Strawberry Fields forever

Last week, I finally chanced upon a taste of fusion that was definitely wow-worthy. And it did not come from some wannabe fusion restaurant. It was a fusion of musicians and music. It was, as Mr. Webster put it, the merging of diverse things or the combination of different styles.

That’s what Ivy, Kaloy, Emil, and Kess have produced with their band, Strawberry Fields. The band may not the latest ice cream flavor, but they do produce delicious sound — the kind that will make you come back for more.

I’ve been hearing their original songs Hungry Soul and Angel on 99.5 RT and 103.5 K-Lite. Their sound is catchy, and they also do covers of Sheryl Crow, No Doubt, Republica, Lisa Loeb, Plumb and Garbage.

The band’s lead singer is Ivy Gumabay, who started making music at the age of 13 and has been through a merry-go-round of amateur bands for the past six years. She was the lead vocalist for a band called Sisa, performing in such places as Chatterbox, Ratsky’s, Kampo, and a provincial gig alongside Rivermaya. Talented and pretty, Ivy plays the drums, guitar and occasionally the keyboards.

Kessenth Cheng, lead guitarist, is one of the most talented but underrated guitar players around. He’s been on the scene since 1993, starting off as, believe it or not, a music teacher. Kess’ rich musical background includes playing for bands of different genres. Think hard rock (Black Smith, Gnash), Pinoy rock (Piranha), pop (Novia), and blues (Moonshine Remedy). When asked why he joined Strawberry Fields, he says, "I wanted to join a band with a vision of offering a fresh new sound, less commercial but still very much entertaining to the public." And entertaining they have been.

Drummer Emil Buencamino looks deceptively timid and quiet but he’s a virtual banger during performances. He has played for the now defunct band Aftermath. and was the first grand prize winner of the San Miguel-sponsored Battle of the Bands in the early ’90s. He was a member of various bands thereafter, including Animus (1995) and Shanghied (1996). He also temporarily replaced the original drummer of Introvoys (1998), after which he was recruited by Joey "Pepe" Smith’s Miracle Crusade (1999) briefly before co-founding Strawberry Fields. To complement the band’s sound, Emil also acts as the Fields’ "virtual" keyboardist, performing all keyboard and drumloop sequencing.

Last but definitely not the least is Karlo Mojica, fondly called Kaloy, who plays the bass guitar. The comedian in the group, he’s also teased as looking like a boxer with his hair and earrings. After playing with an amateur band sometime in the early ’90s, Kaloy’s skills were recognized in the 1995 Campus Battle of the Bands contest where he was chosen as the event’s best bass player. Realizing then that his passion for music still flowed through his veins, he joined different bands whose music ranged from funk to blues to rapcore. With Strawberry Fields, he finds himself playing the brand of music that best expresses his musical panache.

The group’s members have broad musical influences including rock, pop, jazz, blues and soul.

Watching them perform live, you will realize that Strawberry Fields brings a new rush of energy to the club scene. Their repertoire offers entertainment and fun with their "in-your-face" brand of music called female alternative pop-rock! Their sound characterizes one of the growing trends in rock: a dash of feminism, exciting, hard-edged and invigorating music with an attitude. Every performance renders a showcase of their showmanship, musical skills, experience and love for performing.

I left the Verve Room (where they performed, and also at Club Sound Experience) deliciously satisfied.

This Strawberry Fields is indeed better than ice cream.