Erica Cawagas - 2017 Cultural Diversity in the Arts Recipient

 Erica Cawagas was one of 17 recipients of the 2017 Cultural Diversity  in the Arts project grant, as announced by the Edmonton Arts Council (EAC) last February. This project grant was established by the  City of Edmonton through EAC “to recognize that artists from all parts of the world enrich Edmonton’s cultural scene. Grants will support the activities of individual, Edmonton artists for a specific time towards a specific project.” Erica’s grant is in support for “Emma - the Musical” of which she is the Musical Director and will premier on July 7, 2018 at the Myer Horowitz Theatre.

As the daughter of piano and rondalla teacher Roujea Cawagas Cates, it was inevitable for Erica to be caught in the music world. She started with the piano but it was only when she got hold of a guitar that she found this sense of rightness, of finding her soul instrument, the medium that would express her feelings and thoughts that she dared not express verbally. She also discovered that she could play by ear. Since then, Erica has played with the Filipino Canadian Saranay Rondalla group, and participated in Kiwanis Music Festivals. For post-secondary, she studied Music Composition at the Grant MacEwan University with the intent of performing in cruise ships, as a means to travel around the world. This shifted though when during the course of her studies, she discovered that she would much rather compose than perform, and was enthralled in the process of putting together different instruments. Erica describes her music as complex, melancholic and contemporary but influenced by the romantic period.

Right after finishing her Music Composition diploma, Erica went to Manila. There she did musical scoring for UNICEF children’s books, with Anne Curtis doing the live reading; and for the MathDali show under the Knowledge Channel Foundation. It was during this time that work on the Emma - the Musical commenced.

Emma - the Musical is based on Erica’s great grandmother’s stories on the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Written by her aunt Chie Floresca with music by Erica, Emma was originally intended as a mini-presentation for their great grandmother’s 95th birthday. Unfortunately, she passed away before her birthday. As a way to honour their matriarch, they resolved to make her stories a full-length musical. And this is where Erica has been devoting most of her time these days till its premiere here in Edmonton in July.

For someone who right off the bat declared that she does not do well expressing herself verbally, a face  to face interview must have been uncomfortable, at the very least. In conversations, Erica tends to focus on facts and details, and appears hesitant to open up about emotions, fortifying her initial declaration. This is how you appreciate what her music is to her and how important a role it plays in her life. Music is her shield. “People can listen to my music and they can say what I want to say for me.” This hesitancy to verbally communicate, however, may be the only place she falters. For Erica is a person with dogged determination. With her music for Emma, in particular, she was able to galvanize a group of young singers/cast, long before the rest of the production aspects came into play. Working with her in my capacity as artistic director of the musical allows us artistic leeway, with musical arrangement requests being done right on the spot. Her sheer determination to mount this musical lead to her assuming a producer role on top of being a musical director. And her ambition enables her to acknowledge the necessity of overcoming her introvertness.

Erica is at the cusp of her music journey. Emma - the Musical is her biggest and most personal project so far. It is an ambitious project that not only benefits her artistic career but contributes to the Edmonton repertoire of Asian musicals. With Emma, she not only wants to share her great grandmother’s stories, but to bring to the forefront a period of Philippine history that is not often talked about. And for Erica, there will always be the aspiration to tour the musical to different cities and to stage it in a greater magnitude, with full orchestration. These, hopefully, may just become a reality soon.

Tickets for Emma - the Musical are on sale through Ticketfly. For more information, check the Emma - the Musical Facebook page. Emma - the Musical is under the Artistic Direction of Ida Beltran-Lucila, with Choreography and Musical Staging by Jojo Lucila, Script by Chie Floresca and Musical Direction by Erica Cawagas. The musical is presented by the Filipino-Canadian Saranay Association.

This article was published in the March 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.

The Sooner the Better - the Sooner Band Story

I had the privilege of seeing for the first time, the Sooner Band perform during the Ely Buendia

concert last October. There was a little bit of hype around this band, when I was asked to have them included in the Filipino Fiesta. But they had previous engagements and plans just fell through. Seeing them perform cemented the fact that there is something distinct with the band, and I set out to learn more about it.

Formed in 2015, the Sooner Band is composed of: Bob Sales - bass, who works as Shipper/Receiver;Clint Nitoral - drummer, works with heavy equipment; Dexter Jumantoc - saxophone, works at Superstore; Donnell Roxas - vocalist, manager at Tim Hortons; Jay Mamaradlo, guitarist, works in a sanitation  company; and Jimmy  Basilan - keyboard, working as a Quality Controller.

Why Sooner Band? They humorously revealed that in the early days of their organization, when members would inquire about timelines on plans, engagements and goals, the optimistic answer would always be “soon”. Since the christening of the band name, they’ve had regular stints at Panciteria de Manila, and engagements for front acts and private functions. Their musical inclination ranges from RnB, pop and OPM (original pilipino music), but are quick to state that they are willing to try any genre to challenge themselves. They do covers but put in their own twist. Not one performance is alike since they improvise on the fly.

