Datu's Tribe + Bembol Rockers MotoMashup's Site

Datu's Tribe has been there since the beginning. From the time that the alternative music scene first began to explode in the late 80s through bands like Yano, The Youth and The Eraserheads, up until today, almost 20 years and scores of flash-in-the-pan bands later, the same biting, sarcastic music persists from no less than Cabring himself, the main man and the last remaining original member. He now teams up with Moel Diaz on guitars, Andy O'Malley on bass, and Paolo Manuel wielding the sticks. It was of course the music that kept Datu's Tribe going, that inspired Cabring to re-form the band after a 7-year hiatus that began in 1998.

Their music now has not changed much from the old musical style of Datu's Tribe, not musical sound because the band apparently lacks a singular defining sound. The music is, according to Cabring, "more content driven; it's the lyrics, the themes that we exploit in the songs." So a Datu's Tribe song could sound like anything, or it could be a mish-mash of genres, employing different sounds. If one should be forced to identify a musical element that is consistently Datu's Tribe, it could very well be the heavy and distorted guitar riffs. That's apart from the message, of course.

The band's lack of one defining style could be attributed to the fact that the members come from different musical backgrounds. Cabring admits to have been influenced by new wave, pop, trash metal, speed metal, heavy metal and death metal. The other band members have the same colorful influences in music including 50s and 60s rock, new wave, and others. "What we do is similar to mashup," he adds. It's a mix of different styles and sounds with only the theme serving to unify everything together. The band is obviously concerned about preserving their reputation, that of a group that dishes out socio-political commentary through music. Some heavy content there but delivered in a witty, acidly humorous, sarcastic, but definitely not in a straightforward or uninspired manner.

Datu's Tribe was formed in UP Los Banos in 1989. During its heyday, the band's original songs received massive airplay and even held number one spots on radio stations' music countdowns. They had gigs in all the rock bars including the infamous Club Dredd, played numerous concerts and toured the country. They released their debut album under Universal Records in 1995, Galit Kami sa Baboy, which eventually went Gold. They also received a Best Rock Group nomination in the Awit Awards in the same year. But in 1998, they simply disappeared. "We didn't fight," Cabring recalls. "One day, wala na kame. Di na lang kame nagtawagan. Corny, but it made the reunion easier because we didn't really have a problem."

And so 3 years ago, Cabring and guitarist Del Visperas re-formed Datu's Tribe. Del eventually left though, and was replaced by Moel. "It took us almost a year to find Andy, and we've had three drummers since," Cabring relates. The band released an EP, Fat Burner, in March of 2005. It was an independent release and they could only afford to supply around a hundred copies. But demand has been overwhelming and a new full-length album is already in the works. Obviously, Datu's Tribe has proven that resiliency mostly depends on substance--it's whether you have something to say, or you're just some band who knows how to make noise.

The Bembol Rockers Marc Liwanag (guitar and vocals), Lakshmi Kirtan das Ramirez (upright bass and vocals), Archie Lacorte (tenor and alto sax) and Steven Mora (drums) all agree that mashups are a great idea. "It promotes good music as a whole and not just one genre," they reason. They also see it as something that fosters a sense of unity between different genres and bands, as opposed to allowing musical differences to cause problems. The band is happy and excited to be a part of Motorola's Moto Mashup 2.0 and says that "it's fun since it's something uncommon, but we're sure people will enjoy it since more and more (people) are becoming more open to 'new' music."

The Bembol Rockers was formed in the summer of 2006 when Marc and Lakshmi decided to reintroduce fifties rockabilly, jump blues, swing, latin and doowop to the local music audience. Those were the kind of music they really listened to and are passionate about. They wanted to offer something 'new', an alternative to what is currently available. So the two recruited Archie, Marc and Lakshmi's bandmate from the Brass Munkeys, then Steven, who was then with Lakshmi as part of Sitti's band. The original plan was to have The Bembol Rockers as a side band. Eventually, though, it became the boys' main focus. "Our music is positive," they say, "without any angst; it's music that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and social backgrounds."

