Bamboo

Bamboo is an alternative rock band founded in 2003 in the Philippines by vocalist Bamboo Mañalac. Contrary to popular belief, the band is not named after him. According to guitarist Ira Cruz, the word bamboo also relates to strength and durability with an island feel to it. Rounding up the band are Nathan Azarcon on bass and Vic Mercado on drums. Two of its members were former members of Rivermaya, Bamboo Mañalac and Nathan Azarcon.

Bamboo’s debut album, “As The Music Plays” received positive response from fans and critics alike. The album also won numerous awards at the AWIT Awards, NU 107 Rock Awards, and MTV Pilipinas 2004. Their second album, “Light Peace Love”, consists of ten songs with differing moods and subjects, and took only three months to record. This album has a softer sound with both its lyrics and delivery. For this album, the band added more strings and a variety of other instruments, including a trumpet. The band admitted that this album had a personal feel to it. They experimented with several new styles that may satisfy new listeners, at the risk of unacceptable fans of the more conventional rock of their first album. Nathan Azarcon is a Thomasian Triskelion. Their third album,” We Stand Alone Together” It contains revived local songs such as Buklod’s “Tatsulok” and international songs such as Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” from different generations. It also includes bonus tracks like unplugged versions of their hit songs from previous albums such as “Mr. Clay”, “These Days”, and “Hallelujah”. Once again, opting to do away with the conventional rock image that was attached to them; they produced sounds which were more jazzy than expected.

The band is also part of the “Days of Peace” Campaign by UNICEF with Gary Valenciano. The band’s Tomorrow Becomes Yesterday album achieved platinum status on September 28, 2008- two days after its release.

History

The band was slowly formulated by just simple phone call. Bamboo Mañalac, who is living in state at that time made a call to an old friend back home, who he learned had quit the band he fronted (rivermaya ). Nathan Azacron, in fact, had been doing his own things for almost a year already, and had been playing with band like “kapatid” and “Makatha”. Bamboo ask Natahan what if Bamboo go back to the Philippines and music industry. But Nathan said to him that the music scene are now completely different than before. But once their conversation turned to music, it was like old times and the funny thing, even when they were miles apart, they were still pretty much listening to same kind of music.

Nathan then tapped Kapatid band mate, guitarist Ira Cruz, and Drummer Vic Mercado. Both Played in Passage before, and by then had gigging as the rhythm section for Makatha with Nathan. As soon as bamboo got back to Manila, he went to see Makatha in the now-defunct Sanctum bar in Intramuros, the following day, only they bore witness to the making of a new band, highlighted by pivotal jam session in a small studio in the house of Ira’s dad, the latter himself a pillar of Pinoy music as the sax player of the band Anak Bayan.