Who says girls can't rock

With its booming music scene today, Cebu has, indeed, a lot to offer to the Philippine music industry-from solo artists to rock bands. But while many all-male bands here have snagged the spotlight, seldom do we see girls in a band, say, striking the drums or slapping the bass guitar. A rare sight yes-still, there are really girls who can play music as hard as the boys.

Just like19-year-old Jaimie Paz Opinion, who hails from Borongan, Samar, but is currently living in Cebu City for her studies. She plays the drums in an all-girl band called Himlaya, formerly known as Sikabay. She started drumming just last year, after frequent jamming sessions with her musically-inclined college classmates led to the forming of their band. Ever since she was little, however, she already showed enthusiasm for music. She shares that music runs in the family, beginning with her grandfather.

While Jaimie certainly knows how to play the guitar, she chose to be the drummer in the group. "Playing the drums is more intense and challenging. You need to have body coordination, as well as coordination with the tones and beats," explains Jaimie, who learned the skill from her boyfriend.

She considers Vic Mercado, drummer of Bamboo, and Caroline Corr, drummer of the Irish band The Corrs, as influences. Jaimie has already performed in school events, birthday parties and has had gigs in Handuraw and Kahayag. It was in Handuraw Events Café where she first played before a crowd-and still remembers to this day how unnerving that experience was. Jaimie swears that so far she had not been subjected to ridicule by other male band members. Should it happen, she wouldn't mind, as long as she's loving what's she is doing.

Jaimie is grateful that her parents support her interest. She also sees to it that her studies will remain a priority especially since she is a graduating student. If the opportunity comes, she is willing to take on the challenge of slugging it out against male counterparts in contests like the battle of the bands.

Another lady music enthusiast is Shangs Pepito, 18, a resident of Mandaue City. She's the lead guitarist of the band called Shiznit, though previously, she played the bass guitar for her first band, the Metamorphosis. She started at the age of 14 without ample knowledge about playing guitars. She once contemplated on studying how to play the banduria, but got bored by the thought that she decided to learn the guitar instead. Her mother frowned on her growing interest in guitars that Shangs eventually taught herself to play it by buying song hits and song books. Later, Shangs' mother conceded, giving her a guitar on her 15th birthday.

Her playing the bass guitar, on the other hand, came unexpectedly. She met some guys from a youth gathering, who eventually became her friends and bandmates. Being the youngest and the only girl, she was treated like their younger sister. They got to perform in school events, parties and in fiestas. But later, she decided to leave the band because aside from that feeling that she was too young for such a group, her being part of it was without the knowledge and consent of her parents. She parted with the group with no hard feelings.

When she was in fourth year high school, she joined her second, and this time, all-girl band. Shangs is very happy about her band, and the friendship that has come out of it. She remembers fondly how their audiences, boys included, would be amazed by the fact that they are all girls in the band.

While school demands much of their time especially now that they are already in college, her band meets at least on Sundays. In gigs, they play acoustic or R&B. Now, her parents are aware that she is in a band. She makes sure as well that her studies are not to be left behind.

Shangs may have experienced being mocked when she was still a bass guitarist, still it did not stop her from pursuing her passion for music. Like Jaimie, Shangs does not care what other people would say. She shares, "What's important is to believe in yourself and don't let anything or anyone hold you down."

"Talent doesn't discriminate, especially in the field of music. Men and women can equally excel in any instrument. These days it's even more cool to have a female band member because it's something not usually done before, but women have always been competent enough to be in a band, wala lang hatagig break atong una (they were not just given the opportunity way back then)," says Insoy Ninal, the vocalist of the famous Bisrock band "Missing Filemon."

Like Jaimie and Shangs, nothing should keep other talented young female instrumentalists who are still flying under the musical radar from stepping out to rock!