Their aim is to influence the younger generation to take a look behind and see where their music comes from, to create a renewed interest in the Golden Fifties--not just the music, but the lifestyle, the dancing (one of their dreams is to see people swing dance to their music) and the vintage attire, as well. They also want to make their mark on the Original Pilipino Music scene and help raise its level of artistry. They want to be remembered for music that’s positive and fun.

So why The Bembol Rockers? The name is so laughable and so memorable at the same time, which is exactly how they wanted it. But beyond coining a catchy name, they really researched about the way bands performed in the 1950s and incorporated it into their performance. They swooned and swaggered, dressed flashily and even waxed their hair in pompadours that Elvis would be proud of. The real heart of the band, though, is the music they create. “Bagong-luma, lumang-bago” was how they described their music. They noted that there have been bands that have tried to do jazz and have tried to do rockabilly, but never tried a synthesis of the two. Their music, they emphasized, was a different take on classic music.

What is probably the most interesting thing about them is the fact that most of the music they play are originals. The band uses the quality of sound of their jazz-rockabilly synthesis and adds a dimension of Filipino pride. It’s all about bringing it all home, they say. Lakshmi and Marc usually write the songs for Bembol. But for their next releases, everyone, including their manager, will be writing songs. The band, particularly Marc and Lakshmi, don't have any set process when creating music or writing songs. "Sometimes melodies hit us and we write it down, or ideas for lyrics come to us and we write that down," they reveal. Then they eventually put the song together and rehearse. "We don't really sit down to write a song, we just wait for 'inspiration' to hit us." For example, Lakshmi got the idea for Mr. Boogeyman while watching a cartoon show with his daughter. But overall, they get inspired by family, each other, and the challenge of success.

The band members are all serious about their music. They have set a standard and have outlined plans for the whole team--they do want to make it and reach their goals. But that doesn't stop them from having fun. "We don't overpressure ourselves to the point of letting all that come between our relationships with each other; we respect each one while respecting the whole band's needs." They treat the band as a family (and even their respective families hang out, too!). As one of their long term plans, The Bembol Rockers would like to help create a true fifties rockabilly scene in the Philippines. They also dream of going out of the country to share their music with more people, at the same time showcasing Filipino talent and artistry around the world.

Datu's Tribe has been there since the beginning. From the time that the alternative music scene first began to explode in the late 80s through bands like Yano, The Youth and The Eraserheads, up until today, almost 20 years and scores of flash-in-the-pan bands later, the same biting, sarcastic music persists from no less than Cabring himself, the main man and the last remaining original member. He now teams up with Moel Diaz on guitars, Andy O'Malley on bass, and Paolo Manuel wielding the sticks. It was of course the music that kept Datu's Tribe going, that inspired Cabring to re-form the band after a 7-year hiatus that began in 1998.

Their music now has not changed much from the old musical style of Datu's Tribe, not musical sound because the band apparently lacks a singular defining sound. The music is, according to Cabring, "more content driven; it's the lyrics, the themes that we exploit in the songs." So a Datu's Tribe song could sound like anything, or it could be a mish-mash of genres, employing different sounds. If one should be forced to identify a musical element that is consistently Datu's Tribe, it could very well be the heavy and distorted guitar riffs. That's apart from the message, of course.

The band's lack of one defining style could be attributed to the fact that the members come from different musical backgrounds. Cabring admits to have been influenced by new wave, pop, trash metal, speed metal, heavy metal and death metal. The other band members have the same colorful influences in music including 50s and 60s rock, new wave, and others. "What we do is similar to mashup," he adds. It's a mix of different styles and sounds with only the theme serving to unify everything together. The band is obviously concerned about preserving their reputation, that of a group that dishes out socio-political commentary through music. Some heavy content there but delivered in a witty, acidly humorous, sarcastic, but definitely not in a straightforward or uninspired manner.

Datu's Tribe was formed in UP Los Banos in 1989. During its heyday, the band's original songs received massive airplay and even held number one spots on radio stations' music countdowns. They had gigs in all the rock bars including the infamous Club Dredd, played numerous concerts and toured the country. They released their debut album under Universal Records in 1995, Galit Kami sa Baboy, which eventually went Gold. They also received a Best Rock Group nomination in the Awit Awards in the same year. But in 1998, they simply disappeared. "We didn't fight," Cabring recalls. "One day, wala na kame. Di na lang kame nagtawagan. Corny, but it made the reunion easier because we didn't really have a problem."

