A family affair: Jamming with The Jets

CEBU, Philippines - The music industry is no stranger to acts composed entirely of members related by blood, so it’s a pleasure to know that a band like The Jets has sustained a longevity that most family-centric groups would be envious of.

A little primer for the unfamiliar: The Jets are a music group consisting of several brothers and sisters from the Wolfgramm family hailing from Minnesota. Despite the German-sounding surname, the family’s ethnic roots stem from the South Pacific island of Tonga, where the parents of the siblings are originally from. The group began their career in the music industry during the 1980s, with the siblings in their teens and early 20s, and shot to stardom by releasing albums containing songs with a radio-friendly appeal.

Records like “Crush on You,” “You Got It All,” and “Cross My Broken Heart” all managed to crack the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The success led The Jets to perform in various major sporting venues outside of regular concert events that introduced them to a wider global audience, with live appearances in the Olympic Games, as well as the World Series. Accolades also came in the form of Grammy and American Music Award nominations for their efforts.

Having started out their careers at a young age and during the time when MTV was in its infancy, the band eventually grew older and put music on the back burner in the late 1990s to settle down and have families of their own. It wasn’t until the mid-2000s that the siblings decided to reconnect with each other and continue making music.

Now older and wiser, The Jets have certainly evolved in terms of their sound. In the early days, they were known for showcasing mainstream pop, R&B, and dance music with a hint of Latin freestyle. Nowadays, they are still able to do the sonic landscapes that defined them as a group while incorporating newer elements that they have explored in their adult years such as gospel and religious-based music.

And like most family-based bands that have garnered prominence throughout the years, all the members of the band are proficient in playing musical instruments aside from contributing vocals to their songs. The Wolfgramm siblings are familiar with basics like keyboards, percussion, and guitars that they still haven’t lost their touch when playing in live venues today. And while they have experienced hardships that often plague musicians under contract with record companies, The Jets have remained a tight family unit despite the troubles they have encountered over the years.

With the band embarking on their 30th Anniversary Greatest Hits Tour this year, it is evident that remaining a close-knit family is one of their top priorities. Which brings us back to the subject of longevity: Thirty years isn’t something to scoff at, and The Jets certainly have a lot to be proud of considering the achievements they have made over the years, both in their professional and personal lives.

You can catch The Jets live in concert in Cebu as part of their 30th Anniversary Greatest Hits Tour on November 8 at the Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino. This is presented by Random Minds Production and CTK Incorporated.

Tickets are available at SM Ticket Online, all SM Cebu Cinema Ticket Outlets and Waterfront Cebu City Hotel Events and Tickets Counter. For ticket inquiries, you may call SM Cebu Cinema or at Ame Phils at 5137208.