Post by Chuchay on Aug 27, 2005 23:48:59 GMT -5
There is something very different about Nyoy Volante these days. Aside from being known as Nyoy Volante instead of NV&M, Nyoy's former back-up group, the Mannos, have been replaced by a new but equally talented group of musicians.
The new band is composed of Abe Silva on bass guitar, John Rey Pagalan on saxophone, Steve Gonzales on guitar and John Maynard Albis, the former bonggos player of the Mannos, is now the group's drummer.
Silva, 24, is a former member of the bands Rhythm Authority and 8th of March. A veteran session musician, this talented bass player's resume includes stints with D'Soul, Entity, I-Axe, Real Groove, the Music Making Company and Civil Eyes.
Twenty-seven year old John Rey Pagalan has a Bachelor of Music degree from Silliman University, where he majored in Composition. He was a member of the school's marching band the Silliman University Concert Band, as well as the Silliman University Jazz Band and the Cebu-based Stages Band. John Rey can play the saxophone, piano, guitar, drums and bass guitar, and occasionally plays the organ in church. A promising composer and arranger, he already has one album, entitled John Rey: Beyond Gravity, to his credit.
Like Nyoy, Steve Gonzales is a graduate of De La Salle University's College of St. Benilde (CSB). Steve has been playing the guitar since his high school days. His musical influences include Tuck Andress, Paul Jackson, Dave Matthews. His genres of choice are acid jazz, alternative and pop rock. Prior to joining Nyoy, Steve was affiliated with the groups Lifeswitch, D14, CSB Rhythmic Circle Sky, and the Christ Commission Fellowship (CCF)'s Music Ministry, among others.
The only holdover from the Mannos, John Maynard Albis, is no longer just a mere bonggos player. A versatile performer who can play percussions, sing and rap, Maynard's new role in the group is to play the drums. His musical influences are as varied as his talents – they include the Dave Matthews Band, Dream Theater, the 70s pop-rock group Toto and our very own Rivermaya.
At the center of it all is Nyoy, who will still be handling lead vocals and guitar. Having recently won an award for Most Promising Male Entertainer in the recently concluded 2005 Aliw Awards, he shows no signs of slowing down. Aside from out-of-town shows that are constantly sold out (like the ever-popular "El Niño, La Niña" concert series in which he shares the limelight with the Soul Siren Nina) he has also been busy writing and performing jingles for commercials, such as his revival of the APO classic "Anna" for Pantene. Nyoy's rendition of the song even gained him praise from the original composer, no less than Jim Paredes, who said that he "loved what [Nyoy] did with Ana, and even Panalangin."
The new group will make its debut in "Wanted: Pirate Nyoy," a 10-night series to be held at the Blackbeard Seafood Island at Market! Market!. The series, which will run from September to October, will feature the group in a repertoire of soothing acoustic tunes. The show dates are on September 1, 9, 15, 17 and 30 and October 5, 7,12 ,19 and 27.
As the only remaining original member of Nyoy's former back-up group, Maynard, who has taken upon himself the role of the group's spokesperson, says that they are all very excited over this new development in their career and look forward to supporting Nyoy in his future performances.
As a matter of fact, the group and Nyoy have already begun appearing on TV, guesting in shows like "Game Ka Na Ba?" and "Home Boy".
With their kind of talent, it's a safe bet to say that you will be seeing a lot more of this new group in the future.
For booking inquiries, please call 7003 Dynamix at 533-8153 or 718-0945 or 0920-9515567. For the group's schedule and for updates, log on to their official website--www.nyoyvolantemusic.com
