Wally@70

Wally Gonzalez’s name is synonymous to  guitar-playing. Being a  member of Juan Dela Cruz and pioneering act in Pinoy Rock, Wally have many reasons to thank his friends, fans and family.
That is why, a fete scheduled on Dec.27, 2019 was conceived by Dudee Alfonso and Nel Gonzalez (wife of Wally) at 19East with an all-star ensemble entitled “WALLY GONZALEZ THANKSGIVING GIG – UP IN ARMS”.
“ I will be 70 years old, can you imagine that? God willing, bonus na ito to reach 70 diba. Kaya it’s something to celebrate talaga”, exclaimed Wally on a recent interview. And to help celebrate this soiree, Wally hand-picked his chosen artist to celebrate the night with him. Kat Agarado, Basti Artadi, Ado Bantula, Rommel Dela Cruz, Dave Deaño, Wendell Garcia, Pigdog, Wowee Posadas, Bea Lao, Kowboy Santos, Jay Ortega, Joko Reantaso, Louie Talan, Charlie Ysmael, Peter Lambengco, Martin de Leon, Doc Ted Nicoloff, Janno Quayquep, Evy and Erwin Rodriguez, Relli De Vera, Calle Victoria, Khristine Virtucio and John Zuñiga. Plus other surprise guests.
It also noteworthy to notice that Pepe Smith’s birthday is 2 days shy of Wally’s birthday. “Oo nga December 25 si Pyaps, sayang nga, sabay sana kame mag celebrate. Anyway, kasama naman natin sya parati in spirits. Nakaka miss din si Pyaps”, admits Wally.
His friends Louie Talan and Bea Lao hinted to Wally that it has been 42 years ago since he last came out with an album. “It’s time na daw gumawa ng new recording. My last album was ‘On The Road’ 1977 pa, grabe iba na panahon ngayon nag daan na tayo sa mga iba't ibang klaseng royalty issues and piracy na charge it to experience and work of love parin .. at least ngayon may indie na. Hawak mo yun recording nyo, may mga gusto pa kame invite na mag session musician kaya dpa talaga tapos yun album relax lang take time lang walang pressure hopefully by December 2019 may mailabas kame 1 or 2 songs from the album”, reveals Wally.
Wally won’t reveal yet the musicians behind this project, citing that, it might pre-empt the hype. The album is being recorded at Southbay Studio of Bea Lao and Wombworks of Louie Talan. “The album art was designed by my son John Gonzalez”, says Wally. Yes, Wally is planning to release it by vinyl. “Ganun na nga, vinyl ang plan in releasing the album. Medyo mas mahirap i-pirate ang vinyl. Syempre wala ka naman lusot sa downloading pag lumabas na yan digitally”, admits Wally with a sneer.
Asked if the album launching will coincide with the Thanksgiving Gig on Dec.27. “We’ll see. That would be a blast if aabot sa date na yan. Walang kaseng pressing plant for vinyl sa Pinipinas, kaya medyo mahal. We still have a few recording sessions scheduled. The album’s genre is Blues Rock. And hopefully, people would like it”, hopes Wally.
“I hope to see all of you out there on Dec.27 at 19East and let’s celebrate my birthday with a bang! Mabuhay ang Pinoy Rock”, finishes Wally.

