Laslas ballads, karaoke and Aegis

MANILA, Philippines - Formed in an era when songs with thinly-disguised double meanings littered the streets, one group dared to soften the edges of novelty pop by writing about the sentimental, all-cheese experience of love in all of its honest pains and glories. Instead of urging listeners to dance and eventually ram into something, their records shoved people in front of karaoke machines to sing their aggravations out for the entire neighborhood to talk about.

Emerging from the lot faster than you can say “Nasasaktan ako, oh baby,” Aegis connected with their love drunk fans through their melodramatic lyricism and realistic depiction of a Filipino in love.

Does “Hindi ko na kailangan / Umalis ka na sa aking harapan / Damdamin ko sa ’yo ngayon ay naglaho na” sound anything like you when you were in the throes of a painful breakup? Are you “nananaginip nang gising, nakatulala sa hangin” when you’re just discovering the cause and effect of a probable new love?

Aegis has been making their mark all over the Philippines and abroad for more than ten years. Years of hard work, the organic process of constant touring, TV exposure, together with the distribution of a string of acclaimed records helped establish the band’s reputation. Making its way past the evolving sound of Filipino rock, Aegis’ hits prove to be as timeless and as popular as its first airplay – still best consumed live by the band itself or a friend on videoke night.

Initially, the members of Aegis were from different bands under AG Talent Development and Management until their managers, Josie and Solito Galindo, decided to merge them into one group, forming the AG’s Sound Trippers Band in the early 90’s. In 1998, the band changed its name to Aegis as they ventured into the mainstream music industry. The original members are vocalists and sisters Juliet Sunot and Mercy Sunot-Borjal, Stella Maries Galindo-Pabico on keyboards, Vilma Goloviogo on drums, Weng Pinpin-Adriano on bass guitar, and Rey Abenoja on lead guitar. The youngest sister of Juliet and Mercy, Kris (also known as Ken) Sunot, was later added to the line-up, providing the R&B flavor to Aegis’ repertoire.

When they were asked if they ever imagined the band to be this big and well-received, they said, “No! Up to this very moment, we are still surprised with how people accepted us and our music. How we all started as what they call ‘masa’ to, as some say, ‘institution.’ We are humbled by all the blessings and opportunities that come to us.”

The person responsible for stabbing your heart repeatedly with long swords disguised as microphones is the late Celso Abenoja, brother of Rey and Josie. The songs from the debut album “Halik” were written 30 years ago for his former band but Celso was not able to release them when he got side-tracked by a personal experience. With his permission Aegis breathed new life into his masterpieces, infusing their own style and techniques.

Together with Celso, the band was able to record hit after hit over the years. To date, they have ten albums, the latest being “Back To Love” which contains some of the most requested cover songs, including power ballads “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “What About Love.” They are currently working on their all-original 11th album, with Ken Sunot and Rey Abenoja contributing in the songwriting process.

According to them, they never intended to pursue a musical career in the Philippines since they were content with performing in Japan. They thought earning lapads while being able to do what they love was enough, but the universe had an entirely different plan.

Since “Halik” came out, the group constantly got invites to perform in various local TV shows. However, that among other opportunities is still not considered as their greatest achievement. “Being together as a band for more than a decade has been a huge achievement for us already and we hope to stay together longer.”

On January 31, the music of the legendary pop rock band will conquer the local theater scene as the Pilippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) closes its 46th theater season with the staging of “Rak of Aegis,” a Pinoy rock comedy-musical featuring the hit songs of Aegis.

Rak of Aegis, inspired by the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Ondoy in 2009, revolves around the lives of Villa Venizia’s residents and their respective troubled relationships. Their intertwining stories show how no natural disaster can be as disastrous and as outrageous as the sight of broken dreams and hearts.

Rak of Aegis is a musical filled with visual spectacle showcasing the Pinoy’s natural love for music and innate resilience in the face of calamity. The musical is created by the same women behind PETA’s hit comedy musical “Care Divas,” PETA artistic director Maribel Legarda and Palanca Award-winning writer Liza Magtoto, with musical arrangement and musical direction by actor-musician Myke Salomon.

Aegis expressed their excitement on having been chosen for PETA’s musical. “When PETA visited our office, they mentioned that the musical will be all about the songs of our band. We didn’t really have a clue yet as to how they will use the songs to create a story. We thought it was a brilliant idea, that’s why we’re very excited about this project.”

Portraying the roles of the disaster-stricken – love included – characters is an off-the-wall variety of today’s talented artists, led by Isay Alvarez-Seña, Robert Seña, Aicelle Santos and Joan Bugcat.

Rak of Aegis runs from Jan. 31 to March 9 at The PETA Theater Center located at 5 Eymard Drive, New Manila, Quezon City. Shows on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. For full schedule, call PETA at 725-6244 or 0917-5765400. Tickets available at www.ticketworld.com.ph