The performance of Sooner Band that I saw gave me the impression of a well-oiled machine, a sense of maturity amongst the members in their approach to music, and a confidence derived from a strong technical adeptness. Their music is clean, well-blended and allows each member their moment to shine. And so I was quite surprised to learn that they were all practically self-taught, going about their music instinctively and playing their individual instruments by ear. In fact, the evening I spent with the band in their practice location was full of revelations. For instance, Donnell came from a family of musicians but was such an introvert that he kept his singing a secret even from his family. Clint’s morning ritual includes a round of drum playing to set his day. And by the way, for someone who started with improvised drums and would join bands to be able to handle real drumsticks, his personal drum set is the most kick ass set I’ve ever seen! Dexter was a physical education and music teacher in the Philippines, played tribal instruments and the flute before he was introduced to the saxophone, has skills for magic, and dabbles in photography. Jimmy as a child took piano lessons to avoid household chores. Bob started as a vocalist prior to discovering the bass guitar, which he used to avoid military training in university. He has also done several original compositions. Jay has gained proficiency in the guitar through peer exposure and bonding, and continues to use his music as a way to develop and cement relationships, and as a stress reliever.

Up close, the members of the band are respectively timid, unassuming and self-deprecating.

They evidently change persona when they’re playing. But what is unmistakable is that they are collectively passionate, humble and cognizant of the hand of Divine providence in their lives.

In the nature of the gypsy life of band members, they’ve hopped on and off different bands and now have gravitated together in their respective search for a band that they would connect with. They feel that their current composition is solid, share the same vision, has the right rapport, teamwork and trust that is essential in their collaborative process. Right now their music serves as an outlet, a way of bonding, and a means to make other people happy. But they dream for more regular stints, of dabbling in music out of their comfort zone, and performing and recording their own original songs.

Mulling over my initial impression of the Sooner Band and the perspective I’ve formed upon knowing more about them, my conclusion is that they are really a bunch of nice guys who found some respite and zest in music, who despite a screaming audience when they perform, are modest enough to acknowledge that there is more to learn and achieve with their music. I view a lot of potential for this band, not only based on their individual talents and skills which are still, I believe, unharnessed at this point, but perhaps because of their authenticity to themselves and a love for what they do. This is perhaps what distinguishes them, that it comes from the heart, with no delusions of grandeur.

I mentioned earlier the hype I encountered with this band, and now I know there is some credence to it. The Sooner Band provides good music by good people. Time with one of their performances is well spent and I look forward to more, the sooner the better!

This article was published in the November 2017 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.

Breaking Light with The Dawn

The Philippine Arts Council launched its The Learning Table series with a session with The Dawn band last August 2017, in partnership with MRD Productions. It is very apt that the beginning of this series designed to enlighten and inspire aspiring artists was held with an enduring band named The Dawn.

The Learning Table was envisioned as a workshop and roundtable discussion series, involving performing arts students/young artists with established visiting performers from the Philippines. This series provides an opportunity for these aspiring artists to learn from experienced and established ones, pave the way for a more enriching career in their chosen art, and allow them to connect with artists from their home country and their works, thereby expanding their cultural awareness.

The Learning Table last August had 12 young artists and students participating in an exclusive Q & A with a band that their parents were possibly more thrilled to meet than them. Credit goes to the members of the band who were able to engage the youngsters despite the generation gap.

The Dawn is considered the “longest-lived and most prolific rock band in the Philippines”. They achieved commercial success in the late 1980s, and have produced 14 hit albums. The band consists of Jett Pangan (vocals), Carlos Balcells (bass), Francis Reyes (guitars), Junboy Leonor (drums), and Rommel Sanchez (guitars). They were relaxed, earnest and generous in providing insights and sharing their experiences. They talked about their first foray into music; what music meant to them individually as a novice, and now as a veteran musician; favorite musicians; experiences with other bands; time management with other commitments and artistic endeavours; and advice for the young students on how to grow, be authentic, and sustain your art.

The band members’ maturity and respect for the other band members is evident with the way they interact and expound on each other’s ideas. I was personally impressed with how articulate, passionate and at the same time, how grounded they are with the way they perceive their music, and life. They spoke with authority but at the same time were so approachable that even after ending the Q and A session to give them more time to prepare for their concert, the young students were not to be dissuaded from approaching and talking to them personally, still seeking advice, asking for autographs and taking selfies. In the end, they were gushing about the band. This was big, taking into consideration that they were not even able to see them perform, but the band still managed to have left an unforgettable imprint on these young minds.

The only downside was that these youngsters did not have the chance to see the band perform, since the concert venue was a bar. This recent tour of The Dawn was their first visit to Canada and included concert stops in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. They are set to release a new album, and show no signs of slowing down with their music. It’s not far fetched that they may once again embark on another Canadian tour.

The next Learning Table will be with Ely Buendia, lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of the popular rock band Eraserheads on October 14, 2017. This is once again in partnership with MRD Productions, producer of Ely’s concert on the same day. For more information and registration to The Learning Table, go to philippineartscouncil.com/the-learning-table.