Well, you better get ready for a big surprise.
You think it is almost over?
But it is on the rise,
mental message via visual contract;
louder than any other sexual contact.
Yes, be ready for the Parokya ni Edgar Band because they are not yet done in giving us surprises that will transcend us through time! As the saying goes, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! But wait, wait, wait? Who are these people and why do we keep on listening to them? Where is Buloy, is he really in heaven now and who the heck is Edgar in Parokya ni Edgar?
Parokya ni Edgar has been around in the music industry now. In fact, Parokya ni Edgar kept us all entertained for more than 15 years now and they are still alive and kicking to make us all amazed with their songs and peculiar stage acts with other bands.
So when did it all started?
It all started when Alfonso Miranda Jr., known as Chito Miranda form the Comic Relief (now the Parokya ni Edgar) together with his four other schoolmates in Ateneo, Francis Vincent Montaner a.k.a Vinci Montanera and Jeric Estaco as vocalists; and Miko Yap and Gabriel Ignatius Chee Kee a.k.a Gab Chee Kee as guitarists in year 1993 originally as a “trip trip lang” band and after-school jammers. But this humble beginning became their stepping stone to get to where they are now. This also brought them to be front act performers in Eraserhead’s concert. This opened door to additional members, Dindin Moreno and Buwi Meneses who became their drummer and bassist respectively and a change of name to Parokya ni Edgar. However, after high school, Estaco and Yap decided to leave the group to pursue other interest which paved way to Darius Semaña’s membership to Parokya ni Edgar as the lead guitarist. And so, no Edgar appeared in the band members.
The 1990’s of Parokya ni Edgar
The first time I heard of Parokya ni Edgar was also the time when “Ang Huling El Bimbo” was on the rise. I remember listening to “Buloy” after the former is played on the Radio. Sometime, my Kuyas (cousins) and his barkadas would play this song again and again on their guitars as if it was a big hit from the outer space while we, the small little sweet kids that we used to be, stood beside them and watch as they strum the guitars.
The same decade was also the start of their careers as a band where they used to perform in the defunct Club Dredd which was the height of Pinoy Rock due to Eraserhead’s advent to the music industry in Asia. Soon after, their recordings of songs such as “Buloy”, “Trip” and “Lutong Bahay” was played on Philippine Radios which gain popularity not only to little kids but also to highschool and college students (in fact, our neighbor and my cousin own their pieces of original cassette tape which were converted into cds now).
Albums and Endorsements
To sum up, Parokya ni Edgar has 8 studio albums already. These are: Khangkhungkhernitz released in 1996 which contains comical songs about love, friendship and mostly food; Buruguduystunstugudunstuy in 1997 which songs are mostly about fantasy on love, this album also contains Parokya ni Edgar’s Okatokat which was used in a horror teen show of ABS-CBN with the same name; Gulong Itlog Gulong! in 1999 which is focus on acoustic love songs for songs such as Halaga, Wag mo na Sana and Inuman Na; Edgar Edgar Musikahan in 2002 and Bigotilyo released the year after Musikahan which injects other genre such as rock novelty, funk and rap in songs like Mr. Suave, The Yes Yes SHow and Chikinini; Halina sa Parokya in 2005 which cover is a parody of the Sesame Street. This album was also to include collaboration with other artists such as Glog 9 and the late Pinoy Master Rapper, Francis M. for the song Bagsakan and Kamikazee in Ordertaker; Solid in 2007 and the current album Middle-Aged Juvenile Novelty Pop Rockers in 2010 which countains familiar sounds from the past songs of Parokya ni Edgar. Aside from that, Parokya ni Edgar also did live album called Inuman Sessions Vol. 1 and DVD album named Matira Matibay: PG-13 which contains all their singles from 1994 to 2007.
Also distributed in their albums where covers from different bands around the world like the famous “Trip” which is an adaptation from “Creep” of Radiohead; “Alimango” from Pearl Jam’s “Animal; “Papa Cologne” of Rita Lee’s “Lanca Perfume”; the phenomenal “Picha Pie” of Cake’s version of “I will Survive”; “Chikinini” of Yano’s “Banal na Aso, Santong Kabayo”; “Nakaw ang Wallet ko” from Guns and Roses “Knockin on Heaven’s Door”; “Macho” from the “Macho Man” of the Village People; and the popular metal parody of “Chopsuey” and “Toxicity” of System of a Down – “Order Taker” which hit us big time during high school days!
From then on, Parokya ni Edgar continue to grow and diversify not only by writing good songs but also entering series of T.V. commercials and endorsements. Some of their product endorsements were Chippy, Coca-Cola, Jollibee together with other artists like Sarah Geronimo, Mang Tomas All-Around Salsa with Kris Aquino, Nescafe Coffee where in a song from their album was used especially for the commercial, Rexona Deodorant, San Miguel Beer, and Touch Mobile. Currently, they are working with Wolfgang, Kamikazee, Sandwich and Chicosci for Tanduay First Five National Tour.
The Genres
Over the years, Parokya ni Edgar continued to rock the music industry not only through their albums scattered around the country but also by series of concert tours in and out the the Philippines. This only proves how successful Parokya ni Edgar have become because for almost 15 years now, Parokya ni Edgar is still remembered by avid fans and simple commoners unlike other bands whose life span only lasted for three years.
I believe that one factor to consider for all the solid years of Parokya ni Edgar was their intact relationship with and collaboration with other artists. Aside from that, Parokya ni Edgar is the only mainstream band in the Philippines who never closed their doors for other kinds of music. They are always deviating from the usual banda tugtugan to the other genre which allowed them to touch different people from different kind of music industry.
Some of the genres Parokya ni Edgar practice in their music are Rock Novelty for songs like Mang Jose, Absording Man, Mr. Suave and Magic Spaceship which are comical in lyrics but will certainly rock your ears; Satire Covers in songs such as Picha Pie, Trip, Alimango, Chikinini, Nakaw ang Wallet ko, Macho, Chopsuey which are all parodies of their repective songs; Alternative Rock as in Inuman na, Maniwala ka Sana and Silvertoes which are all in the top list of Videoke fanatics nowadays; Parokya ni Edgar also did Pop Rock as what they did in Boy do fall in love, Alumni Homecoming and Nescafe Jingle; aside from that, they also enter Funk music in song First Day Funk which was used as an OST of the movie First Day High starring Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson and some Rap Core for songs like Bagsakan and The Yes Yes Show.
Presently, Parokya ni Edgar continues to influence people to become better through their music (at least for me and my circle of friends) and by inspiring other bands to continue doing what they like no matter what it takes. In fact, Kamikazee and Gloc 9 can attest to that becuase of their strong ties and collaboration with each other.
Parokya ni Edgar continue to grow stronger and stronger as the years go by and hopefully, they stay as a band forever and become legends in the Philippine Music Industry just like in Chito’s tweet where he expressed his gloom due to Bamboo’s disbandment and told to Parokya ni Edgar’s fans that they will never abandon Parokya ni Edgar and their avid supporters.
Well, as a man of the 90’s I would really be saddened if they disband; because if there is a Filipino band I want my children to listen to, that would be Parokya ni Edgar. I wish that they will be true to their words so that our children will still have the chance to see them perform live and feel the same way we feel while listening and watching Parokya ni Edgar perform right in front of us.
More powers to the Parokya ni Edgar!