Rhany Torres

Rhanny Torres - The Lost Boy From Ocean Zoo
“Ang tatay mong kalbo!” This old Pinoy moniker was actually a part a song that stuck to my mind when I was a teenager; GOLDEN BOY by The  Ethnic Faces. The era of richness in musical material that spoke to one in a personal level made it difficult for most to pick which they would consider as their ‘90s anthem. But for some, there are songs that are more long-lasting than others.
“I was born in Sampaloc, Manila  in a household where music was always played through my father's Zenith stereo. He would play albums of Henry Mancini, Herb  Alpert, Ray Conniff, Neil Sedaka, Elvis  Presley  The Cascades, The Beatles”, remembers Rhany.
After forming Lost Boys during the early years of Punk and New Wave in 1982, they had a couple of original songs recorded, sponsored by DZRJ and received airplay. After that, Ocean Zoo was formed and Ethnic Faces eventually evolved in 1984.
“We formed Ethnic Faces to join a 'Punk' band  contest on a noontime show. We were basically a New Wave band but at that time when the music was just being introduced here, Punk and New Wave music was labeled 'Punk' by the entertainment & recording industry”, recalls Rhany.
Lead singer Jack Sikat is the perfect front man - painting his face, bringing a gong on stage , crooning with a sheepish sneer on stage and wearing his trademark 'Salakot'. The band’s essence was a heavy mix of new wave, which at that time was unheard of. Their contemporaries include Ironic Trauma (founded by Teddy Diaz before forming The Dawn), College, led by Arnold Morales (who later formed Put3Ska), identity Crisis and Dean’s December (with Binky Lampano).
 “I was the bassist & co-arranger for Ethnic Faces until 1997”, marvels Rhany.  The group was part of several underground compilations before they recorded ‘Golden Boy’ and  ‘Balikbayan’ for the ‘10 of Another Kind’ album. A few years later they wrote ‘Parang Bowling’ for the LA Rock album. Their solo album, ‘Dekada’ was recorded later. Indie producer Ed Formoso asked them to record a full length album.
Ethnic Faces contribution to the music scene was substantial, but, unfortunately leaving them out of any historical accounts of Pinoy Music. Still, Ethnic Faces' songs are featured in various compilation album. Ethnic faces was gone as soon as they had come back, they've paid for stubbornly refusing to give in to the pressures of mainstream appeal and for always being way ahead of their time.
Rhany, known for his fretless base guitar  also sings and play lead guitar. His influence includes  Jimi Hendrix then there's sax player Earl Bostic and pianist Bobby Enriquez. “ My playing style? A mixture of all kinds of music i listen to. I like improvising so you won't hear me play the exact same notes on performances. As far Bass influences, the first guy that caught my attention was Hendrix's bassist, Billy Cox on the Rainbow Bridge and Cry of Love albums”, reveals Rhany.
EF released an indie single in 1984, Within Tribes (their winning song in PTV 4's Ito Yun). “ I believe it's a much sought-after single amongst collectors. Golden Boy, was covered by Sheila and the Insects, no idea though if they have a recording, punk band Bad Omen and River Maya as carrier single of their  Isang Ugat,  Isang Dugo album”, recalls Rhany.
Original guitarist BOYET MIGUEL played for ‘Tame The Tikballang’ and is a partner in a graphic design and recording studio business; drummer JAYVEE TORRES and guitarist ARIEL POLICARPIO (who replaced Boyet) are now with Color it Red. Keyboardist ED RAMOS has quietly pursued the less complicated life of a musical arranger. Original Drummer BHOJIE GABRIE who said to be either a PE instructor in his alma matter or either running his dad’s security agency. His brother Jayvee, who has been Color It Red's drummer since '97, has been teaching drums at Yamaha School music since 1990.
And vocalist JACK SIKAT? Known to be a recluse, no one’s heard from him since 2010 in a pseudo reunion with Jayvee and Rhany.
“I have been active in the music scene for 38 years though in recent years i work more in recording studios either as record producer or session player. After EF, I joined The Brownbeat  Allstars led by former Put3Ska vocalist Myra Ruara (aka Skarlet)”, says Rhany.
Not bad for a band, that, made the future Eraserheads members dance to their music in UP in 1989.

