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The
Picassos of Pop Saturday morning, around 2:30 am, February 98. Later on, I find out that Anima is latin for soul---it explains their lively performance. Though the inside joke is that they should have been Animal except wala daw silang el. This six-member band of yuppies (theyve got 2 students, a DJ, an architect, a writer, and a graphic artist) thinks itself a gathering of acid jazz aficionados playing funked-up power pop. As a band theyre three years old, but as friends, some of them go all the way back to grade three. But how about as a public entity? Animas male lead singer Cholo Mallillin (a well-known DJ on a top FM station) replies: We havent played in any really big venues yet, so were not too well-known. All this time, weve been concentrating on building a good repertoire of songs, and honing our performance skills. Which is why we havent auditioned to play in Makati or Greenhills clubs. And maybe this is the reason why they are still an unsigned band? Cholo again: Well, we do have enough original compositions for an album of twelve songs but we havent had the time to record demos of everything. For the seven or so demos weve done, the response from some recording companies has been medyo lukewarm. They like it, pero theyre waiting for the buzz. The buzz, meaning word-of-mouth that spreads the bands reputation around the city till people flock to gigs in droves. How awful, I think. Because Ive heard their songs and asked them for copies of lyrics, and these guys have the musical genius and songwriting abilities to pull off a musical renaissance. Just not enough of the breaks. Guitarist Jappy Xavier: And the problem I guess is, hindi talaga kami pang-masa. Most of our originals are very acid jazz, very Brand New Heavies/Jamiroquai/Incognito. We sing in English most of the time, and its poetic English, not doom rock angst. Who writes the songs? Who decides about the musical arrangements? And where do they get the guts to play originals in-between pop covers? Female lead singer Sheerin Castillo says: Most of the songs are written by our keyboardist, but all of us contribute to the final sound. Team effort talaga. And whenever we plan out our sets for a gig, we always include originals. Its the best way to balance playing coverswhich others may feel is selling out---and staying true to the music we really love. I go over their lyric sheets after the gig and stare at the lines. Surprisingly I remember the tunes. I mean, thats how catchy the songs were. Take a look. From their Indigo Girl-ish love song, You Came To Me: You/The fates they give me/ You/ As it should be/ You/ The diamond in my life of brick and stone/ You give me truth in flesh and bone/You sing within me. From their uptempo, Swing Out Sister-ly Higit Pa: Tayoy higit pa sa kaibigan/ Higit pa sa pangarap/ Higit pa sa magkasama/ Higit pa sa ting sadya At kung may takot kay huwag kang mabahala/ Sinusumpa sa iyo sinta, higit sa magpakailanman. And well, I have the utmost faith that these guys (and girl) are not going to be ignored. Once the word gets out that this band has a fast and funky live show, that their unique originals are worth the trip and that they truly live up to their name: Anima = Soul. BACK TO TOP |