More of Cebu's Pride…

Cebu bands are hitting Manila's music scene big time this year. Cueshe's hit song may very well have been named after its position on the music charts as it "stays" on top since the song's release this year. Junior Kilat is another band that has successfully conquered Manila with news that this group has countless fans in Manila looking forward to their gigs in the metropolis.

I heard this from a business associate of my husband who came to Cebu last weekend. He repeatedly mentioned that the Cebuano group was one of his top reasons in coming to the city. "Meron bang gig ang Junior Kilat ngayon? Samahan niyo naman ako o," was his persistent plea to us the entire day. He was more than pleased with us after bringing him to the band that Friday night. I was quite amused at how his face lit up at the sight of Budoy, the band's vocalist, how he held up his camera throughout the band's performance, dancing and enjoying the band's original compositions with lyrics he confessed he didn't understand and how ecstatic he was when he saw our friend Gina, Junior Kilat's keyboardist, made the nod for request granted to have his photo taken with the band's popular vocalist! We certainly brought home a happy fan that evening.

More bands from Cebu continue to thrive in the local music arena and dream of making it big on a national scale.

Faces is one of them. A group led by their vocalist and one of the most popular personalities in Cebu, Bono Villanueva. This 2002 KBP Golden Dove Awardee as Best Variety Show host delivered me the news of the near completion of his group's first self-produced pop-rock album entitled "One Sweet One". Faces had been performing in Cebu since 2000; however, Bono revealed to me that he feels more confident with his group now with more seasoned musicians joining the band just recently. Though Bono is more well known as a talent for ABS CBN since his move here from Manila last 1998, his indulgence for his passion for music is what inspires him more as an artist. He takes after his father, Mr. Ramon Villanueva Sr., former vocalist of the popular Rainmakers band and who continues to perform for the Renaissance band.

This may be a surprise for many knowing that we belong to the opposite ends of the entertainment world, but we actually keep in touch with us passing on hosting gigs for the past few years now. This familiarity allowed me to ask him some personal questions.

LOU: Having performed in Manila yourself, how do you compare Cebu's music scene to theirs?

BONO: "Underrated tayo, Lou. Siguro 10% lang compared to Manila's rates. Kaya nga, lumalabas iyong mga bands sa bansa o kahit sa Manila lang kung saan mas maraming opportunities at mas mataas iyong rates. Generally, it's the same para sa ibang artists sa Cebu, bands, dancers or para sa ating mga hosts."

L: Bon, I've come to know of you being so passionate with your hosting, acting and singing career pero I've heard of some negative talks about you. I think you know what these are. Care to comment on this?

B: "Tayo Lou, we've been in the business for a long time na. Alam na natin kung anong nararapat sa atin, di ba? Hindi lang talaga ako nagpapa-api. Alam ko kung saan ako lulugar at nagtatrabaho ako ng maayos."

Bono shared to me some of his ill-fated experiences in the entertainment arena and both of us agreed that Cebuano artists should get more credit than we've been accustomed to.

B: "Magaling ang mga Cebuanos, Lou. Though happy naman ako with the opportunities I've been given dito, pero mas masaya kung mag-improve ang conditions natin at dumami pa ang opportunities for the Cebuano artists."

L: I know that you have a long list of clients especially those coming from Manila. How do you manage your time and how does your family feel about your frequent trips to Manila?

B: Ivy (Bono's wife) understands naman. When someone books me for some shows in Manila, mina-maximize ko na iyong trip ko doon. I let my clients know that I'm there and available for gigs. Kung wala naman akong gigs doon, I'm just here in Cebu with my family and my two kids, Casey and Alfonso. I'm really based here.

Bono and the rest of Faces continue to work on more songs for their album and plan to promote it in Manila after its completion. Will Faces follow the path of Cueshe and bring more pride to the Cebuanos soon? With seasoned musicians and a multi-talented vocalist in the person of Bono, I can't see why not. Catch Faces performing regularly at Ratsky and at Camp Zitro.