AnnaMaria

ANNAMARIA – MELODIC DEATH METAL’S FEMME FATALE

It’s not that often that we are treated to sweet metal music interpreted by a foursome of comely ladies to boot. Meet AnnaMaria, a band consisting of four ladies with a ‘metal’ attitude. “Historically, women are not type casted to be an ‘influencer’ in rock music, except for a few exceptional personalities, like Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Joan Baez and others. We are here to break that mold, at least locally”, they claim collectively.
AnnaMaria are Jula Mae on vocals also the chief lyricist, Myan Trinidad on lead guitars, Luz Queruben on drums and Maria Shena Avequel on bass. Officially formed in 2019 (although they knew each other since 2016), AnnaMaria was for formed out of love for the genre from these femme fatale.
Borne out of remnants of  other bands, AnnaMaria came about due to the foursome's love of the Melodic Death Metal genre. To beef up their already thick sound, they sought a second guitarist, “Isa pang Myan”, hoots Jula and the rest.  As of this writing, the quartet is now a quintet, yes, they found their second guitarist.
Shena and Luz are siblings from Zamboanga. They ventured their way to Manila to try their luck in music and in life. “We have no immediate family members nearby, and that puts us against a lot.”, declares Luz.
Their song “Aberration” one of their original composition penned by the group, was featured in a UK radio station called Metal Mayhem Radio is one of their most played song during their stints in and around town gigs. A crowd favorite, whips a fast and melodic tune to boot. “It’s available in Spotify, please subscribe.”, asks Myan.  “Dysthymia” another of their compositions, is also a real kicker.
OneRootsRecord a local independent recording studio is a vital entity in signing up the group's seminal single Aberration.

"Family ang turing ko sa mga band members", declares Jula Mae, a mother of one. "In our time right now, it's hard to find comrades like them", adds Myan.

Switchblade Manila

SWITCHBLADE MANILA - ROCK TIL YOU DROP
Name recall is one of the foolproof way of securing a name in the music industry, locally or globally.
Meet SWITCHBLADE MANILA! A Quezon City-based hard rock band formed in 2016 by Gilbert Martinez (Drummer) and Dax Labiano (Guitars). They grew up listening to 70's to 90's rock n' roll, heavy metal and general rock from Led Zeppelin to Audioslave. Completing their line up, they have Bok Arcilla (Vocals) from ‘Sons of Disorder’, Arnie Baluyot (Guitars) and Jay Flora (Bass). The line up of the members got finalized around early 2017 and released an EP album entitled "If Looks Could Kill" with 7 tracks to their name.
Switchblade Manila is a collation of two bands. ‘Slash & Burn’ and ‘Sons Of Disorder’. It was supposedly a continuation of ‘Slash and Burn’ after they got disbanded back in 2016. Gilbert pushed to retain the name that time but when their former vocalist decided to continue with the band’s name, they had no choice but to change the name to ‘Switchblade Manila’.
The name switch fared out to be a blessing. For one, they could easily be identified as a Pinoy Rock band should they decide to go global. “Though our music is based mainly about Sex , Drugs & Rock n Roll, It’s not what we do. Not that we're posers, It's just that at this very era, I don't think people are insane enough to dwell with sex and drugs anymore to boost up their musical high”, confesses Gilbert.
“We always treat every gig as if it will be our last. Every stepping stone is memorable. We can't hardly measure which one is better since we always maintain the fun and energy consistently. The main goal is to enjoy. Full house crowd or not, It doesn't really matter. Watch us live and you'll understand what we are talking about”, dared Gilbert.
Their recently concluded a performance last July 2019 at one of the BDC Events & Talent Squad at The Matchbox Yard. ‘Badass Friday’ as it was called,  was tailored with superb lineup of badass with a class Rock n Roll bands. It was a night of euphoria rushing to everyone's veins as they play along side with some of Pinoy’s up and coming bands like Xeno Devata, Babaylan, Black Wolf Gypsies and Ygnite  and many more.
Besides music, they have day jobs. “Since music is our way to release stress, we don't expect it to give us consistent income to survive”, admitted Gilbert. “Though we believe that if you have a dream, you should really pursue it. That is if you are around early 20's. And we are not. Responsibilities are really a big struggle for this passion. But then again, as long as you enjoy and you love what you do, the sacrifice is worth it. Sarapan lang natin", finishes Gilbert.

PR&R Magazine Contribution Spanky Esquejo

SPANKY ESQUEJO

 

Since the demise of Pepe Smith last Jan.27, 2019, the populace have had more questions than answers, produced more skeptics than believers, and spurned more trivia than fact. And maybe, just maybe, the next best person to ascertain these factoids is the one closest to him. The one person who spent his last 5 years with – in music, on the road and on the table - Richard Esquejo.

