CHRIS CANTADA: THE LAST STAND

Sponge Cola has made considerable time inculcating indelible marks on the OPM shores with their music thing. In fact their making the most of it with another hefty third album release, where firm conviction of their maturity, musicianship and camaraderie are digitally packaged. Nonetheless, there are things that don’t seem to last forever or stays as we want them to be. One of Sponge Cola's 'fantastic four' has to sing his swan song with the band on his third and might-be-last album with them. His got to hang-up those drumsticks and give way to some healthful reasons capitulating his share of duty with the band.

Alright, it's all over now for Sponge's drummer Chris Cantada, who in due time will finally be leaving his band for a brand new venture and for a physically triggering factors taking toll in his healthy condition as well. Nevertheless, we caught him once during our scheduled pictorial and interview sessions with Sponge Cola for a blow by blow disclosure of the real score about his situation. Chris, kicking and looking so fresh at this juncture, commenced “actually sa playing naman wala akong problema. Usually nagkakasakit kasi ako on a busy night. Pero sa mismong gig, sa playing wala akong problema even if I'm sick.”

Various new stubs and releases might quote Chris' malady as severe and a serious matter. However, Chris speaks on it now. “actually walang nag-iinterfere don sa mismong playing. Ayoko lang na yung, hustle lang talaga yung palaging nagkakasakit. And it's because of pagud of playing and also the environment, because of smokers. Ako nag-quite na akong mag smoke a year ago, hindi na rin ako nag-didrink. So yung mismong atmosphere at this point of my life, parang hindi na para sa akin. Ang personal decision lang is not really na hindi ko na kayang tumugtog, kaya pa namang tumugtog.”

Chris asserts for countless times here and might be in different media that playing itself has nothing to do with his situation. It is even the cause of his trance from an aching body to a seemingly no sickness at all. “hindi sa pag-tugtog. Kasi subrang fun yung pag-tugtog. Everything else like 8-hour fan drive, going to a province na pagbalik 8 hours din. Then after that pupuntang airport para pumunta sa ibat-ibang lugar. Yung band mismo kayang-kaya (schedule) naman nila.” It's clear-cut that it's the to and fro of the schedules and late-night fan-drive that draws his health like crazy.

It's either one will get even with the odds, beat it or just fade away from it. Chris finally speaks how he would go with it. “For me, personally, una hindi ko na kaya. Secondly, parang I don't wanna be into that situation na alam ko na 'di ko na kaya. Even when I'm sick sa pag-tutotog, kinakalimutan ko eh. Performance pa rin yun eh.” People might not notice his confinement of what he really feels during live performances. “I don't want people to see me on stage na subrang fragile. People don't know na may sakit ako, because when I play gusto ko talaga ibigay yung lahat.”

Despite being succumbed in a situation where Chris lose a part of his spiritedness, on the other side of the balance will always be his parents tossing it for him, “syempre in a sense worried kasi lagi na nga akong nagkakasakit. Actually supportive sila even when I was in the band, subrang proud sila. When I was in the band, and now is my decision to leave, supportive sila.”

When and in what exact momentum will Chris be leaving the band for good, he has no definite word for it, but as if to say, that's all folks. “hmmm, 'di ko alam. But in my mind (thinking deep), I wanna do something different na. I've been doing this for seven years and 50% of those time, more good than bad.” He adds, “...I talked to them. I talked to Reims two years ago, I gave them time talaga. Syempre yung iba nasasayangan naman, for all those hard works. Pero for me, wala namang bad blood. May kunting tampo, pero we are still friends na we understand each other and they are supportive pa rin. They've been into dialogue for several times. However, his fellow band mates might have intuited that he has to take some sort of respite, and they he has their words.

“I know that you guys will be supporting Sponge Cola pa rin because the songs are the one that gathers. That is why they like a band because they like how they write songs, how the perform. Nothing will change, 'cause you will get the same Sponge Cola experience even if one member is not there anymore.”

