I started collecting records & sounds from the Philippines & around the globe way before I started my djing career. At first I discovered Filipino funk, soul, jazz, rock & folk groups from the 70ies like Anak Bayan, Jazz Friends, The Howlers, Now Batucada, The Advisors, Soul Jugglers, Hangmen, Cyclones, Pen Pen, Disipulos, Dakila, Asin, Balahibo Electronic Band and The Downbeats, which made their way as an open act when The Beatles first played in Manila. And of course our very own Juan de la Cruz Band just to name a few.
Most of the bands at that decade came from Olongapo City (Gapo), which is the music capital & center of U.S. military bases here in the Philippines. This is where the Filipino rock & soul music was born. There was a big wave of great musical talents, groups & artist in Gapo at that time. But sadly most of them never recorded & released their own material. Some had a few 12 inch releases here & abroad which I am still in search of. I still do a lot of record digging as far as I can. Discovering these great Filipino musical talents & groups I also play them in my dj-sets at clubs in Manila with younger crowds & foreigners dancing to it. They still can’t believe that it’s been recorded some 40 years ago. It is timeless! I have a regular night at a club in Manila at Penguin gallery bar every Thursday called “Mondo Obscuro”, where I play a mixture of all kinds of music without borders & boundaries from early electronics to dub, jazz, afrobeat, bollywood, latin soul, jazz funk to prog & psyche rock. I enjoy seeing people getting down to stuff they’ve probably never heard before.
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