 

The Formation Years

His looks are like a character out of an action movie; long hair, trickle of beard, harangued moustache, boots and faded jeans. He may look quite intimidating, but be has a soft heart and a very good bass player.

‘Spanky’, as he is fondly called in the music circuit by his friends, was just 16 years old when his interest in music started. He vividly remembers using the cassette tapes in deciphering notes of certain songs he wanted to cover. Playing, pausing and rewinding on a particular tune. In his 20’s, he became technical in his passion in music. “I started in the 90’s as an acoustic player and later on as a lead guitarist, in small bars and big venues alike. I had a handful of compositions back then, I also play drums. My hairdo back then, was semi-kalbo, haha” chuckles Spanky.

One of his pals, ‘Pudong’, insinuated to him to consider the bass guitar as an alternate musical instrument. “Pudong is the drummer of Tanya Markova from Cainta, Rizal. Then ‘Tito Abe’ (Hipolito) of Watawat Band (the backup band of Freddie Aguilar) talked me into playing the bass guitar. Stating that it is the backbone and rhythm of every band, so I learned the rudiments of the instrument. And I loved it! So I shifted to the bass guitar”, says Spanky. His nickname, has nothing to do with his name, and everything to do with his looks. After growing facial hair and sporting his hair long, someone commented that he looks exactly like ‘Spanky Rigor’ of the T.O.D.A.S fame in the 80’s. Well, he really looks like him. And the moniker stuck.

 

His Bands

Spanky’s skills in bass playing did not just happen overnight, it was the culmination of slew of bands that came his way. ‘Sandugo’ was one band with JC Hipolito. The ‘Maunani’, is another group with Abe Hipolito, which he considers a very good mentor. Abe Hipolito now plays for JK Labajo of the ‘Buwan’ fame. “After that, bumuo ako grupo ko pinangalanan ko ‘Afterjuan’. Solid rock ang tugtugan namin. We cover Black Sabbath, Led Zepellin, Juan Dela Cruz and others. We were lucky enough to play regularly at ‘Motorista Bar’ for some time”, remembers Spanky. After one of their sets, someone texted him and invited them to play as a the backup band of Pepe Smith. It was at this time when Pepe is under a new management and has to part ways with his old band ‘Kwadro’. They accepted, of course, (with a lot of help from Abba Pangilinan) and the group were able to secure a stranglehold of this. From ‘Afterjuan’ they evolved to ‘Drivetrain Band’ and eventually ‘The Pepe Smith Blues N Rock Force’. The name change was an ‘unavoidable necessity’, he says, due to the ‘Pepe Smith Rockfest’ brouhaha that happened last June 01, 2018. “To ward off the negative stigma brought about by that event in Pepe’s life”, Spanky says.

He knows he would have to sacrifice a lot when he entered the world of Rock n Roll. Not minding the hardships, the negative criticism of fellow musicians, the unholy hour he goes home, and at times the unpaid talent fees, his family supports what he is doing, but is ready and able to reciprocate with his all out performance whenever and wherever. Already into his 20-plus year and counting, he have no plan to stop or slow down a bit. “Rock n roll, as Pepe Smith would have said it”, laughs Spanky.

 

Meeting Pepe The Hefe

“Pepe Smith was already a well known figure when I first heard of his music. Together with Wally Gonzalez and Mike Hanopol, they were the salt of Pinoy Rock as Juan Dela Cruz Band, I idolized them from the very start. Innovators silang tatlo at  ganun din yun ang ibang banda like, Maria Cafra  ,Asin, Sampaguita , Gary Perez at iba pa. That is why when the chance came, that, I would be a part of a band backing up ‘The Pepe Smith’, my adrenalin pumped from the many questions and clarifications I had in mind for years, and now, would be answered”, exclaims Spanky.

