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Bamboo Mañalac has walked away twice from bands he had fronted—Rivermaya in the 1990s and Bamboo only nine months ago. Recently he emerged as a solo artist at the “Tanduay Rhum Rockfest: Year V,” held at the SM Mall of Asia open grounds.
Contemplative
The crowd of thousands broke into ecstatic shrieks when Bamboo’s name flashed on the video screens. The din escalated as the singer, known for his intensity as a performer, appeared onstage.
Backed by a four-man band and a string ensemble—two cellists and 10 violinists—Bamboo reined in his fire and did a contemplative rendition of The Beatles’ “Across the Universe.” Weeping violins drenched the song in sentimentality.
He picked up the pace with U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” followed by Buklod’s “Tatsulok.” The strings certainly added a new texture to Bamboo’s sound. But this intriguing element was drowned out when the repertoire rocked forth.
Bamboo slowed down again, staying faithful to the sobriety of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” The string ensemble resumed the magic, playing a passage that let Bamboo segue seamlessly into his own “Hallelujah.” The mad crescendo of guitars and drums leading to the chorus drove the fans wild.
At that point, people wondered aloud if he would perform new material. Bamboo, apparently reading their minds, capped his set with “Questions,” a rock ballad. The song, said to be the first single from his coming album, “No Water, No Moon,” featured a lengthy, piano-driven instrumental ending.
The crowd wanted more. To say the fans missed Bamboo would be a gross understatement.
The rest of the rock fest lineup included Bamboo’s Rivermaya cohort (now solo artist) Rico Blanco, Ebe Dancel, Ney, The Dawn, Moonstar 88, Orient Pearl, Hilera, Dong Abay, Gloc-9, Siakol, Grin Department, The Youth, Paco Arespacochaga, Up Dharma Down, Urbandub, Hungry, Young Poets, Color It Red, Franco, P.O.T., Tropical Depression, Typecast and Razorback, as well as the 2011 Tanduay First Five national concert tour acts Wolfgang, Chicosci, Sandwich, Kamikazee and Parokya ni Edgar.
Sampaguita redux
Another highlight was the appearance of Pinoy rock queen Sampaguita. “Am I too old for this?” she teased the audience. A middle-aged guy behind us shot back: “Hindi! Liligawan pa kita!”
In a flashy outfit with animal prints, Sampaguita reprised “Bonggahan” and “Tao,” two of the most brilliantly crafted songs of the great Pinoy rock canon of the 1970s.
While the older fans reveled in nostalgia with another Sampaguita hit, “Nosi Balasi,” the younger ones were pleasantly surprised. “Ah, siya pala kumanta niyan,” a girl beside us said.
Organizers said one of the concert’s aims is to show how our artists have evolved. Seeing Sampaguita back onstage, if only for a while, the twenty-somethings had a crash course in Pinoy rock classics appreciation.
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