Banda ni Kleggy’s Only in the Philippines Press Conference

Rye Sarmiento, Bob Cañamo, Kleggy Abaya, Berns Cuevas,
 Lem Belaro, and Otep Concepcion

The ball started rolling when Kleggy Abaya, best friend of Kean Cipriano and one time road manager of Callalily, started to show that he could sing. Then it became a matter of finding people who could back him up. Enter 6cyclemind’s Rye Sarmiento (guitars) and Bob Cañamo (bass), Callalily’s Lem Belaro (handsonic/synth/sometimes drums), and seasoned musicians Berns Cuevas (bass/sometimes guitars) and Otep Concepcion (drums). Kleggy and the rest didn’t really plan to form a band and they were just simply referred to as the banda ni Kleggy (Kleggy’s band). One thing led to another and not only did the band end up using Banda ni Kleggy as their official name but they are now also bonafide recording artists with the release of their debut album Only in the Philippines under Universal Records.

During a press conference that was held at the Universal Records office, I got to see first hand how wacky and fun Kleggy and the rest of the band are. And this fun nature can be heard as well in the tracks of their album. Only in the Philippines consists of eight tracks with an additional two bonus tracks. The song titles like Eric Clapsong, Bawal sa Gamot and Discolamon are among the funniest that I’ve encountered alongside song titles by Parokya ni Edgar.

The album’s lead single, Discolamon, also has a music video featuring actress Kim Chiu and funnyman Ryan Bang. Upon the music video’s release, it has shot up the charts in MYX’s Pinoy MYX Countdown.

One reporter asked what the band of the main difference between them and Parokya ni Edgar considering that both bands not only have fun songs but they also have similar names. The band responded that the input brought to the table by the individual members make up a sound which is different from Parokya. I wish though that Kleggy should’ve responded that there is no Edgar in Parokya ni Edgar while there is definitely a Kleggy in Banda ni Kleggy. This would’ve stopped further questions on whether they patterned their name after Parokya. The band further explained that Rye, Bob and Lem’s commitments with their other bands never lead to a scheduling conflict since Banda ni Kleggy, 6cyclemind and Callalily are all managed by Soupstar Entertainment who make sure that the bands’ schedule is in order.

I really like the Philippine flavor of the album especially the CD sleeve photos featuring shots taken at the Rizal Park. Kleggy is indeed a funny man and his band and the music that they make really embody the Filipino spirit, the one that makes people smile even at the face of adversity, crisis and calamity. When one is having a bad day, he could just put the album for a spin, shrug the bad vibes away and then feel better afterwards.

Banda ni Kleggy’s Only in the Philippines, released by Universal Records is already available in record stores nationwide. Discolamon and the rest of the album tracks are also available for download via MyMusicStore Philippines and iTunes.

Only in the Philippines

Tracks:

1. Eric Clapsong

2. Experto

3. Discolamon

4. Bawal sa Gamot

5. Umay

6. Teach Me How to Disco

7. Mahal Kita Pramis

8. Walang-Wala

Bonus:

9. Darating

10. Discolamon (Remix)