Sunday, November 4, 2012

Top 10 Filipino rock band frontmen

Rock! That's the music I like most. I am a fan of a lot of rock acts, local (Filipino) and international. I'd say that Filipino rock artists are world class. Hence, i thought of coming up with a list of (IN MY HUMBLE OPINION AS A ROCK FAN) top 10 best Filipino rock band frontmen. I am no authority when in comes to voices or artistry so this list is purely based on my opinion as a huge rock fan.


 
10.  Chito Miranda of Parokya ni Edgar
Chito's voice isn't too high-pitched or melodious but he is amazing nevertheless. His voice is versatile as well. He can sing rock, pop, a little rap/hip-hop. Whatever you ask him to sing, he will deliver. He is a great performer too. He connects to his audience and exudes cool/unassuming presence onstage. Parokya has launched numerous hits and I believe large part of it is due to Chito's versatile voice.
 
9. Jay Contreras of Kamikazee
Jay is an intense performer. When he's onstage, things will go crazy - rolling off the stage, comedic spiels, etc. Also, his voice is meant for rock music. I can't imagine him singing a boy band material music.
 
8. Mike Hanopol of Juan dela Cruz band
Mike Hanopol is a legend; a Filipino rock icon. He is one of the pioneers of Pinoy Rock. He led the revolutionary rock band Juan dela Cruz. He, along with Pepe Smith and the rest of Juan dela Cruz band, opened up opportunities for Filipino rock artists. His songs are sang to this day (beep beep,  ang himig natin, no touch). A number of artists also did cover of the songs.
 
7. Dong Abay of Yano
Dong Abay's voice is unique! His act is unique! Who could ever sing "banal na aso, santong kabayo" like dong abay? I've heard versions of it but nothing compares to dong abay's. He's the only one who can sing his songs and he's just great!
 
6. Jett Pangan of The Dawn
Jett Pangan's voice is solid. If we'll speak about technicalities, his voice would score high. He has a good range. No wonder he has ventured into theater these days. He doesn't put an act when he performs, he simply performs... Whenever there's a rock special or any event, "Salamat" would most likely be picked to be the last song in the playlist. Again, a song as immortal as "salamat" can never be sang better than Jett.
 
5. Miggy Chavez of Chicosci
Miggy's voice brought emo rock to the Filipino mainstream music scene. He also personifies emo rock with his looks. His voice has quite a range and boy, he can hit those high notes! He also has that traditionally posh boyish face but with an intense manly rockstar attitude which I think brings more girls to the show =p He can also turn extreme pop music (e.g., g6) into great rock material.  
4. Kevin Roy of Razorback
Kevin Roy's voice is also meant for rock! You would know it's a Razorback song because of Kevin's voice. He also brought heavy metal to the Filipino music scene. His brother (the late Karl Roy) may be more entertaining as a performer but Kevin delivers...
 
3. Basti Artadi of Wolfgang
Basti, what can I say? Razorback came first before Wolfgang but Basti's voice made me listen to Pinoy heavy metal. When I first listened to Wolfgang (first casette tape I bought from my own money) I thought it was an international band because the material is simply world-class. His voice can be as hard core as "weightless" or "halik ni hudas" and as haunting as "mata ng diyos". I'm glad they are back as Wolfgang because Wolfgang is a treasure and Basti is a diamond.
 

 

2. Ely Buendia of Eraserheads/Pupil
Ely is a legend and he was young when he was first regarded as a legend. Pinoy rock isn't complete without Ely. His voice may not be too high-pitched or powerful but the simplicity of his voice made it powerful. His voice is very much relatable; his songs can be sang by anyone and everyone. He sang all the greatest hits of Eraserheads and perhaps by far, the greatest hits of Pinoy rock music.
 
 
1. Bamboo Manalac of Rivermaya/Bamboo
People might say that Ely should be #1 but in my humble opinion, Bamboo's voice is a rare gem. His voice is rock solid but with a jazzy flavor. His legendary epileptic moves on stage is a crowd pleaser. And regardless, he is a class act. Whenever he performs, people are just in awe. Yes, now he sells as a solo act but he will forever be that great frontman from the band that is the sole challenger of the deemed greatest Pinoy rock band of all time...
 
 

2 comments:

frances said...

I totally agree with your #1 pick. There's something about Bamboo that sends chills to the spine.

And Basti, man, thought you're Antonio Banderas there. Wear long hair again, please.

Can we include Gleen (Teeth)? Wahahaha.

Antukin said...

haha Antonio Banderas. he was hot right? hehe Glenn Jacinto yeah. I missed him... in fact, there's a lot of talented Filipino musicians especially rockers. 10 is not enough hehe. Thanks for commenting... My first! =)