Asked whether Pepe Smith is more of a father, than a friend or a musician when he is with him? “Package deal”! , was his resounding answer.  “Magaling sya makisama, hindi lang kaibigan at ka banda turingan walang pa ako nakilalang ganito makisama. Naalala ko nuon pag nag iinuman kami dalawa pag humingi ako ng payo talagang papayuhan ka nyan. Dun ko naramdaman na marunong sya mag malasakit pag dating sa problema. Maasahan mo sya kya. Well, ganun din naman ako sa kanya”, says Spanky. Queenie Smith, Pepe Smith’s eldest offspring have only good words for him. “We treat Spanky as a family member, hindi na sya iba sa amin. He was the one who brought Papa to PGH, when Papa had to undergo an emergency surgery. We really owe him a lot”, says Queenie who lives abroad. Spanky’s heart is so radiant that he checks on Pepe’s well-being almost always in their house. “Two times na nga, siguro I was at the right place and the right time, nahulog si Pyaps sa hagdanan at nasalo ko. Kung hindi eh, ewan ko, kase medyo frail na din kse physique ni Pyaps”, he says. Then there’s this catheter incident. When Pepe was recovering after his operation in PGH, Spanky helped bring Pepe at a nearby clinic. But since, the service (catheter change) would require a fee and the only money Pepe have is still with LBC, which was wired earlier that day. Since it was named for Pepe and not to Spanky, they have no recourse but for Pepe to be physically present at LBC in SM Masinag. Spanky, out of a story from a movie, borrowed the clinic’s wheelchair, and pushed Pepe’s wheelchair -via national highway-thru heavy traffic until they reached LBC to get the money for the fee. Whew! Only a true friend would do that.

Truth be told, Spanky treasures his time with Pepe Smith. “I will never forget him for as long as I live. He loves life so much that, I consider him a total entertainer. His sense of humor is not that different but the way he delivers it is with much gusto. He is a human Waze, he recalls every place that we went to.

 

Travel & Food

Spanky and Pepe have many things in common. They both like road trips and food. Like their trip together in Baguio, Palawan and Pangasinan and other places of destination where they would do gigs and non-gig road trips. He remembers their Baguio trip together sometime ago. They intended to retrieve Pepe’s prized guitar in his former residence there. The trip bore them no guitar, but the elation on their experience made them closer together. “When we were in Palawan, we missed our plane ride, because Pepe is still wading on the beach!”, reminisces Spanky. Another road trip they embarked together is in Pangasinan. After a long arduous trip, he made sure ‘Pyaps’ has the best room in the house and the best food be readily available He would always make sure of this and let him rest afterwards. For his part, Spanky would not mind sleeping under a mango tree on a wooden ‘papag’ as long as his friend and hero Pepe Smith sleeps comfortably. “Imagine my surprise, when in the wee hours of the night, a flickering flashlight darted towards me. It was Pepe Smith finding his way in the dark and wanting to join me. Sabi ni Pyaps, ‘dito na lang ako sa papag…mas presko. We talked about life until we fell asleep. But not until I gave him a pair of socks, para hindi sya lamukin”, says Spanky.

 

Kalabog En Bosyo - reprised

“Paborito namin puntahan ay 7-11 para kumain. Pwede na nga sya (Pepe Smith) gawin product endorser ng 7-11 sa dami ng nabili nya dun”, jokes Spanky. “It was me who suggested to Pyaps to transfer to Cainta so that, I can assist him anytime he needs help”, declared Spanky. Having lived in a nearby village also in Cainta, Rizal for many years, Spanky surmised Pyaps would have lived better in Cainta than his old residence in Antipolo. Pepe’s house is within a stone’s throw away from a mall, a hospital, and number food nooks. On a windy and chilly December last 2018, this writer had the pleasure of visiting Pepe Smith’s new house in Cainta with the intercession of Spanky. Knowing Pyaps has a penchant for food, I brought him a hefty serving of roasted pig’s ear and a local delicacy ‘Pichi-pichi’. Concerned that he may be on a strict diet, I asked Spanky if it’s ok for Pepe to consume it. “Hus walang bawal sa akin”, was the answer I got from Pepe Smith himself.

