Alamat’s hard work pays off with first solo concert
MANILA, Philippines — Come Dec. 1, the P-pop group Alamat will turn the New Frontier Theater into a colorful and vibrant venue for its first solo concert billed as Dagundong.
The all-male group, whose members are Alas, Tomas, Jao, Taneo, R-Ji and Mo, hail from different parts of the country. Alas is from Davao City; Tomas, Bicol; Jao, Pampanga; Taneo, Kalinga Apayao; R-Ji, Borongan, Eastern Samar; and Mo, Zambales.
The boys expressed excitement over the forthcoming event in the recent media gathering held at the Viva Café although none of them revealed what exactly is going to happen in the two-hour show that will begin at 8 p.m.
“Surprise!” was what each member could only utter when asked what to expect in Dagundong and how it will all the more make their devoted fans, dubbed as Magiliw, swoon in delight and shriek in admiration while they dance, sing and rap not just in Tagalog but also in their respective local languages — Bisaya, Bicolano, Kapampangan, Hiligaynon, Waray and Ilocano.
However, all six boys consider their debut solo concert as the result of their hard work and dedication to the craft. Since their formal launch as a group in 2021 — formed by Viva Artists Agency in collaboration with director Jason Paul Laxamana’s Ninuno Media in 2020 — the boys have been busy polishing their dance moves, harnessing their vocal power and maintaining their lean physique.
Small wonder, Alamat has successfully performed in various events including the Pinoy Pop Convention (PPOPCON) last July, the opening ceremonies of the FIBA World Cup 2023 at the Philippine Arena the following month, and the inauguration of the 48th PBA Season at the Smart Araneta Coliseum held a few weeks ago.
In every performance, Alamat takes pride in being Filipino not only through their songs but also in their costumes designed with distinct local flavor. The style is modern and at the same time has traditional elements given that every outfit is made with locally sourced materials.
In fact, Alamat recently graced the runway of BYS Fashion Week 2023. The P-Pop boy group has also been tapped as TELAmbassadors by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI).
At the rate things are going on Alamat’s career, its manager and creative director Jason Paul Laxamana couldn’t be any happier. He was emotional while narrating how the boys — prior to their formal launch as a group — would persevere in training in the midst of pandemic.
“Do you still remember (talking to the boys) your very first training with each one of you wearing a face shield and a face mask? Then, I asked you to close your eyes and envision that you’re on stage singing and dancing while the Filipinos are cheering for you.
“That was in 2020 at ngayon nagagawa na nila. I’m proud they’ve attained what they manifested. Nandito na (sila) ngayon and I hope it continues,” he furthered.
In just a span of three years, Alamat has already had numerous performances that equally showcased the richness of our country’s cultural heritage.
“Among our performances, the most memorable for me was what we had in the provinces, yung mga shows namin kung saan masaya kami na makita na happy ‘yung crowd,” shared Jao.
“Looking at those happy faces validated my feeling that we have achieved our mission to share Filipino culture and at the same time made them happy with it. Our love for dance and music have really aligned, that’s why we’re happy.”
For Alas, there’s a sense of fulfillment after every show “because we were able to display our talent on stage whether as a group or individual. So, memorable lahat ‘yun para sa akin. But I think big venues like the Araneta and Philippine Arena gave us more reason to keep doing our best.”
Tomas, R-Ji, Mo and Taneo considered the PPOPCON as an extraordinary experience for them.
“It was in the PPOPCON where we stepped on an enormous stage and saw the support of people in the flesh and not on social media,” said Tomas of the event.
“Most of them were singing our songs with us and that made us truly happy. Nakaka proud pati ‘yung mga pinagdaanan naming hirap. Para sa akin, ‘pag dumadaan ka sa process sa gusto mo mangyari o may pinagdadaanan ka at nalampasan mo, it’s a solid feeling.”
Taneo said they felt the pressure before appearing on stage during their first PPOPCON that they found themselves in tears due to both happiness and nervousness.
“When we were still backstage, may pumipiyok pa. Sabi nga ni Taneo, we were full of emotions. We had mixed emotions really because we didn’t expect that the audience would sing along with us. Sobrang nakakataba ng puso,” R-Ji chimed in.
“Yes, I remember that before our performance, we go so emotional to the point that our tears would fall once we closed our eyes but we had to control our emotion because our first song was Abakada, a happy song kaya dapat happy talaga but it was a nice feeling that our fans were there to support us,” Mo shared.
Direk Jason Paul, in turn, said, “I don’t know how people would interpret it but Alamat felt very proud that they got to perform before SB19. You know, these boys look up to SB19 so much because they’ve gone so far (in terms of their music career) and to be placed in a slot .
“Their success is slowly but surely and at the PPOPCON, it’s also the first time for the members of Alamat for each of them to have a solo (performance),” he added.
Asked what do the Magiliw and other P-pop followers can expect to see more from Alamat, direk Jason Paul replied, “As an idol group, we want them to be multifaceted (in terms of talent) — singing, dancing, rapping hosting, modeling, acting — lahat ng pwedeng pasukin syempre gusto naming magawa nila.
“We started in acting with Tomas, Taneo and R-Ji and I think the others initially had no interest but when they learned about the talent fee, they also wanted to try (laughs).”
The filmmaker continued, “Ako naman, I’m just here to give them opportunities when they deserve the roles. Their song Dagundong, it so happened that it complemented the story of Pedro Penduko because it speaks about a warrior or mandirigma and then the vibe is action so they are a perfect match. It’s a bonus also that through the movie, their (Alamat) performance will also be shown in cinemas and possibly in streaming platforms so it’s a good marketing opportunity.”
Direk Jason Paul also looks forward to the day that the members of Alamat will get to compose their own songs.
“I believe that’s the next step, for them to be able to write their own material, mas galing sa puso, mas effective but of course, they have lots of commitments — shows and ambassadorship — that they need to fulfill, so Viva and I, outsource the songs just to maintain consistency because sa panahon ngayon ang hirap ng walang presence like for example, it’s been a year already at wala pang kanta (ulit). So, we encourage them to write their own (musical) pieces.
“Hopefully, the time will come that they can come up with their own song every month,” he expressed before quipping to the members, “Pressure ba?”
(Tickets to Dagundong are available at Ticketnet priced at P2,500, VIP; P1,800 Orchestra; Tickets for SVIP and Loge sections are already sold out.)
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