dharma Down (i heart armi!), Barbie, Cynthia Alexander, Imago (they did not sing Taralets, salamat naman!), Sponge Cola. it was my first rock show in months and after HK so it really felt great to shoot again yeah! i have a few of my picks at my flickr gallery, please check it out. :-)

YAEL of Sponge Cola

BARBIE and ARMI backstage

Typecast

Orange and Lemons

fliptunes.net is the Pinoy version of iTunes where you can download your favorite OPM music and videos online.

ICON project

2006-10-05T13:57:00.000+08:00

I am currently working on a new site (yes, i design websites too!) and i'm pretty pleased with how it's turning out so i just had to post it here...

it's still offline.. i'm still uploading files and working on the database and a number of pages... i already made the Nora filmography section before (HTML, PHP and MySQL only, the graphics were done by someone else) and they asked me to do the full web site. OK gotta get back to work! :-)

live rock

2006-09-26T15:01:00.000+08:00

i haven't had time to update my arQuiza.com site so i have created yet another gallery in flickr.com where i can toss in selected photos from time to time. strictly for rock photos only. :-)

flickr.com is pretty cool and i got to explore it only recently. loads of live music photographers online over there, enjoy tingnan yung mga kuha ng iba. features i like: being able to share your photos to a group's pool, getting feedback from the forums and the comments posted by other members.

boo. photo exhibition in HK

2006-09-21T22:27:00.000+08:00

I went to the opening of an exhibition at the Fringe Club last September 19 featuring photographs of local bands and gigs by two young photographers: BSFH and Ngai Wing Hong. There were about a couple of dozen photos 50 x 70 cm. in size printed in limited editions of 5. Pretty neat! The photos were OK. And since i didn't know any of the musicians in the photos i sort of got to see them as artworks talaga. I liked the photos' composition, the way most of them were composed using a lot of empty space around their subjects. I also took note of how they were printed and framed... hmmm... Para tuloy gusto ko na ring mag-exhibit! In fact i was inspired to create a gallery of my favorite rock photos. ;-)

Kahit na mahiyain ako kinapalan ko na mukha ko and tried to socialize ha ha. I signed the guestbook and started talking to this girl but she just smiled and as if in a panic, excused herself. She came back with another girl in tow... ahhh, the first girl didn't know English so she asked the other girl, Elaine, to entertain me. Thanks Elaine for chatting with me! I'll try to catch a couple of gigs here before i go back to Manila. :-)

BFSH
BFSH Flickr
ngai wing hong Flickr

Sitti Live!

2006-09-19T09:58:00.000+08:00

Sitti's new album, SITTI LIVE!, was released last September 15 and guess what -- that's MY SITTI PHOTO on the cover! :-)

Since i was not in Manila when it appeared in stores and i have not seen a copy, i was a little anxious that the photo credits may be missing again. Fortunately, i was told there were credits so salamat naman! :-)

The photo was taken during the Simply Sitti concert last August 11 at the Music Museum. To see the original shot click here. If they asked me they should have used the next shot instead.

CD display at Music One GB3. Photo courtesy of Mark Cerbo.

back in HK

2006-09-13T12:54:00.000+08:00

I'm back in Hongkong to visit my best friend Vicky. one advantage of being a freelance web designer is that i can still continue working on my projects and deal with my clients online, thanks to the internet! they have even faster broadband over here hehe. i will miss shooting gigs though. for now eto, am busy trying to book gigs to shoot when i get back hehe.

one concert i would love to shoot is Regine Velasquez's concert TWENTY at the Araneta Coliseum this October. i'm sure it will be a no-holds-barred full production just like her other shows so it would be very exciting to cover. i have seen her shows at Greenbelt Onstage years ago but i didn't have a camera back then. i was able to take photos of her when she appeared as a guest at Nyoy Volante's "Ang Marino, Bow" last year and during the opening of Kuh's Teatrino.

btw, i just bought my new camera! i am now a proud owner of a Canon EOS 30D! :-D

nakaka-Aliw

2006-08-30T14:15:00.000+08:00

Kitchie Nadal and Kuh Ledesma

Kuh and Kitchie, two of my most favorite OPM artists, are nominated in the same category this year at the 19th Aliw Awards for Best Performance in a Concert, Female. The Aliw Awards Foundation Inc. is the pioneer and only award-giving body that gives recognition to live performers onstage and on the concert scene. The awards night is tomorrow, we will know which of them will get the award (yeah, yeah, there are 3 other nominees but I'm sure it's a toss up between the two).

