Bamboo

Bamboo was a Filipino alternative rock band founded in 2002 by Francisco "Bamboo" Mañalac, Ira Cruz, Nathan Azarcon and Vic Mercado.

Band origin

Francisco "Bamboo" Mañalac serves as the band's frontman. Contrary to popular belief, the band is not named after him. According to Ira Cruz, the guitarist, the word bamboo relates to strength and durability with an island feel to it. Also, it's very Filipino and Asian at the same time.

Two of its members, Bamboo Mañalac and Nathan Azarcon, were formerly part of Rivermaya. The other two members, Ira Cruz and Vic Mercado, were former instrumentalists of another band, Passage. Ira Cruz and Nathan Azarcon were also former members of the band Kapatid during that time.

Four years after their departure from Rivermaya, Mañalac and Azarcon caught up again with each other, during which Azarcon introduced him to Ira Cruz and Vic Mercado.

Music career

Bamboo's debut album, As The Music Plays, was released in February 2004 where it received positive response from fans and critics alike. The album also won numerous awards at the AWIT Awards, NU 107 Rock Awards, and MTV Pilipinas 2004.

Their second album, Light Peace Love, which was released in 2005, consists of ten songs with differing moods and subjects, and took only 3 months to record. This album has a softer sound with both its lyrics and delivery. For this album, the band added more strings and a variety of other instruments, including a trumpet. The band admitted that this album had a personal feel to it. They experimented with several new styles that may please new listeners, at the risk of disappointing fans of the more conventional rock of their first album.

Their third album, We Stand Alone Together, was released in 2007 with participation of JOSHUA "JESSA". It contains revived local songs such as Buklod's "Tatsulok" and international songs such as Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover", from different generations. It also includes bonus tracks like unplugged versions of their hit songs from previous albums such as "Mr. Clay", "These Days", and "Hallelujah". Once again, opting to do away with the conventional rock image that was attached to them, they produced sounds which were more jazzy than expected.

Star Records--backed up by ABS-CBN TV Production and MYX--produced and created the official soundtrack for the tele-epiko "Rounin", wherein the title track "Argos" was performed by Bamboo. A new avenue was opened to the band, as "Argos" is said to be the band’s first venture to record a song for a primetime television show. It is also the first time for the multi-awarded band and Star Records to work together.
The band is also part of the "Days of Peace" Campaign by UNICEF with Gary Valenciano.[4] The band's fourth album, Tomorrow Becomes Yesterday achieved platinum status on September 28, 2008 - just two days after its release.

Break-up

News had been circulating on January 9 that Bamboo has allegedly disbanded. DJ KC Montero of Wave 89.1 confirmed the breakup on Wave's The KC Show and via Twitter.
Montero clarified that all the members of the band "have decided to move on," and that he does not know why they called it quits. The group has not released an official statement on the issue, according to ABS-CBNNews.com.

Bamboo's lead vocalist Francisco "Bamboo" Mañalac finally confirmed the breakup of his band in an official statement posted before midnight of January 11 on the group's website.


Awards Received

SOP Music Awards 2005
Strictly Alternative Category Winner: "Hallelujah" - Bamboo
SOP Pasiklaband 2006
Best Rock Band: BambooVocalist of the Year: Bamboo Mañalac
MTV Pilipinas 2004 Music Awards
Favorite New Artist/Group: Bamboo for "Noypi"
Favorite Song: "Noypi" - Bamboo
Favorite Group: Bamboo for "Noypi"
MTV Pilipinas 2005 Music Awards
Favorite Media Soundtrack: "Fiesta Amazing" (Smart) - Bamboo
MTV Pilipinas 2006 Music Awards
Best Cinematography in a Video: Bamboo for "Much Has Been Said"
18th Awit Awards 2005
Best Performance by a New Group Recording Artist: "Noypi" - Bamboo
Best Rock Song: "Noypi" - Bamboo
People's Choice Favorite Song: "Noypi" - Bamboo
19th Awit Awards 2006
Album of the Year: Light Peace Love - Bamboo
Best Performance by a Group: Bamboo
Song of the Year: "Hallelujah" - Bamboo
Best Ballad: "Much Has Been Said" - Bamboo
Best Rock Song: "Hallelujah" - Bamboo
People's Choice Award: Bamboo
Most Promising Entertainer: Bamboo
NU Rock Awards 2004
Vocalist of the Year: Bamboo Mañalac
Song of the Year: "Noypi" - Bamboo
Drummer of the Year: Vic Mercado of Bamboo
Listeners' Choice Award: Bamboo
Band of the Year: Bamboo
NU Rock Awards 2005
Vocalist of the Year: Bamboo Mañalac
Album of the Year: Light Peace Love - Bamboo
Listeners' Choice Award: Bamboo
93.1 RX Year End Awards 2004
Song of the Year: "Masaya" - Bamboo
New Local Artist of the Year: Bamboo
Local Group of the Year: Bamboo
89.9 TM Year End Awards 2004
Song of the Year: "Masaya" - Bamboo
New Local Artist of the Year: Bamboo
Song of the Year: "Noypi" - Bamboo

Songs from Bamboo Band

04
Alpha Beta Omega
Children of the Sun
Feelin' Alright
I-You
Mr. Clay
Peace Man
Probinsyana
Tatsulok
Umagang Kay Ganda
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
Argos
Dinner At 6
Hallelujah
Light Years
Much Had Been Said
Prayer For The Dying
So Far Away
These Days
War of Hearts and Minds
Alive
As The Music Plays Our Band
F.U.
Hudas
Masaya
Noypi
Pride and the Flame
Take Me Down
Truth

Members:

Francisco"Bamboo" Manalac(Vocals)
-Former Vocalist of Rivermaya
-Vocalist of the year 2004*
-Vocalist of the year 2005*
-Nominated for Vocalist of the year 2007*

Nathan Azarcon (Bass)
-Former Bassist of Rivermaya
-Former Bassist of Kapatid
-Nominated for Bassist of the year 2005*
-Bassist of the year 2007*

Ira Cara Cruz (Guitar)
-Former Guitarist of Passage
-Former Guitarist of Kapatid
-Nominated of Guitarist of the year 2005*
-Guitarist of the year 2007*

Vic Mercado(Drums)
-Former Drumer of Passage
-Drummer of the Year 2004*
-Nominated for Drumer of the year 2005*
-Drummer of the Year 2007*



source: wikipedia