|
By Angelique P. Manalad,
Contributor
They gave the country the fame it
deserved after they won at the Asean Ikon regional competition in
Putrajaya, Malaysia. With numerous awards and nominations both from
our country and across Asia, now Kjwan is back once again to give
their fans a dose of their medicine of music with their new album
“13 Seconds to Love.”
Kjwan is composed of Marc Abaya
in vocals, Kelley Mangahas in bass, J-hoon Balbuena manning the
drums, Jorel Corpus and Boogie Romero strumming the guitars. The
band promises a new sound with their third album. “This one is
very back to basics, not as intricate as the second one and not as
raw as the first, what’s important to us right now is its quality.
We’re more mindful of the listeners, that they’d be able to
connect to it and that it has a message,” Abaya explains.
They declare that it’s their
job as musicians to connect with their audience, sharing the talents
that were given to them. “This is a personal album, every one
contribute to writing each song,” Mangahas shares.
The fans, old and new ones, will
hear a different flavor of Kjwan. Expect to hear other members
singing and Marc playing the guitar once again.
Satisfied?
The band has successfully
penetrated the Asian music scene, playing in festivals like Baybeats
in Singapore, Hush in Macau and Hong Kong’s hippest monthly rock
event; HK Live and garnering several commercial endorsements. The
Times asked if they’re satisfied with it. They all said,
“We’re happy, but unsatisfied.” Romero and Mangahas explain,
“We’re still hungry because we see this only as a beginning.
There are still a lot to accomplish not just for our band but for
the whole music scene. Winning in Ikon was a great experience and
gave opportunities for us and other Filipino artists to have a
bigger stage in Asia.”
“We still want to reach more
people, by making good songs and inspire them to get into music if
that’s what they really want to do. We’re guys who are doing
something we love. I want to give that message that they shouldn’t
settle for something they’re not happy with,” Corpus voiced out.
The best thing
They have established a strong
bond with one another in the five years they have spent together as
a group. They’ve all been friends from high school and college.
“The best thing in being with these guys is the camaraderie, we
were able to put up with each other’s kaartehan [idiosyncrasies]
and kadramahan [moods], and that feeling when we’re playing
somewhere then I look at them and they all have this look in their
faces as the one I have. We are all enjoying what we are doing,”
Abaya shares.
“Probably, that’s our
edge—our personalities, our relationship with each other, who we
are and how we make our songs,” Corpus notes.
Looking to the future
After their triumph with Ikon,
they have a new goal in mind. “Hopefully, the Southeast Asian
music scene will be able to merge with one another, so that every
artist can reach more people,” Romero foresees.
They see a bright future for the
local music scene as well. “As long as there are bands coming out,
breaking through, new music and varieties are introduced it’s
good. Kids are getting to music much earlier today and I hope
parents will support their children like what my parents did,”
Corpus says.
“We’re motivated after
winning in Malaysia and hopefully we inspire more people,”
Balbuena added.
The fans
Kjwan has captivated their fans
and kept them in anticipation with every new step they take. They
constantly keep in touch with their supporters through the Internet.
“Without them, we’ll just be playing for ourselves. They are one
of our inspirations and one of the reasons for continuing what we
are doing.”
Though busy with the new album
coming out, some of the band members are engaged in other endeavors
as well. Abaya is currently starring in a drama television series
and Corpus recently pass for the Berkeley School of Music, US. The
band is planning a bar tour with guest bands at 13 venues around the
metro culminating in an album launch to welcome 13 Seconds to Love.
|