Last year Kitchie won 2 Aliw Awards: Best Performance in a Concert (Female), and Most Promising Entertainer (Female).

Kuh has already won several Aliw Awards including the top award, Entertainer Of The Year in 1982.

I would love to shoot a picture of them together. :-)

- - -

Postcript: and the winner is... Faith Cuneta.

huh?

Kitchie Nadal World Mission Tour 2006

2006-08-24T22:06:00.000+08:00

Kitchie Nadal kicks off her World Mission Tour tomorrow in Dubai, check out KitchieNadal.net for info. I heard she had a press conference and some sort of meet & greet in Dubai today... haaay, roca, kelan mo ba ako kukuning tour photographer! ;-)

KITCHIE LIVE IN UAE!
AUG 25 - ROCKY'S CAFE, Regent Palace Hotel, Dubai
AUG 26 - KUYA DISCO, Nihal Hotel, Dubai
AUG 27 - RATSKEY CLUB, Grand Continental Hotel, Abu Dhabi

After that she returns home (sana dito naman me gig din!) then in September she's off to Korea, then to the US in October to November.

Kitchie's SAME GROUND U.S. Tour 2006 will hit the following cities (updated):
Oct 20 - San Diego
Oct 21 - Los Angeles
Oct 22 - Las Vegas
Oct 27 - Chicago
Oct 28 - New York
Oct 29 - Baltimore
Nov 03 - New Jersey
Nov 04 – San Francisco
Nov 05 – Honolulu

For inquiries about the US tour you can contact Nosaj Entertainment at 800.214.1382, 551.998.6020.

Official tour shirts!

Picks of the week: Kuh

2006-08-21T11:57:00.000+08:00

Come Rain, Come Shine
The Captain's Bar
August 18, 2006

Kuh just got back from her US tour for this year (KUH LEDESMA: 25 YEARS) and is scheduled to go back for the second leg this September (check out KuhLedesma.net for the schedule). But for her fans here in Manila she has managed to squeeze in a couple of shows at the Mandarin's Captain's Bar: "Come Rain, Come Shine".

I think I'm one of only a few photographers that she permits to shoot during her shows. :-) Her staff knows me already and they let me in with my camera (cameras aren't usually allowed in her shows), and they even help me get close to the stage. It's difficult to shoot at the Captain's Bar since there's hardly any space to move around in. And i certainly do not want to irritate the people who went there to watch, so as much as possible i try not to block their view. And I never use flash, it's a big no-no in concerts especially in a small venue like this. It distracts the artist and the audience. As much as possible i try to be invisible hehe. :-)

Kuh with daughter Isabella.

Kuh with special guest Mon David

At her Mandarin shows I usually try to catch the second run, this time without my camera -- i just sit and watch and enjoy the show. :-) Please watch COME RAIN, COME SHINE on August 25, Kuh still reigns!

Picks of the week: Sitti + MiG!

2006-08-14T12:26:00.000+08:00

Simply Sitti
Music Museum
August 11, 2006

i was really impressed with Sitti's performance at her first major concert -- what truly struck me was her confidence, she went onstage and sung and danced and enjoyed herself, looking like she has been doing this for years! and i couldn't help reminding myself that this girl is just 21 years old. bravo Sitti!

I was there from rehearsals through the 2-hour show and up to the after-concert party, i could imagine how tired she must have been but till the end she was still smiling and gracious in entertaining her fans.

More photos from SIMPLY SITTI

MiG AYESA Meet & Greet
SM Mall of Asia
August 13, 2006

I joined the members of the MiG Ayesa Philippines YahooGroup and hied on over to the impromptu meet & greet with The MiG. :-)

More MiG photos here!

Kitchie's combo

2006-08-10T15:13:00.000+08:00

offstage

2006-08-08T16:52:00.001+08:00

I usually do not take photos of artists when they are backstage, offstage or during rehearsals unless i'm sure it's OK with them or when i have the permission of their managers or i was invited to take pictures. iba siyempre kapag onstage, they are out in the open and ready for the cameras and all the attention. when they are backstage they are supposed to feel safe and have more privacy, unless kagaya nung sa UltraelectromagneticJAM concert, they let the photographers and reporters in to interview the artists. one of my fave artists, Kuh, prefers not to have her photos taken during rehearsals kasi she has no make up on yet and I respect that (although she still looks great sans make up naman!). some are worried they might get shot while they are fixing themselves or putting food in their mouth, or when they look sick or exhausted or sweaty, etc. i will NEVER take a picture that will embarass them or make them look bad. i am not a paparazzo.

offstage shots are interesting because they show an artist during an unguarded moment and we sort of get a glimpse of their real self, they make the artist more endearing to us. but a photographer should know where to draw the line, artists are people too. i would rather put my camera down and lose a shot rather than lose their trust.