He speaks further about his situation and how he sees things that brought all about it. “kasi it's a sickness talaga. Kaya lang sa ganitong band-situition, palagi na lang akong nagkakasakit, pero if you take that away (I'll be well).” Chris fragile situation just took him on the nick when he was in college trying to lose pounds for pounds of fats, and he did. He discussed, “in fact I've gone for three months. I got sick, usually a week or a month. My close know na during college medyo naging sakitin talaga ako because I lost 70 pounds during that time, because a I was fat. Then nag-weights ako, then I lose weights. Pero at that span of time medyo humina na rin yung body ko. Kasi all my life mataba ako, then biglang pumayat. Parang 'di nakayanan yung transisyon. 'Di tulad noong I was fatter, I have enerygy. Ngayo may energy pa naman” (laughs).


LET'S TALK ABOUT IT

Aside from the sickness itself, is their another factor pushing you to leave the band?
Basically, if you have to think about that naman, basically all-health related lang naman. Because puyat, environment tapus pagud nag rerevolve health in general, so parang maraming reason. Pero it's not like na, gaya ng nabasa kung article na nag-weweekly appointments daw ako sa doctor, hindi naman, sobra naman yan. Exage yun. I mean, I am not like I'm dying. I've a lot of peaple na thingking subrang intense yung sakit ko. Nagkataon lang na sa sobrang busy ng schedules, nagkakasakit ako. Ayaw ko rin ng feeling na nagkakasakit ako lagi.

What do you think the band would look like without your presence?
For me, nothing will change. Actually, major change lang naman at magkakaroon ng problema if Yael leaves, but if his always their nothing will happen to the band. And it's easier to replace a drummer or a vocalist, for example. Because sa drummer naman, even people say an s'ya nga yung nagbibigay ng beat, there are lots of talented people naman who can play the drums. It's not like you need to study to be a drummer. If you have the talent naman or the heart for it, it's not a matter naman. I mean iba na lang yung mukha sa album, pero for me if Yael is still there, nothing will change.

Does working in the advertising firm in place of the band guarantee a health-favoring and lighter responsibility?
Equal. Kasi yung with the band sobrang fluctuating yung schedule. During weekends, that's when every one is relaxing that's the time then na we are busy (doing gigs). Yung mga norman employee, on Saturdays gimick nila yun, then for weekdays yun yung work work sa kanila. Usually for us naman, sa weekdays wala kaming ginagawa. And since I don't smoke or drink, parang nali-limit yung aking sociability. Parang yung mga friends ng band syempre they meet in bars like that (na nag-iinuman at nag-yoyosi), so parang nami-miss ko na yung old feeling normal.

I'm a sound engineer for an audio post production, parang music din. Actually sa trabaho ko, puyatan di to eh, it's just na andito lang ako namamalagi. Kasi iba yung puyatan, tapus nasa ibang lugar ka pa and you wake-up in a different place, dito I wake-up in my own bed.

How was the album for you? Do you enjoy the songs?
Lahat ng song (doon) special sa akin, because of the fact na it's my last album. I wrote a song there and I sing one song. But for this album, I like the whole album, kasi nga for the fact na this is my last album. Ito yung best Sponge Cola album for me. Lagi naman kailangan you should top your previous album para you'll know that you're growing and for me it's songwriting-wise and playing-wise.

What are the things you will miss with the band?
For Gosh: Yung comedy nya. Basta when Gosh is around, cheerful yung atmosphere (laughs). For Armo: Yung mga gig talks, kasi 'di ba sobrang Star Wars fan ako, so s'ya yung kinakausap ko For Yael: Basic friendship kasi si Yael yung unang nakilala ko among all of them. Because in high school we have a band together before sponge. Saka si Yael over-all naman eh.
For sure as a whole, it's playing gig that I will be missing with them.

At your end, any word for your readers and fans?
Thank you for supporting the band and I know no matter what, you'll be supporting the band pa rin no matter who stays or who leaves. I know that you guys will be supporting Sponge Cola pa rin because the songs are the one that gathers. That is why they like a band because they like how they write songs, how they perform. Nothing will change, 'cause you will get the same Sponge Cola experience even if one member is not there anymore.

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