And so 3 years ago, Cabring and guitarist Del Visperas re-formed Datu's Tribe. Del eventually left though, and was replaced by Moel. "It took us almost a year to find Andy, and we've had three drummers since," Cabring relates. The band released an EP, Fat Burner, in March of 2005. It was an independent release and they could only afford to supply around a hundred copies. But demand has been overwhelming and a new full-length album is already in the works. Obviously, Datu's Tribe has proven that resiliency mostly depends on substance--it's whether you have something to say, or you're just some band who knows how to make noise.

The Bembol Rockers Marc Liwanag (guitar and vocals), Lakshmi Kirtan das Ramirez (upright bass and vocals), Archie Lacorte (tenor and alto sax) and Steven Mora (drums) all agree that mashups are a great idea. "It promotes good music as a whole and not just one genre," they reason. They also see it as something that fosters a sense of unity between different genres and bands, as opposed to allowing musical differences to cause problems. The band is happy and excited to be a part of Motorola's Moto Mashup 2.0 and says that "it's fun since it's something uncommon, but we're sure people will enjoy it since more and more (people) are becoming more open to 'new' music."

The Bembol Rockers was formed in the summer of 2006 when Marc and Lakshmi decided to reintroduce fifties rockabilly, jump blues, swing, latin and doowop to the local music audience. Those were the kind of music they really listened to and are passionate about. They wanted to offer something 'new', an alternative to what is currently available. So the two recruited Archie, Marc and Lakshmi's bandmate from the Brass Munkeys, then Steven, who was then with Lakshmi as part of Sitti's band. The original plan was to have The Bembol Rockers as a side band. Eventually, though, it became the boys' main focus. "Our music is positive," they say, "without any angst; it's music that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and social backgrounds."

Their aim is to influence the younger generation to take a look behind and see where their music comes from, to create a renewed interest in the Golden Fifties--not just the music, but the lifestyle, the dancing (one of their dreams is to see people swing dance to their music) and the vintage attire, as well. They also want to make their mark on the Original Pilipino Music scene and help raise its level of artistry. They want to be remembered for music that’s positive and fun.

So why The Bembol Rockers? The name is so laughable and so memorable at the same time, which is exactly how they wanted it. But beyond coining a catchy name, they really researched about the way bands performed in the 1950s and incorporated it into their performance. They swooned and swaggered, dressed flashily and even waxed their hair in pompadours that Elvis would be proud of. The real heart of the band, though, is the music they create. “Bagong-luma, lumang-bago” was how they described their music. They noted that there have been bands that have tried to do jazz and have tried to do rockabilly, but never tried a synthesis of the two. Their music, they emphasized, was a different take on classic music.

What is probably the most interesting thing about them is the fact that most of the music they play are originals. The band uses the quality of sound of their jazz-rockabilly synthesis and adds a dimension of Filipino pride. It’s all about bringing it all home, they say. Lakshmi and Marc usually write the songs for Bembol. But for their next releases, everyone, including their manager, will be writing songs. The band, particularly Marc and Lakshmi, don't have any set process when creating music or writing songs. "Sometimes melodies hit us and we write it down, or ideas for lyrics come to us and we write that down," they reveal. Then they eventually put the song together and rehearse. "We don't really sit down to write a song, we just wait for 'inspiration' to hit us." For example, Lakshmi got the idea for Mr. Boogeyman while watching a cartoon show with his daughter. But overall, they get inspired by family, each other, and the challenge of success.

The band members are all serious about their music. They have set a standard and have outlined plans for the whole team--they do want to make it and reach their goals. But that doesn't stop them from having fun. "We don't overpressure ourselves to the point of letting all that come between our relationships with each other; we respect each one while respecting the whole band's needs." They treat the band as a family (and even their respective families hang out, too!). As one of their long term plans, The Bembol Rockers would like to help create a true fifties rockabilly scene in the Philippines. They also dream of going out of the country to share their music with more people, at the same time showcasing Filipino talent and artistry around the world.