BAMBOO'S HERE AND NOW: TOMORROW BECOMES YESTERDAY

You know the name, you know the personalities and you know the songs – that's Bamboo making a big splash once again. Who would dare forget this seriously motivated scant-rapping king of the rock, in his own right, since his glorious vocal supremacy with "Kisapmata" althrougout "Kailan," his latest single with his new album "Tomorrow Becomes Yesterday." In cohorts with his band cronies, yes it's fact they did it again. Now, it’s "tomorrow becoming yesterday."

Taking back few unguarded moments from the yesterday, Francisco Gaudencio Lupe Belardo Mañalac or simply "Bamboo" is still scampering his college campus somewhere in USA caching up an academic degree, then a phone call catch over one of them, from him or a long-time music chum, Nathan Azarcon.

Bamboo did made-up his mind despite Nathan's deterrent of the unfavorable musical ambiance in the Philippines, he made it to a plane ticket back home. Nathan on the other hand, invited two other fellow band mates, Ira Cruz on lead and Vic Mercado on drums. The synergy of four came to being then – and it's jingle all way.

Nominally, the band insignia "Bamboo" did not originated from the lead vocal himself, consequently also named Bamboo by many. It rather epitomize the Filipinized feel of the name and the character of a bamboo grass itself – pliantness and strength of character. Making a fast play taking few tidbits on the way, "As The Music Plays" was their debut album certified double platinum with considerable salutes from respectable award-giving bodies such as AWIT Award, NU 107 Rock Awards and MTV Philippines 2004. While their second peaceful and diplomatic blow, "Light Peace Love," certified platinum has more personal touch on it with an obvious pinch of each individual’s experiences. It is in a word, an experimental album by adding their own witty musical afterthoughts such as new instrumental line-ups, softer lyrical as well as sound delivery. They've walked an extra mile the second time around.

The third consecutive ironically labeled album "We Stand Alone Together" certified gold with the same thoughts of doing more diverse sounding rock rendition than mostly they are identified with. It includes the ever famous socio-politically quoting hit by Buklod's "Tatsulok." Few other add-ups were the unplugged version of "Hallelujah," "These Days" and "Mr. Clay."

Now, Bamboo's not done yet. It isn't enough to exhaust the genius in them. "Tomorrow Becomes Yesterday" is making a loud noise over the airwaves. Their fourth album that astonishingly, as perhaps nobody would think got a platinum recognition that was said two days after the release. That would mean one thing for the band to held high brows and a sexy deal to somebody else close to them.

Thereafter, to the Pinoy staff it's a really, really big deal. We have them, they have us. It's with pleasure to be with them for another "tomorrow becomes yesterday" of pictorial and interview sessions. They are gleaming with their signature rock angst and humor – or just like anybody else.

Few more voids to be filled on the caution and we're on the record now. Ira commenced on how the album was mastered and created, "minaster siya sa States," was his brief opinion of its technical origins, though as a whole the album was recorded for two months somewhere in Pasig with one of the nation’s finest sound engineers Angee Rozul. Some of the songs were mastered in USA, particularly at Threshold Sound and Vision in Santa Monica USA were few of the place's prominent artists also do their post production projects.

The album must have been released a year ago, yet the guys needs some greener respite to make-up few things in themselves, most probably personal or familial, "dapat y'ung release date n'ya October 2007 pa so nag-pause kami, nagbakasyon muna kami for a while then we went back to studio. We did it for two months," Bamboo breaks in.

The band believes in the songs' feel of spontaneity, "wala kaming formulas. Para na lang lumabas 'yan, Ira asserted. Further, "once you get it of course may editing pa 'yan. Once everyone puts their voice into the whole thing nag-iiba pa 'yan, Bamboo ads. He further adds the dicotomy between rules and formula. When you got their, formula or rules are virtual and doesn't seem to affect them. Baboo asserts, "hindi na naman mula first single given na 'yun eh. You speak what you think is best for the first single 'di ba walang rules. It just happened na nagkaroon ng formula pero walang rules. First and second singles namin were Mr. Clay, Much Has Been Said has been the third single. Not exactly English songs so hindi naman all Tagalog y'ung singles namin These Days of course Peace Man mas na-aano ng masa is Tagalog." Though with great exception with the latest single "Kailan" with emaniting socio-political thought. "Yun ang formula sa amin. We always start with anthemic bang ever since pa with Noypi, Hallelujah, Tatsulok, it's always been a natural thing so I guess nothing changed, answers Bamboo.


TICK TACK TALK

Which song took you a little more time recording?
Bamboo: Ako, y'ung naaalala ko lang is y'ung process. We got more than ten songs and may extra songs pa so you're just choosing the right songs to fit for the album. Gusto namin y'ung isang buong album, the creation itself is not like a jukebox na maraming kanta it's ito y'ung bagay ilagay. Ira: Y'ung pagka-record siguro pare-pareho naman y'ung amount of time pero y'ung pagpili ng mga kanta minsan isama natin ito 'tas ito hindi at the end of the day isama na natin kasi mas bumagay siya kaysa sa ibang kanta.

Do you have any criteria in choosing your songs to include in the album?
Bamboo: Ayun nga medyo tama y'ung word na organic. It's a living thing y'ung album. It's sort of it grows eh. So 'yun y'ung criteria na we listen to the material, we listen how far are we going, 'di ba y'ung songs, productionwise, whatever and then kailangan may k'wento y'ung album. That's how we choose.

How is “Kalayaan” so socially or politically related?
Bamboo: It's up to you to say. I'm not here to say but its all that and its not. It can be personal. It can be your own thing. Its all up to you. We wanna leave our songs this time around open for interpretation to everyone. We're inviting everyone to email us at our website www.bamboo.com.ph and give us feedback. We wanna hear what our songs mean to you. Kasi for the five years na we sort of discovered na ang ganda rin na kapag minsan marinig namin y'ung insight ng mga tao na hindi pa naririnig y'ung interview namin na ano y'ung meaning n'ung song, kung anong sinabi namin. So kapag may narinig kaming bago tungkol sa kanta na ito y'ung take nila how the song is about, nakaka-refresh. Ah oo nga ano ang galing. So we welcome that, so kami naman when it comes to lyrics and explaining things out tight-lip na lang muna kami. Kasi we know what it means but to be honest, we all know what it means but each guy has a different meaning. Each of us mean something else, I bet you. Kapag ininterview mo kami isa-isa, it will mean something new.

Any particular artist/album you listened to while doing the album?
Bamboo: Ako personally wala. Vic: Nagpahinga y'ung mga luma naming jams para atleast makita ko kung ano y'ung mga reaksyon sa bawat sitwasyon kung saan papunta, kung ano y'ung gagawin para pagdating n'ung areglo n'ung kanta mas madali na kasi alam mo na y'ung ugali nila eh. Siguro pinag-aralan ko rin kung papaano lalo y'ung mga bago. Ira: Nothing in particular. During the recording, y'ung pinapakinggan ko y'ung mga new material, y'ung mga works in progress.

With this new album, can you say that everything will blow off?
Bamboo: Y'ung reaction ng tao? Kung walang nakinig, Ako, that's a sad thing to hear but its out of our control. We want to put music that's why we worked hard to promote, to play our gigs, to sing a new material so that everyone could hear, listen and live the album in such a way or whatever. We would want that but its weird if nobody would listen 'di ba?

Who's song writing is dominant in this album?
Bamboo: The four of us. Every guy has an equal voice with this band.

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