Asia Band (1979 to 1981)

Levy Abad, Singer Songwriter

Evangeline "Baby" Igonia Asia's Singer

At about the same time when the original Jade band of 1978 was making waves in the city, there was another band known as the Asia band, comprising mostly of the same members of the Jade band.  The members of the Asia band were the following:  Robin Morrier on drums and band leader, Tony Igonia  on bass guitar, Evangeline ”Baby” Igonia on vocals, Conrado Cordoviz on lead guitar, Oscar Lopez on guitar ( according to Tony Igonia ), Gerry Atwell on keyboards.  One will notice that some of the members of Asia were also members of Jade band like Conrad, Robin,Oscar and Gerry Atwell. “Baby” Igonia recalls that before she went solo with Art Rivera, a pianist, she went to Hawaii to visit her mom who was ill for a month and so Gigi Zapata shortly became the band's singer .

I asked Tony Igonia where Asia band was formed and he said that it was at the house of Robin Morrier where it all started.  Robin is a Singaporean married to a Filipina nurse. According to Tony , Robin was working as a  jail guard at that time and had a spacious house. It was at the basement of this house where they practiced. Tony commented that Robin has a complete set of instruments that they used. Tony remembers that even Cobra and  Jade band used to practice at the basement of Robin Morrier.

Jade band  gigs as Asia Band too  in 1979-80

According to Tony Igonia  in the 70, he went to Vietnam to play with a band and that was where he met “Baby” Javier.  Baby was a known soloist in the Philippines. She sang in a famous noon time show of ABS CBN, known   then as DZAQ-TV. She used to host one of the events of  Stop, Look and Listen,  a Philippine variety show from 1968 to 1972.  Tony Igonia added that Baby performed at a top supper club in front of the US Embassy. She was an accomplished singer and friends with the composer of the songs of Imelda Papin. If she never went abroad back in '71 and '72, she could have ended up singing some the songs of Imelda Papin.

Baby, better known in the Philippines as Dulce Romualdez, sent  me a detailed  description of her singing  history where she said, and I quote, “Philippine Photography was the one that gave me the name Dulce after they sponsored me to be a one of the contestants for Miss Philippines. I used to be a singer and a model for Volks Vagen, together with Maggie De la Riva. I modeled for La Germania and Westinghouse, etc. I sang at all the night clubs along the Dewey Blvd.  Benny Villapando  Orchestra was the one who arranged the pieces that I sang. I did not sing with a band at Dewey, it was all Orchestra, except for the one at the Flame. Just like all the singers during that time, I was discovered at Luisa and Sons. I was in the limelight of my career when I left with Tony for Canada in 1974”(Facebook message September 18,2016).

In a another Facebook message, Baby Igonia said, "We were happy back then, we played in tough areas and I felt safe. My bandmates where protective” (Sep 18,2016). When I relayed this idea of tough gigs, Gerry Atwell  added, "we did Savoy Hotel on Higgins and Main which gave us regular work  and even did a New Years Eve gig at this  venue. Main street had a tough reputation but we loved playing there and loved the staff and the patrons, many of whom were indigenous folks."

Gerry clearly recalls an incident in one of their gigs. "We played at the Moncalm Hotel in Pembina and one night, a huge fight broke out between  a small group of Filipino young men who’d come to see us and the predominantly mainstream patrons of the bar. One of the Filipino men pulled out a serpentine dagger and used it to back off the mob that had circled him and his friends. They backed out of the bar, but in the parking lot, one Montcalm patron was struck in the head with a hammer and another was stabbed causing him to lose his spleen. We still had to play there the following night." Gerry continued,“We also played the Dakota Hangar 22 near the airport, the Balmoral, the bar at Marion and Archibald, the Chalet” (Gerry Atwell, Sept 20, 2016 FB message). Thanks a lot Gerry for helping out with some of the songs, places and events that you shared that shaped the memories of both members of your band and those who enjoyed your music.

Evangeline “Baby" Igonia also remembers  that  Gerry Atwell was a great singer of soul music. Baby used to be the back up of Gerry whenever the latter sings. I called Tony and asked about the repertoire of Asia and here is what he told me. They played Sting, Queen's “Another One Bites The Dust,” which was released in 1980. A lot of Pat Benatar (Hit Me With Your Best Shot, September 1980) and Blondie, Eric Clapton's song Coccaine (released 1976) and Bruce Springsteen.  I told Tony Igonia that the songs of the Queen are tenor songs  and he shared that it was Conrado Cordoviz and Baby who sang some of the songs. Gerry Atwell, in a Facebook message relayed that they used to cover the songs of John Lennon’s last  album, Double Fantasy, with hit songs like,"Just Like Starting Over,” “Woman” and “Watching The Wheels” that was released in 1980.

Tony Igonia Asia's bass guitarist

Tony Igonia stayed with the Asia Band only for a short time as he had a full time job and he cannot play for a whole week, unlike the rest of the band who were full time musicians during that time. Eventually, Tony and  Baby left the group.  In the case of Baby, she went solo, performing, for instance, at the Polo Park Inn, singing mostly standard songs and ballads with a back up pianist Art Rivera. Tony, on the pother hand, went low profile and played with the Carribean community every Saturday and Sunday, learning bass with  Reggae music for Caribbean parties. He also played western music with mainstream Canadian group and even polka with a Polish band that performs at Legions community centres.

Presently, the members of Asia band are based in other provinces, but most of them are still performing. Gerry Atwell still performs regularly. Oscar Lopez, the famous Chilean guitarist who is known Canada-wide, is now residing in Calgary. He still performs professionally. Conrado Cordoviz is still performing with the praise band of St. Edwards Church for 16 years now. According to a Facebook friend, Robin Morrier, from time to time, still plays the drums. Robin now resides in BC, just like Baby and Tony Igonia who still plays music occasionally. With all the stories shared by these music legends,  I guess the message they want to impart is “Keep on Rocking!”