Rebolusyon Rekords Pilipinas

DAHON band members are Philip Albia on electric guitars and back-up vocals , Kent Torres on drums, Bola Morallo on lead vocals and JM Ursua on bass guitar and back-up vocals .

more DAHON photos click here

Why the name DAHON? Dahon?? hahaha What do you think?! Obviously it’s marijuana, herb, weed, grass, hemp, wolbs or whatever you may all it. Guess it was a night of drinking a lot of booze back then in Bicol at the Ateneo campus when we came up with the name DAHON.

How did DAHON members get together? By reviving the swirling, sounds of late-’60s early 70’s psychedelia Dahon was formed by Swidbert “bola” Morallo(vocals), Philip Albia(guitars) Jm Ursua(bass) Kent Torres(drums). We became one of the most experimental bands in the metro, although the original members which include bola, philip, jm was formed in bicol they had express thier musical intensions more in manila after Kent entered the Dahon scenario in early 2000.

We never intended to form a band but during our high school in Ateneo de Naga in Bicol Philip and bola had jammed on a couple of drug related stuff joke! school programs, We’ve never imagine ourselves being in a rock band. We’re definitely not just the frontman and the guitar player but are “brothers”.

Who are DAHON’s music and artistic influences? DAHON’s music is influenced by the aural art of our favorite bands Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Cream, The Doors, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, Blind Melon and many more. We don’t even know what the DAHON sound is like… grab a copy of Blueskrieg CD and listen… and you’ll find out what DAHON music is all about.

watch DAHON live music video on Youtube

Why is DAHON into the blues? Basically the BLUES is all about what we do everyday. The blues has been an important component of rock and roll… actually we don’t consider ourselves as a blues band although we incorporate some bluesy riffs in our music and that’s what keeps our music interesting… always experimenting for something new. We really love blues music, think its one of our foundation in the band.

What are your thoughts on the local blues scene in the Philippines?

Pretty much happy now that Blueskrieg is Alive! Although I had a little frustration of not having a fair radio airplay with other genre’sof music. PLUG, FIREBOTTLE, SNAKECHARMER, KULUKATI RULES!!!!! - Bola

The local blues scene right now is all good. and thank God we’re a part of it. Our gratitude to Gerry, the man behind the Blueskrieg movement. To bands who never quit on playing their music, hats off to you man! Oragon kamo! - Philip

Where can fans catch DAHON play? As of now, we just play on Blueskrieg album promo club tour… more often on weekends. We find it hard to perform on weekdays due to our busy schedules… eat, drink, smoke, sleep and learn… thats what keeps us busy.

Is blues really the music of the Devil?

I’ve always been bored with the idea that blues is a devil thing, because whether it’s true or not I’m gonna find a way to listen and feel the Blues. - Bola

I don’t think so. I’ve tried to sell my soul last night to the devil but unfortunately it didnt work. - Philip

tags: DAHON, Pinoy Rock, Pinoy Blues

Kulukati band members. KULUKATI is composed of Ado Bantula on vocals, Erick Reyes on 12-string bass guitar, Lloyd Gonzal on drums and Kit Mendoza on electric guitar.

KULUKATI live at MusicOne. (more photos of KULUKATI)

Why the name KULUKATI?

We wanted to chose a distinctly Filipino-flavored name and, once we were able to narrow the list down, started to think about which would translate our musical slant the best. Our musical priority at the beginning was to strip the music down to it’s essentials so Kulukati (a cigar cutter used to remove excess tobacco) was perfect.

“After spending an eternity coming up with a name, we just settled for something that our wives threaten us with in case we do something stupid. it’s a cigar cutter. :)” Erick

Can you cite your Influences? What is the KULUKATI sound?

Kulukati started out with the concept of getting back to basics so blues-based music was a logical starting point. But we all have very eclectic tastes so it was pointless to not let our musical interests creep into the original material. Sonically, we are influenced by classic rock tones and early prog rock sensibilities. Conceptually, we lean towards music that involve heavy improvisational interplay but only in the context of supporting melodic lines and inspired vocals. We just try to sound the way we feel at a particular moment and be as real as possible to the initial inspiration while making sure that our individual musical voices are both respected and supported, trying to sound good to each other while keeping it fun and interesting.

Why BLUES MUSIC?

On the surface, the blues is one of the most simple-sounding forms of music. The thing that appeals to us is the fact that, underneath, it is actually a very sophisticated but very subtlely complex musical option. You have to feel it to both enjoy it and play it convincingly. There is no faking the blues and that nature of it provides an important musical cornerstone for Kulukati. We need to be true, we have to be sincere.

“WHY THE BLUES? well, it’s so basic and primal, yet so full of emotion. But you really have to squeeze it to get that vibe. No joke.” Erick

Tell us about the BLUES SCENE in the Philippines.

The BLUES SCENE is on the move. There’s a new generation of musicians who are starting with the blues instead of discovering it down the line and that can only mean good things for its future. It ensures that the love and the affinity for the blues is there before the technical ability. That, hopefully, will result in a more soulful interpretation of the music. It is also very fortunate that there are more people now who are willing to take a chance in the blues, individuals who are willing to champion it and try to usher it into new heights of popularity and availability. Kulukati is very fortunate and thankful to be given the opportunity to contribute in this campaign.

“The Blues have been around for a very very long time. It’s been the foundation of a lot of genres today. It gave us rock and roll, boogie, to metal! But it still remains a musician’s music. It never enjoyed a mainstream popularity. It’s striving locally, but for someone who straps on a guitar. But i’m still optimistic that it’ll be appreciated by someone who appreciates Lito Camo’s work at the same time. Arrgghh!” Erick

Where can we catch KULUKATI play?

For now you can catch us at your local Blueskrieg events. It’s great fun. Also, Kulukati is currently working on stepping up efforts to be available for more gigs and we are excited to take on the challenge of playing longer sets of our original material.

How did KULUKATI start, get together?

We were music gearheads who met while surfing online buy and sell websites and soon got to jamming in the Rizal area. The musical chemistry was very comfortable from the beginning so we decided to make it a regular thing. All of us had been in a few bands in the past and it was very refreshing to find a group of great musicians that were also a bit damaged, demystified, and disenchanted by the music scene/rockstar dream. It helped us start Kulukati with the music being the most important thing and seeing everything else that comes along as a pleasant bonus.

Is the BLUES really the devil’s music?

Only if you are writing and singing about the devil. Or if your into spreading evil through the blues. Or if the devil releases a collection of songs with I-IV-V progressions. And selling our souls isn’t an option because they are still on lease to the spirit of rock and roll. Cheesy but true.

tags: Kulukati, Pinoy blues, OPM