Kitchie backstage at the Araneta Coliseum

At the Fete de la Musique 2006, Karl Roy waits while his band
is being introduced. Click on the image to get a larger version and see the expression in his eyes. ;-)

last week's picks

2006-08-02T22:18:00.000+08:00

some photos i took last week:

i covered Sharon Cuneta's homecoming concert at the Clark Expo in Pampanga and the following day i took photos at ISACC's anniversary and they had Kuh Ledesma and Mon David as guests! :-)

and this! :-D

surprise! Kitchie showed up for a private event at my high school's alumni foundation haha. she looked great! ;-)

homecoming

2006-08-01T12:28:00.000+08:00

Bona is finally home! Yesterday i attended it's first local screening in years courtesy of Cinema One who has bought the screening rights from La Cinemathique Francaise, a film archive in Paris, France. Now how did Bona end up in their possession? Now we have to pay to see it? As per writer Willi Pascual's account, "After exhibition rights were sold to French producer Pierre Rissient and its eventual touring of the international film festival circuit - from Cannes to Nantes to London to Portugal to New York and Los Angeles - Bona’s master copy, as if on a pilgrimage, is yet to return home." Produced by Nora Aunor herself and directed by Lino Brocka, Bona won nominations is practically every award-giving body from FAMAS to The Metro Manila Film Festival. Nora Aunor won a Best Actress award in the 1981 Gawad Urian Awards for Bona. It also participated in the Director's Fortnight Competition in the 1981 Cannes Film Festival. Check out it's entry at Nora's filmography.

You know, of course, the story. How, one night, Gardo comes home and tells Bona that he is leaving for abroad, and she should just go home. Then how Bona looks at the boiling pot of water. And the rest is cinematic history...

...you cannot blame those who genuflect before her when they cite the many gems in Bona. There is Aunor running away from her father, the speed of her escape as frantic and funny as it was demented. Aunor looking from the fence into her home where the wake for her father is taking place, fear and love and anxiety etched in a shot that merely shows one half of her face. Aunor peeking from the kitchen, tension personified, the rigid figure melting into the loneliest of embraces with her mother, played with brittle tenderness by Rustica Carpio. Then, there is that scene—when she throws the boiling caldron of water onto Gardo’s body, the wretchedness on her face a troubling chemistry of dementia and despair, and a rage that seems to travel from her scarred soul, in a nuanced form that only Aunor could summon.
Tito Genova Valiente, Business Mirror

Nora Aunor playing the role of an avid movie fan who chooses to leave her family to serve her idol Philip Salvador as his alalay/maid/yaya -- oooh. Not that I ever saw myself ever doing that but i am very familiar with that 'fan mentality' feeling: when i was in high school i became a fan of Kuh Ledesma during the time she was Kitchie's age and she was still new and not yet a diva. Kuh and Kitchie are very similar in many ways: they both came into the music scene at a time when music fans like me were hungry for new OPM, for music with integrity, yung hindi bakya. Kasi nung time ni Kuh ang uso yung mga pang-jukebox like Imelda Papin et al. Nung time ni Kitchie uso naman ang Lito Camo at mga singers na puro birit ang ginagawa. Both artists ushered in the birth of OPM that was of a different, higher level.

I dragged my Dad to Kuh's concerts (taga bayad hehe,i certainly couldn't afford them), bought all her records, I used to collect posters, magazines, clippings -- anything as long as it had Kuh in it, kahit na Kislap o Liwayway magazine pa yan. it came to the point na i told myself WAIT, you're getting obsessed na haha. I purged myself by stopping cold turkey, i never went to her shows again, stopped buying her records, threw away all my memorabilia.

Well it was not Kuh's fault. It was me. So OK na rin kasi I was able to keep myself in check. It's OK to admire a person and her work, basta huwag lang umabot sa fanaticism o idolatry. Just keep in mind that it's all about the art. The only time i regretted losing my Kuh collection was two years ago when, confident that i was fully rehabilitated haha, i decided to make a tribute site for her (i found out she had no web site, aba, di puwede yun! hehe) and i wished i still had my stuff which I could have used for the web site.

