Author: Justin G
Justin G is the editor-in-chief of Gigs Manila. With background in creative writing, singing, dance and choreography, he quit his BPO job in 2010 to build his music blog JustinBreathes.com and focus on his passion for music and the promotion of OPM and its various genres.
There are artists you like, whose songs you decide to put in a playlist you listen to every day. And then there are artists whose music speaks to you and becomes a part of your life. DK Tijam is one such artist for me. I have been listening to his music for more than a third of my life. When he joined Star in a Million in 2003, I was instantly hooked. R&B was only starting to creep into the mainstream back then. His R&B styling to his renditions resonated with me. When he sings another artist’s songs, he more…
Kithara’s music resonates with the deep aches of their listeners. And this special connection between the OPM foursome and their supporters eventually gave birth to the Kitharistas, a group of listeners turned fans turned friends. So why do Kitharistas love the band so much? Well, let us count the ways. Dex is the group’s default heartthrob. Yes, he catches the fancy of most girls with his boy-next-door appeal. But besides that, he is actually a good singer. His husky voice seems to increase his pogi points, as some girls would even want to have a duet with him. Next time…
“Aba Bakit Hindi?” by Nadine Lustre shrugs off the need for a reason to fall in love with someone, even if that someone seems unacceptable to family and friends. The verses identify the guy as arrogant, grumpy, and crazy. These negative traits of the male love interest is too similar to the one described in the album’s third track “Mr. Antipatiko,” that the succeeding track “Aba Bakit Hindi?” becomes a musical and thematic sequel to the former. “Andami nilang hindi makaintindi / At ang tanong nila ay bakit / Aba’y bakit hindi?” While the last lines of the chorus would seem romantic, saying that other…
After taking a break from recording to focus on being a wife to basketball cager Rich Alvarez and mother to their first-born, Kyla is back with a new album. Journey is also her first-ever EP in her career spanning fourteen years marked by awards, both local and international. The album starts off breezy with the jazzy track “Kunwa-Kunwari Lang,” the first single released in April 2014. The song is a proper introduction to the quirkiness and the wide range of sounds that Kyla has managed to meld together in the EP. Kyla plays with the vocals as easy as the…
Sebastian Castro will be performing in Manila’s F Club Philippines on August 15. After a successful show in London’s Two Brewers, Sebastian Castro brings his fun, sexy, and controversial gay-themed Bubble concert to Manila for the very first time. The show is marked by colorful stage sets, sexy production numbers, quirky acting skits, endless costume changes, and in Sebastian Castro’s own words “the lip-synching voice every singer wishes he had.” Philippine news organizations first began criticizing Sebastian Castro for his lip-synching back in April 2013 after his viral music video “Bubble.” Sebastian Castro responded to this via his social media…
Kithara is composed of Pato San Juan(lead vocals/percussion), Poli Policarpio (guitars), and Dex Galsim (cajon). Some listeners of today would be hard-pressed to identify the genre that Kithara plays. One of the things that make them distinct from other pop bands is that they make use of harmonies on top of acoustic music. This is very reminiscent of APO Hiking Society. In fact, their gig set list usually contain an APO medley. The audience just can’t help but take a leisurely break from their talking and drinking to listen and sing along with Kithara. Kithara started as a trio in…
For the first time in Manila, Red Alert Live and Love & House World bring you TOKYO EDM INVASION on August 2, 2014 (Saturday) 9pm at the SMX Convention Center. The most celebrated dance event from Tokyo’s number 1 club, Womb, is set to rock the stage with internationally-acclaimed resident DJs with headliners Dantz, Ayumi, Tsubee and Daijiro, performing in a one-night show. DANTZ is one of most influential DJs and producers of EDM in Japan, and is the main act of the EDM event with Love & House World now on its 10th anniversary. He has toured in Macau,…
“This Love Is Like,” a synth-heavy dance-ready track, is a refreshing release from Toni’s usual repertoire of romantic (to the point of sappiness) love songs from her movies. While “This Love is on Air” can work well as a club banger, the song is more of a song of worship. Toni, a member of the Methodist Church, co-wrote the song with seasoned composer and music producer Jonathan Manalo. DJ and music producer KidWolf did well in delivering a steady stream of energy via the track’s storm of electronic beats. In fact, if a listener did not know who Toni Gonzaga…