The Roots: Filipino Rockers and Musicians of Winnipeg (1974-1982)
Levy Abad , Singer-Songwriter -September, 2016
Published on September 18,2016 , http://www.philippinecanadiannews.com/ Sept 18,2016
Published on September 18,2016 , http://www.philippinecanadiannews.com/ Sept 18,2016
Introduction
Jade Band 80s |
Cobra band 1970s |
Songwriter's curiosity
Alex Oyas , folk and country singer |
Sta. Cruz
Band
Celso Bueno |
would like to mention that the earliest band formed was the Sta. Cruz band. This information was given to me by Manong Butch Jularbal in a phone conversation (September 12, 2016, 10:58 a.m.), with whom I had a nice chat about his music days in the Peg. He mentioned that he actually played with a three piece band, together with Calso Bueno who plays bass and Ricky Hibi on drums.. Sta. Cruz band was an experimental band that was formed in early 1974. The band Mikrobyo, would come later that year with new members like Tony Igonia, Eric Lucas , Reno Clement,Teo Mance and Jessie Opina. Later on, Butch Jularbal became a regular member of Cobra band in 1975-76 and so Sta Cruz band faded from the scene.
Butch of Sta Cruz Band early 1974 |
Celso Bueno with friends |
not having met the late Celso Bueno who is from Nagcarlan, Laguna, same province where I came from. But as a consolation, I am glad to know that he was one of the pioneers in the Winnipeg Filipino music scene. It is interesting to note that Celso Bueno also lent his establishment for the bands to hang out and also employed them as musicians for years until he passed away.
Mikrobyo
Band (1974)
Tony Igonia Bassist of Mikrobyo |
An article by Leigh Ann Sommers that appeared on Filipino Journal in the late 80s , reaffirms that in 1974, Teo Mance, the famous folk singer in the Winnipeg Filipino community, was a member of Mikrobyo band until he left to go solo and eventually moved to BC. This story was also repeated by Mar Tuazon of Jade band (1978 ) in a phone conversation. Mikrobyo band played at different lounges and hotel bars. Jojo Yso of Traffikk Jamm (2016 ) told me that they were legends in the community back in the mid 70s up to the late 80s. I asked Butch Jularbal as to why a lot of his friends thought that he was a member of Mikrobyo ? He explained that during the time, he went around playing with different groups to find the best one.
My interview with Tony Igonia gave me an insight of Mikrobyo band. I ask him about Celso Bueno and he said that Celso never became a member of Mikrobyo. Celso was a member of the first band in Winnipeg . The reason people got confused was because the group of Celso during that time, would always call on Mikrobyo members to perform with them at wedding socials etc.
Tony Igonia vividly remembers how they came up with the name Mikrobyo. With gusto , he told me that he, together with Erik Lucas and Reno Clement watched a movie titled Andromeda Strain and the conversation afterwards was to use the title of the movie as their band name. Somebody said it was too long or folks wouldn't get it. Eventually, someone suggested "Mikrobyo" instead, everybody agreed and so it came to be the bands name..
My interview with Ardie Sarao on September 3, 2016, he said that he met the members of Mikrobyo band and learned to play the guitar with their guidance. Ardie added that he became a“saling pusa” (hang out) of Mikrobyo sometime in the early 80s with Tony Igonia and the rest of the band.
Cobra Band
1975-76: Playing during the Disco Era
Robin Morrier, Conrad Cordoviz, Butch Jularbal and Brian Paul |
Butch Jularbal of Cobra band 1975 |
Butch
Jularbal was the lead guitarist of Cobra. Mario Tuazon (the best man at Butch Jularbal’s
wedding) also shared that Cobra played at the Grant Motor Hotel, Canadian Motor
Hotel, Hanger 22 Hotel and Paddle Wheel. In a text message of Butch (September 12, 3:42 p.m.), he wrote,“Cobra
band was the first band to play at Pubs Montcalm near University of Manitoba
back in the late 70s.....We have agents who
booked us in different parts of Manitoba.” These places were again
mentioned by Butch Jularbal in his other
text message (Sept. 12, 2016,10:41 a.m.).
Other members of the band were Eric Lucas (bass
guitar), Danny Zapata (organ), Brian Paul (Keyboards) and Robin Morrier (drums) and Conrado “Conrad”
Cordoviz who plays lead and bass from time to time. Conrad Cordovis said that
he joined the band by mid-1977. The band’s
repertoire includes Rock and Roll, Blues, Top 40, Bee Gees and Disco (text
message of Butch Jularbal, Sept 12, 2016,10:44 a.m.). According to Butch Jularbal, the band Cobra
disbanded sometime in the early part of 1979. By 1980 and 81, Butch left for Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta with Cliff Ho whose band South East movement had just disbanded. They performed in
the best venues in Alberta like the Banff Hotel for example. Cliff, by the way,
was the original bass player of Juan De la Cruz and was also the keyboard
player of the South East Movement Band.
In the seventies, some bands that performed in Winnipeg were from
Calgary.
Butch Jularbal on right |
The musical influences that they brought with them
from the Philippines were different from the Rock n Roll of Winnipeg, which, during
that time, was Rolling Stones and ZZ Top an American rock band that formed in
1969 in Houston Texas performing Blues rock, Boogie rock and Hard rock. He
remembers Cobra playing Bee Gees and Earth Wind and Fire songs, which were kind of
unacceptable during that time. He shared
that one time they performed in one border town called St. Piere where there was
a mix group of people who were really happy with Disco
music. Back in the 70s and 80s, Butch added that Winnipeg was not into Disco.
My research on Butch Jularbal on Facebook led me to
a posting by Willie Posadas (July 27, 2010) where it says that he recently
viewed the DVD movie (2009) “Driven to Kill” of Steven Segal. Butch Jularbal
played the music “Butch Blues” in this movie, and also has other music
credits/soundtrack in two other movies, “The
Silencer” and “For a Few Lousy
Dollars.” Butch is indeed a very talented
musician and former “Vagabond” from Bagiuo. He now lives in Vancouver. Wow, seeing
this post on Facebook just proves the stories that I heard from Mar Tuazon and
other old time musicians in the Peg that Butch Jularbal is really good in his
craft.
When I contacted Jose “Jun“ Pacifico, I asked him
about what he can remember about the group Cobra and he told me that he was
able to listen to them and session with them once. He recalls Cobra band
covering the songs of STYX like Babe.
Jun noted that Cobra also covered Top 40s and danceable songs. “The band has to cover popular songs to
survive the music scene or the management hires another that can satisfy the
likes of the clientele,” Jun explained.
I am grateful and I really appreciate Butch Jularbal’s
willingness to share some information and the musical atmosphere of the
time. Even with the stature he has
reached, Butch is so humble and devoid
of primadonna attitude, which just confirms what Kuya (Elder) Mar Javier told
me that the Jularbals are good folks and humble. Mario Javier is one of the seniors who became the President of Health Sciences Union and had known the parents of Butch
Jularbal.
Butch has
been in BC for several years now and he is still playing with a band. My FB
friend, Leo Orpilla Cunanan, told me that he performed with Manong Butch with a
band named “Butch and the Sundance Kids”
from 1984 to 1992. Butch Jularbal is also the band leader of another band
called "Catch 22" and performs at a place called Stefanos in BC. He is
also writing his journey as a musician and I am just happy to cover a bit of his
artist’s narrative back in the 70s up to the time that he left for British
Columbia.
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