Kaya nga when I see some fans today who follow their favorite artist everywhere, i know some na ala-Bona na, willing to give up their jobs, get fired, or change their lifestyle if only to get closer to their 'idol' -- napapailing na lang ako. Been there. No more. Now i'm just a regular fan. ;-)

Nakakaaliw mapanood si Nora playing the role of a movie fan. Nora who has legions of fans and fanatics herself from all walks of life, from the bakya crowd to the serious film lover. It's no surprise that some of them even travelled from as far as Pangasinan just to watch the screening yesterday. Quite a pleasure seeing this film again, watching a young Nora Aunor in one of her award-winning performances, marvelling at the nuances of her acting which was what i came for. It's a pity that i didn't see any of our young actors during the screening, they could certainly learn a lot from watching Nora.

TKNP*

2006-07-27T13:41:00.002+08:00

God is truly good and as I read your email I continue to see how His hand is working in Kitchie's career. He has been drawing and raising up people like you to help Kitchie at different times and phases of her career. I am also a sister in Christ who, like you, was prompted by that beautiful song You're Worthy to take part in The Kitchie Nadal Project (expression mine hehe) at that particular time when my competency was needed. I know one day others will come along and take over. For that is what The Kitchie Nadal Project is all about after all -- it is not just about Kitchie and her music career, it also about people like us, brothers & sisters in the faith who have become lukewarm but have been stirred by God thru her songs; it's about the new believers who have been led to God through her; the kids she disciples every week; the pruning and testing of the people who surround her; it's also about everyone seeing through her and her songs na that it is cool naman pala to be Godly after all.

Please CONTINUE TO PRAY for Kitchie, Ian. And defend her honor we will! :-)

-----Original Message-----
...
But it is a very personal thing for me, defending the honor of my esteemed sister in the faith... In addition, she has also done so much for me that, I feel, I have come to care for her and her well-being, even from afar... God has used Kitchie Nadal mightily in my life. I pray for the privileged opportunity to be a similar instrument for her, even if she wouldn’t know me from Adam if we do get to meet. If you get an opportunity, please let her know that at least one of her spiritual brothers cares, supports, and prays for her, that she be well and sustained in all things. I’m sure it would be an encouragement to
her.
...

*originally posted March 2006. after a nasty article about Kitchie came out in November some of her fans came to her defense including ian whose sober and educated 'dissertation' in the egroup prompted me to email him my bravo. :-)

silently hiding

2006-07-25T21:00:00.000+08:00

kitchie has opted to stop performing on gigs for a while so she can focus on her studies -- she's working on her thesis for her second major for her last few terms. this doesn't mean she's stopped making music entirely. she's still writing new songs for her next album and leads regular band practice. she has also written songs for television like 'Majika' and the 'I Luv New York' theme sung by Jolina Magdangal, plus that 'Greatest Day' song she made for Sunsilk which also features fellow rocker Barbie Almalbis.

i wish she'd do some sort of mystery tour where she'll just pop up somewhere unannounced and sing. :-)

i've heard she'll be doing some shows abroad during her school break... waaah, dito ba wala? meanwhile us fans shall patiently wait for her return to active duty hehe knowing all this 'free time' will help her explore and experiment with her music. take your time girl, nandito lang kami. :-)

music trip

2006-07-22T02:45:00.000+08:00

i spent the whole afternoon glued to YouTube.com watching videos of nina simone, cibo matto, natalie merchant, jeff buckley, nirvana (just realized kaliwete pala si kurt cobain sa guitar haha) and zero 7. grabe, thanks to all the people who posted these videos which are not available here at all. i especially like the live performances, iba talaga kapag live... you get to see natalie merchant dance around in wild abandon... kurt murdering his guitars... and syempre jeff buckley moaning like a lost angel. iba ang energy, you feel the artist laying bare his soul and we marvel at the sight and sound and feel of these moments when we connect with them... arghh, i'm not a poet... masaya na ako just to watch...

nobody said it was eezeh...

2006-07-15T11:55:00.000+08:00

just got back from the Coldplay concert woohoo! well, sort of, hehe. my friend vicky in HK watched the concert and 'sinamahan ko siya' over our VOIP phone so i was able to listen in on the concert over her cellphone. who cares if it was a bit staticky and all -- i heard Chris Martin singing The Scientist and Fix u! :-)

have Fête!

