Meet The 'People Like Us'

What is PLU? This was exactly my question when I first heard about it. For someone, who barely has a nightlife, PLU was a virtual stranger to me. It took a while before I found out that the three-letter word stands for People Like Us. No, it's not a human rights group, but actually a show band that's gaining "it" status in the local music circuit. Barely eight months since it was founded, it has definitely found its niche in the local music scene.

Its biggest break came October of last year when they bagged the second prize in the nationwide search for GSM's ultimate band. For a group that was only five-months-old then, that was a great achievement for PLU since it managed to topple other competing and fast-rising bands not only from the Queen City of the South, but also from the capital. Since then, invitations to perform came in abundance, with regular gigs in such high-end entertainment centers as Sunflower, Ratsky and Casino Filipino in Mactan.

Under the management of Eldi Carillo's Ink Production, PLU is comprised of three vocalists-Juan Carlos Maralit, Andrea Navarro and Juan Paolo Mercado. The other members are Ian Resurrecion (drums), Harry Navarro (keyboards), Anthony Jimenez (bass) and Edward Jimenez (guitars). Of them all, Paolo acts as the leader being the eldest at 25. According to Paolo, their first three months as a group were never easy because there were constant misunderstandings when it came to schedules and professionalism.

"Mura ka'g magminyo. You do everything gyud for the good of the band. It takes a lot of teamwork gyud. Being the eldest of the group, mura gyud ko og mother and father," Paolo revealed.

The younger members, he said, would sometime confide to him about their love problems; and he has to attend to them or else their performance would suffer. There was also a time when professionalism became an issue because some would come in late during rehearsals or even during performances. Two band members find it hard to make it on time because they were residing in Sibonga. And that's quite a problem, Paolo said, as he is very particular with time.

"But now we are willing to make sacrifices kay daghan na sad og naabot ang among grupo," Paolo shared. He said members have drawn inspiration in the little achievements they've achieved so far. Some gigs they cherish include having the opportunity to join Parokya ni Edgar and Prince of R&B Jay-R in separate shows last January, at the height of Sinulog festivities. They are also proud to have been part of a Microsoft-sponsored event at the Waterfront Lahug with Tuesday Vargas, Geneva Cruz and Sugarfree last January 25. That was a big deal for them because the requirement of the organizer was that performers must have played at Ratsky's Cebu to qualify.

Last Thursday night, PLU was among the 40 local bands that took the time to perform for free at the Fuente circle for the benefit of the mudslide victims in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte. For them, one does not have to be wealthy to be of help; to share one's talent in the most meaningful way possible is more than enough.

With more opportunities coming in, PLU is poised at conquering imperial Manila in due time. But Paolo pointed out that they do not have to be based there because all that matters to them is to have an album, which hopefully would become a hit, their would-be legacy in the music industry.

"We are planning to venture into composition and recording to be able to evolve," Paolo said. "I'm the opposite of the hopeless romantic. I don't like love songs so maybe it would reflect unsa gyud mi nga grupo." He is a native of Manila, but it's ironic he'd rather stay here because he likes very much Cebu's culture and lifestyle.

"I was struck when Budoy (Mirabiles) cried on 'Pinoy Big Brother' because it's sad to note that local artists are not given the chance or the needed support to improve their craft," said Paolo, adding that he could not relate to the Philippine showbiz system where looks are given more importance than talent. "I did try to join theater projects in Manila but dili ko kasabot. So much corruption is being committed. There are directors that would ask you to sleep with them just to get a role," he revealed.

Paolo is not new in the local entertainment circuit. He was once part of Al Evangelio's highly acclaimed play "Calamba Joe," where he sashayed the role of Juan Luna. His contemporaries then are now big names in the industry such as Sheryn Regis and Raki Vega.

"I love singing. I can act but dili ko kasakay when they (fans) call you idol. Ma-embarrass ko. Dili ko kasakay sa screaming ug sa autograph signing," he confided.

That is why for him, he would rather stick with his bandmates and achieve their goals as a group rather than joining showbiz as a solo artist. He said they have invested so much effort for the success of their band, so all of them should reap the fruits of their labor in due time.

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