The Sabado Boys are 'good time'

MANILA, Philippines - “We’re not small time or big time — we’re good time,” says Jimmy Bondoc, one of the members of the super pop group Sabado Boys, quoting a line from an old Joey de Leon interview.

That’s how Sabado Boys truly began. In 2006, a TV show was conceptualized on RPN-9, originally with a Saturday timeslot. The idea was to put in singers not just as guests, but to host, perform songs and do skits; a not-your-typical variety show. The cast was rounded up by Jimmy and his co-producer, and they were the country’s best OPM acoustic artists: El Musikero Jimmy, Mr. Acoustic Paolo Santos, King of R&B Luke Mejares, Beatbox King DJ Myke Salomon of AKAFellas, and two other OPM singers, who are no longer part of the group. They were acquaintances only, chemistry has not been established, so the experiment could go wrong.

But after three seasons, varying timeslots and different channel assignments (the TV show went to Studio 23 and then TV5), Sabado Boys became a hit. Though their show was placed in non-Saturday timeslots, they kept the moniker Sabado Boys. “Saturday is gimik time. Watching us means we’re making your every day a Saturday,” Jimmy explains. They turned into more than just a TV show, they became a real singing group and more importantly, best friends. In 2008, Sabado Boys released their debut album called Saitai under Galaxy Records, a collection of covers of local and international hits. They also appeared in TV commercials with DJ/host Andi Manzano endorsing Ellips colognes.

Six years later, Sabado Boys are still here. They continue to be staples of the concert circuit, bringing beautiful tunes and even comedy to bar hoppers and music lovers across the country and abroad. To date, they also managed to record and release a second album titled Back With A Vengeance. The superhero-themed, inspired by Avengers album artwork, grabs the attention but it’s the 16 tracks that will capture listeners’ hearts. Each singer chose four songs to sing, recorded it live in a bar, produced and marketed it themselves. The do-it-yourself approach has always worked for the Sabado Boys and the indie way has taught them more how to promote themselves. Back With A Vengeance also comes in as a double disc DVD; one CD is for your car radio and the other is for DVD players and computers.

Though Sabado Boys come together to perform, booking them all in one place could be difficult. Each artist does have a solo career outside of the group. But they make it work and it benefits each other’s careers. ”Each of our fans becomes the other person’s fans,” Paolo says. “We end up with a bigger fan base.”

Together Sabado Boys become stronger musically and yet within the group, they can still shine on their own. And when it comes to performing, they take it seriously. “We may look like fun, relaxed people but when we sing, we truly perform,” Jimmy adds.

What’s next? An all-original OPM album from Sabado Boys. Currently they do covers but soon, this dream will come true. Jimmy says, “For me, Sabado Boys is the One New Thing — it keeps our minds and hearts alive, because there’s always something new.”