2006-07-15T11:52:00.000+08:00

Back to rock photographer mode: thanks to the efforts of volunteers who struggled to save the Fête de la Musique 2006, which was cancelled earlier this month, the annual event pushed through at the SM Mall of Asia last night. sayang nga lang kasi konti lang ang taong pumunta probably because it was not heavily promoted. or maybe because there were only a handful of popular bands included in the 100+ performers which was comprised mostly of new bands.

i caught Hale, Sugarfree, Kapatid, Sino Sikat, AND Pepe Smith who performed at around 3:30 am! but it was worth the wait! and me bonus pa kasi Marcus Adoro was also there and performed with Pepe. Among the new bands i saw, only a few sounded great like The Brew fronted by this really cool dude.

i will post the photos soon!

acoustic sharon

2006-07-15T11:50:00.000+08:00

Artist House asked me to take photos during the video shoot of Sharon Cuneta's DVD release of her Acoustic album, a la Nina Live baga. The people were friendly, the venue was cool, Kuh's Teatrino really rocks! And there were lotsa food hehe! Sigh, I really need to buy a faster telephoto lens na, most of my shots were blurred because i had to use a slower speed kasi medyo dim yung lights for the video. I had my trusty 50mm but i couldn't get very close because i had to make sure i wouldn't get on-camera. Pero not bad na rin, i was able to get a few good ones. sana gamitin nila! :-)

While Mommy was shooting her two little girls were there playing. Sabi nga ni Sharon parang ordinary day na sa kanila yung ganoong shooting. I was able to get a pic of Frankie doing her homework while Mom was at work.

bossa babe

2006-07-15T11:46:00.000+08:00

My first gig since i arrived: i went to Tavern to shoot Sitti last June 27. I sent her manager a proposal for me to cover her major concert in August and thought i'd do a preliminary shoot to show them what i can do hehe. I called Tavern (she sings there every Tuesday) and asked permission to shoot and got their OK so off i went. When i got off at Greenbelt 3, I saw some spotlights at the Ayala Museum area so i walked on over to check out if there was somebody singing. Haha, it was Sitti! She's really everywhere na. So i pulled out my camera and took some photos kasi the lights were great! I knew it would be low-light inside Tavern so I might as well take photos here. Nobody told me to stop anyway, hehe. There were a bunch of events photographers there taking photos of the coño crowd who didn't seem to be paying attention to Sitti.

Sitti looks like a nice girl, always smiling, and she seems to be enjoying her music a lot, and it shows -- and that's what makes her so appealing. Watching her sing feels... OK, i guess. Sorry I'm not into bossa nova. But she IS good, i like her. At Tavern a lady asked me how old she was and I said she's only 21, ang galing po ano? My favorite shot is the one where she is dancing while her band does the instrumental part, sashaying to the music, her dress swinging in slow-mo.

At the Tavern i didn't use my flash (except for some test shots towards the end) in spite of the low-light condition. I didn't want to distract her, and annoy the customers. Saka Sitti doesn't know me yet so baka mailang siya sa akin. Anyway her manager knew that I would be there so i confidently moved around and took my pics. He later approached me and introduced himself -- i hope he gets me! :-)

And i was right, Sitti was obviously confused by my presence, di pa sanay hehe. I got to talk to her after her set and told her na pasensiya na. She thanked me naman. Sweet. :-)

marami pa dito...

dream book

2006-07-15T11:43:00.000+08:00

grabe i have tons of photos na, what the heck am I gonna do with them haha... while backing up my files yesterday i got to see my old shots again and felt like i was going through some old family photos -- nostalgic, teary-eyed hehe, parang nagpa-flashback ako to that particular gig. and to think that most of these pics were taken just last year! now i want to go out and shoot somebody! ;-)

i know these photos will acquire more character and value years from now. i hope someday to finally make my own photo book about OPM artists. and sa dami ng kitchie photos ko, i will make one exclusively about her. pero hindi pa ngayon, it's too early pa in her career. i've got to be patient... samantala nandiyan lang sila in my baul. :-

back in Manila

2006-07-15T11:38:00.000+08:00

left my heart in HK. i will be back! :-)

at the airport i was amused by the nice welcome at the NAIA: a 3-man-band (snare drum, guitar and a singer) was there when we got off the plane, playing Pilipino songs. :-) then we walk through a checkpoint with a BIG sign proudly saying WELCOME TO BIRD-FLU-FREE PHILIPPINES hehe. this is where they check people's temperature through a computer monitor as they walk by a video camera (infrared?). sayang my camera was tucked away in my suitcase hehe. the customs guys are really scary, ano ba yan, umiwas na nga ako kasi i had nothing to declare tapos tinawag pa ako!