Spanky and Pyaps spends time talking about everything and anything under the sun. But one particular topic Pepe Smith is fond of discussing, is about airplanes and jets! “And Playstation too, not too many people know this, but he loves talking about it. He is actually good at it. He plays with me and his son Beebop”, exclaims Spanky. Bimbo, a close family friend, is omnipresent at the Smith household. A handyman who can repair anything from earphone to any intricate machinery. He also is a good guitar player. “I remember Pyaps used to tell me back then ‘i-enjoy mo lang ang buhay’. Palagi nya yan sa amin sinasabi ni Bimbo pag nag iinuman kami. Kaya we were able to compose a song named ‘ENJOY LANG TAYO’. Narecord ko pa yun, medyo rough yun demo pero ok din”, says Spanky. Pepe described Spanky as a very good friend and a good drinking buddy. He jokingly said one time, “Nagtataka nga ako, bakit until now hindi pa nabubuntis si Spanky eh”.

It was 5:46 am last Jan.27, 2019 when his cell phone rang but missed the call. It registered Pepe’s number, which Spanky later realized was Pepe’s ultimate last call. That haunts him until now. “I was sound asleep and I wasn’t roused”, recalls Spanky. A little after 6:30am that same day, Pepe expired. “Baka magpapaalam o may ibibilin o may sasabihin importante, I don’t know eh kse hindi ko nga nasagot tawag nya”, laments Spanky. Still staggered from Pepe Smith’s demise, he opted, for the meantime, to leave the hustle and bustle of the urban life and stay in Zambales with his kid. He promised to resurrect the legacy left by Pepe via his last band Blues And Rock Force. “Pahinga lang, mag mumuni muni at mag compose ng mga kanta”, bids Spanky.

Reggie Castillo

REGGIE CASTILLO – IN THE NAME OF ROCK N ROLL
When one is a disciple of rock music, it seems no matter where you turn to, it is everywhere. In the case of Reggie Castillo, it is in his offsprings!
Born and raised in Silang, Cavite, Reggie grew up with his mentor in music, his cousin Bob Castillo Miranda. His father and his brother also had a hand in shaping his taste in music. “Blues and Rock and Roll ako na exposed ng todo. Natuto ako ng drums at the age of 8 sa tambayan nila erpat at Kuya Bob, just a few steps away from our house”, remembers Reggie. From his school, he would go straight to watch them- his father would play the bass and sing and Bob on guitar.
His first band ‘Static Rage’ with Don Alvarado, Jeff Reyes, JR Naval and him would cover songs from Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, POT and some more. But in this band, he plays the guitar. His 14-year stay with the band honed his skill further up to the point that, that they would join Battle Of The Bands in and around Cavite. “We won 8 championships, 10 first runners up and 5 second runners up. Pero minsan umuuwi din kame na talunan. One time lang ako nagka award as “Best Guitarist” hindi pako nagkaka award ng best drummer sa mga battle of the bands. Reggie also plays the bass guitar and the keyboards.
He was also a member of the legendary band of Cavite, ‘Diablong Buang Brothers’ in 2008, but this time, as a drummer. “Versatile naman ako, kaya nung need nila Bong Solis ng drummer that time, ok naman ako”, recalls Reggie. He also was a session musician for  ‘Dr. Crowley’,  ‘69 Proof’ and ‘Band of Brothers’. He would do projects with legendary Juan Dela Cruz guitarist Wally Gonzales.
His most memorable gig? “I was with Diablong Buang Brothers in ’19 East’ In Sucat, Juan Dela Cruz Band had a scheduled performance that night and Wally Gonzalez called on me on stage, pinapunta nya ako para pumalo sa kanila totoong nangatal ang tuhod ko kasi it was my first time na papalo sa mga idol. ‘Juan Dela Cruz’ yun, eh yung expectation ng mga tao saken, bawal ako magkamali nun time na yun hahaha”, recalls Reggie. “He is ok, Reggie played several gigs in Cavite, ok naman sya”, attested Wally Gonzalez.
 Besides JDLC, Reggie also was lucky enough to play alongside some musical luminaries in the Philippine music scene like, Resty Fabunan of the famed ‘Maria Cafra’, Kevin Roy, Dodong Cruz of ‘The Youth’, Maegan Aguilar and many more.
After a brief hiatus, he worked as an Account Officer for a Motorcycle company to make ends meet. He, however, gave it up for a business venture he is cooking soon by last quarter of this year. In between gigs and his work, Reggie spends time his kids; Pearl, Zildjian  Sabian and John Bonham. Even on a semi-retired state as a session musician, he is still surrounded by his love for music, in his kids’ persona. Very few people know how good-natured Reggie is. As deceiving as his looks, most people assumed he is on the bad side of law. “That is the sad part bro, I love life itself, my family, my kids, I am just a low profile-type of person. May kalokohan din, pero konti lang”, adds Reggie with a sheepish smile. He is now part of a group called ‘Silang Sikat’ with Boj Bonilla, JR Oliva, Mark Thelio,  Jeff Reyes and him. They exclusively play and cover Pinoy Rock music.

