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COCKTAILS WITH KAMIKAZE a Through the good, the better and the best of times a Published in Youngstar Magazine April 2003
Kamikaze /ka-mi-ka-’zē/ n.: Up and coming rock band who has caught everyone’s attention with their catchy song-writing, some irreverently insane lyrics that mirror everyday life, and fun, “trippy’ versions of pop and love songs.
In the beginning, all they wanted was to play for their friends at the U.P. Fine Arts Department. But as the saying goes, fate stepped in. Or in this case, Parokya Ni Edgar. Asked by the said band to play as a front act for one of their gigs, it was, apparently, all that was needed to get the ball rolling. The rest, as they say, is music history.
Like how all great bands were born, Kamikazee started out simply by jamming whenever they got together. Though Jomal, Jay, Allan, Puto and Led have known each other for a long time now, the band only started to form two and a half years ago. “Matagal na kaming magkakaibigan, pero yung banda, dalawang taon at kalahati…” From Boyband, they became Kamikazee Cornflakes and eventually evolved into the band audiences now know as Kamikazee.
Asked about their song which is slowly gaining attention on the mainstream of the music scene, Kamikazee shared some sentiments over the song Tsinelas. “Kung ano yung nasa kanta, yun, yun …diba lahat tayo nawawalan ng tsinelas…tapos sabi nila bakit may mura, eh…nagwawala kami pag nawawala yung tsinelas namin, eh…Diba kadalasan naman talaga nangyayari yun?
With numerous influences ranging from love songs, to pop, to R&B, to alternative, to punk metal, Kamikazee’s album guarantees a range of interesting sounds that fuse together to provide listeners with a fun, head-spinning music trip which the band hopes would make audiences as happy as the band was were when they were working on it. “Talagang masaya lang…sobrang masayang-masaya yung mga kanta dun…iba’t iba, e…may maingay, may punk, may mabagal, may love song…may dalawang covers…kami personally, saya namin talga…basta, pagnaririnig namin, naaalala namin lahat ng pinagdaanan namin…sana mahawa sila (listeners)…”
While one would think that things would drastically change once your band has signed under Warner Music, is being managed by Richard Tan, released an album on the market, a catchy carrier song and be referred to as rockstars, for Kamikazee, things haven’t changed that much. “Sumasaya ng sumasaya…(pero) pag-nagkikita kami, ganun pa rin. Ayun, tambay-tambay lang…wala pa ring pera…kung paano kami nagsimula, ganun parin.” So do they consider themselves as rockstars now that they’re starting to easily get noticed as more than just “one of those rock bands?” “Hindi…yung ginagawa namin dati, ganun pa rin…yun parin yung ginagawa namin…”
A friend once said it’s hard to interview rock stars. After my interview with Kamikazee, I could say otherwise. Despite the fame they’ve achieved, they are grateful for everything that has happened for the band and remain grounded. “…Lahat ng nangyari sa amin, hindi naman namin talaga ine-expect…parang regalo lang namin…” And if there’s anything that Kamikazee want to be remembered as, the terms remain simple and clean: “Masaya…masaya lang kami…”
© Valerie V. Mayuga, 2005
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If anything, music and
friendship proves to be the band’s passion and the ultimate thing that keeps
them together. When they’re not in the studio or releasing all their energy
onstage, Kamikazee would be found, well, just hanging out – with each other and
with their music. “Magkakatambay lang kami…tambay lang kung saan…sa U.P…nagja-jam.”
They also hang out at what they refer to as F.H. “Flying House…yung, parang
pangalan nung tambayan…bahay ni par Chito.” And like most people, they like
hanging out at malls. “Mallrats kami, eh…”