Kahapon, I happen to pass-by at Guadalupe and nakita ko ung malaking billboard ng bandang Rivermaya and dun ko lang napagtanto na wala na talaga ang dating bokalistang si Rico Blanco. What really happened their dude?

Heto at nagpapa-auditon ang banda ng makakasama nila, ala-INXS ha? Sabi nga ni Liza G. Nakpil – tagapamahala ng banda, lahat ay may karapatang sumali sa paghahanap ng bagong miyembro basta’t 18 pataas, babae o lalake. Walang manager at wala rin record label. Aba, pwede pa pala ako jan! Hehehe….

Pero, nagtatanong ang isip ko eh…Ano ba talaga ang nangyari sa banda at kay Rico? Maaring hindi ako updated dito (di naman kase ako talagang fan ng banda) kaya in behalf sa marami ring nagtatanong, ano ang bukas na naghihintay kay Rico?

Eto ba ay totoo o isa lamang palabas na isinasagawa para itulad sa mga reality-base ang paghahanap ng bagong miyembro?

Sabagay, nangyari na eto dati, sikat na sila noon ng biglang mawala si Bamboo. Madami tuloy naglutangang mga balita sa pagkawala niya. Hayun at nailipat kay Rico ang opisyal na mikropono! Ngayon, nangyari na naman! Mag-solo na rin ba si Rico? O magtatayo ng sariling banda?

Sabagay magaling din naman na bokalista at manunulat etong si Blanco, sayang din naman ang pag-alis niya. If this is a personal reason, wala na tayo magagawa jan.

Ngayon nga, humahataw muli si Bamboo at nakapag-tala na ng magandang rekord sa industriya ng musika ang kaniyang banda, BAMBOO. Sana, maging matagumpay din si Rico sa kaniyang napiling pasukin, kung meron man, ganun din sa bandang iniwan niya, ang Rivermaya,

Narito ang isang artikulong sinungkit ko sa opisyal na website ng Rivermaya. Enjoy!

Saturday, September 08, 2007

<!–   –>

AUDITION SPECIAL AIRS SEPT 16 ON STUDIO 23

Rivermaya : Bagong Liwanag (The Audition Specials) is set to launch on Studio 23 — hot on the heels of the launch of a landmark EP by the same name – as well as much-anticipated auditions for a new member for the band. The show premieres on primetime, on Sunday, September 16th at 9.15 pm and will run for seven episodes, every Sunday till the end of October. Rivermaya : Bagong Liwanag is brought to you by Smart and San Miguel Beer.

Its been a rollercoaster ride for Rivermaya since 2001, when Mike Elgar on guitar and Japs Sergio on bass joined the line-up — as the band scooped up a record-breaking number of local and international awards, in back-to-back years from 2004 to 2006 that culminated in the launch of an Asian album and tour of Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Korea just last year. Rivermaya was set to sign an international recording deal and release a follow-up album in Asia in mid-2007 when former frontman Rico Blanco unexpectedly announced his resignation from the band.

Urged on by both fans and fellow musicians to continue the band, Rivermaya responded by announcing auditions in late August. Some 500 candidates showed up for the event, which had to be extended an extra date to accommodate hopefuls not just from all over the Philippines but also from the United States, U.K. and the Middle East.

Rivermaya : Bagong Liwanag, the tv show, marks a whole new chapter in the band’s history. We received so many text messages and email asking not only how to join the auditions, but also, how to watch and witness, said Mark Escueta, vocals/drummer of Rivermaya. “It just felt right that we bring this very important part of Rivermaya’s life to all the people who have believed in us all these years, and who have told us to keep going.”

Its also going to be a behind-the-scenes look at what being in a band is all about, explains Mike Elgar, vocals/guitar of Rivermaya. Getting up onstage in front of a crowd is only a small part of all the work that goes on before you can actually do that, he explained.

We think of this as not losing a vocalist, or a songwriter – but gaining four, grins Escueta. We have three singer-songwriters now in Rivermaya. We are now looking for a fourth brother for the Rivermaya family.

Indeed, Rivermaya as a power trio has found a new voice with Mark, Mike, and Japs. The band has recently released an EP, also titled “Bagong Liwanag”, containing all-new, original songs written and sung by the three members.

The group that’s been dubbed Ang Banda ng Bayan by fans across the country has consistently given props to its fans and listeners for inspiration. Tayo po lahat ang banda ng bayan,” says Japs Sergio (vocals/bass of Rivermaya) quoting a line from the show’s theme song and referencing the band’s view that the heart and soul of the band is all the people who have continued to support the band these last 14 years.

Karapat-dapat lang na gawin namin open to the public ‘yung auditions namin. We really see the show as well as a salute to all the great Filipino talent out there and a celebration of today’s young musicians, said Elgar.