Xandy Diez

XANDY DIEZ – ROCKMAN EXTRAORDINAIRE
Having to live in one place all your life might be boring. But not for Xandy Diez.
Growing up in Poblacion, Makati, Xandy was brought up with the right blend of music infused in his system. “My uncles, mom and older friends have a big impact in my musical taste. I grew up listening to New Wave music, but later on, my attention shifted to some cool-sounding acts like Led Zepellin, Al  Green, BTO, Rolling Stones, Otis Redding, and much later Allman Brothers, Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin, Prince and Mojofly”, confesses Xandy. This was the foundation Xandy relied on and eventually made a name for himself belting out songs for ‘Black Cat Bone’, ‘K.O. Jones’, and ‘Brotherfly’.
“Blues and Rock N Roll based lahat ng iyan. Ang kasabayan ko nuon sina Waku Saunar and Mighty Odoño of ‘The Funky Blues Genesis’, ‘Red Dela Peña’ and others. Ang saya nuon, malagkit ang tugtugan. Tight ang dating ng mga gigs”, says Xandy. He did not attend any voice lessons or went into formal training, but he has his own style in interpreting songs. “Sariling imbento, hahaha”, reveals Xandy. It was the mid 90’s, when bands are big and prominent in the Philippines. His vocal style may be compared to Steven Tyler of AEROSMITH and even his stage persona. Xandy wraps a colorful sarong around his mic stand which complements his vocal prowess. His vocal extreme is showcased in one of their original songs entitled “Buhay” while still with Black Cat Bone.
“Gigs were abundant back then, yun tipong kami ang hinahabol ng gig. Madami kami nakasama na big names in the music industry; Wally Gonzalez, Pepe Smith, Razorback, Lolita Carbon, Ramon Jacinto, Mojofly, Session Road and many more”, prides Xandy. One time, around 2005, Xandy’s band ‘Black Cat Bone’, guested in ‘Medyo Late Night Show With Jojo A’ and belted out some songs to boot. After about a year in 2008, when Xandy’s band disbanded, he approached Jojo Alejar, the show’s producer and host, and concocted and introduced a segment concept for the show.
This is where the Dynamic Duo was born under the name of ‘Rockman and Punk’. So in mid 2008  the first guesting of The Dynamic  Duo materialized on TV5. They eventually became part of the show. The two mainstay’s brought more comedy to the show  and somewhat shaped the show’s format. The ploy worked with both characters respecting each other’s opinion on various subject the duo tackles. Rockman (Xandy’s character) implies a hippie rock persona with longhair, so he is the cooler dude. While Punk, who was the drummer of a Punk band ‘Varako’, is a punk character who is opinionated man with a Mohawk hairdo, his character is somewhat agitated. Xandy also doubles as the show’s writer.
Now the Councilor of Poblacion, Makati, he faces many problems and intrigues but maintains his loyalty to the place where he was born, live with and probably until his demise. “I love serving my constituents, kahit medyo mahirap,l lamang pa din ang love for your  own people”, finishes Xandy.