"wala ka ide-declare?"

"wala po."

"asan yung declaration form mo?"

"eto po."

"wala ka ide-declare?"

"wala po."

"OK."

duh.

masama tingin sa bagahe ko, haha, well at least they did not open it this time. I love my country, i just wish there were less 'dupang' na tao at the airport... ang ganda pa naman nung welcome, hearing that little band already made me smile and be glad to be home.

ano ba meron sa HK?

pilgrimage

2006-07-15T11:18:00.000+08:00

Yeah yeah, i went to HK Disney noh! :-D

i was never into rides, so i didn't take any, not even the twirling teacups hehe. ano ako, hilo?

The places i liked:

> Mickey's Philarmagic: it was my first time to see a 3D movie, ang galing! There were even portions in the movie when scents were released (smell of food), air blown in your face (when the champagne bottle popped open), water sprinkling on you (dun yata sa 'Under the Sea' number).

> Festival Of The Lion King

> The Royal Banquet Hall

> The Disney Parade of course!

And daming pinoy! ;-)

> Fireworks display

i love stuffed toys, but i didn't buy any hehe, baka maubos pera ko! i just bought a shirt. :-D

syempre i also had the obligatory photo ops with my fave Disney characters like Donald Duck (actually ang pinaka-favorite ko si Daffy Duck pero wala siya dun kasi taga Warner Brothers yata yun hehe), pati na rin ke Tigger at Mickey at Minnie!

nakakapagod! it's like going on a pilgrimage, na kailangang maikot lahat hehe. please continue to pray for the suffering tourists of Disney...

OK, i admit it... I HAD FUN! :-D

solo turista

2006-07-15T11:09:00.000+08:00

It's easy to get around HK, as long as you know which station to get off at the MTR (MRT nila hehe). i always bring a map of the train stops para di ako maligaw. i really love the train system here, pati na rin bus, napaka-systematic, always on sked, efficient, mabilis. medyo me kamahalan pero ganun din naman, sa Manila i take the cab all the time, mas magastos pa kasi laging trapik. and the best part, there are directions in English! dati kasi when i was in Japan I couldn't go around by myself, kasi all the signs were written in Japanese!

since my friend is working i have to get around by myself on weekdays. last Friday i went to the Kowloon area and for my first stop i went straight to the HK Museum of Art to see the retrospective exhibit of my most favorite modernist painter MARK ROTHKO! lucky me, i read in the papers the other night that the exhibit was still ongoing ("The Art of Mark Rothko: Selections from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.")!

finally, i was able to see on original Rothko, 27 pieces in all! :-D oooh, pero medyo nabitin ako. the collection did not include my favorite pieces, the maroon series, as well as the bigger works. i was not swept off my feet by this collection--which means i still have to go to The Tate Gallery hehe. but i'm not complaining, thank u Lord for this great gift! :-)

since it was still early (was meeting Vicky after office pa for dinner) i went to see the Avenue of the Stars. it was located along Victoria Harbor and had a great view of the HK Convention Center.

I found the stars for Jacky Chan, Jet Li and of course, BRUCE LEE! hehe actually bored na ako so inaliw ko na lang sarili ko.

i found Bruce Lee's statue near the end of the avenue, astig talaga ang mama!

my mega premiere

2006-07-15T11:02:00.000+08:00

I got a copy of the VCD of Sharon Cuneta's "My Mega Valentine" concert and was finally able to see the intro portion -- they used my live photos of the concert during the overture, ang galing hehe! They even included me in the end credits yehey! I confess, i was so thrilled to see my work on TV hehe. I wasn't able to see it when the concert was shown on TV last April so when i spotted a copy for sale in, of all places, World-wide Plaza here in HK, i bought a copy. Yes, it's pirated, so sorry, but i wanted to show my friend Vicky and syempre see it for myself ano (sorry uli! don't buy it please, it's blurred--there's even a TFC logo so it is obviously pirated). I emailed Nancy of Artist House, the concert's producer, about the pirated CD. Ang nakakatawa dun sa VCD me nakasulat pa na "Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited by law. All rights reserved." Paano kaya magsusumbong ang pirata na pinirata sila haha.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS.

i saw red

2006-07-15T10:48:00.000+08:00

in a fit, i actually deleted this blog yesterday, darn...

all is not lost though, i was able to recover the index page so i will re-post the last entries and pick up from there. :-)