Wonggoys signed up for ICO Music too

Did I mention that Wonggoys are awesome?  I think I did.

So I was in Starbucks, IT Park sitting with the Wong brothers.  We signed the music publishing contract with ICO Music on the 8th of January, 2011.  It wasn't just a signing session though.  It was a meet and greet with the band's manager Mrs. Wong.

The story of the Wonggoys

I know for a fact that Cattski Espina knows good talent when she hears one.  But sharp as she is, she almost missed this one... almost.  She wrote in her blog, and I quote, "I’ve heard about them way before that one dinner meeting that started it all.  I knew they were talented, I just didn’t know they were REALLY talented."

Wonggoys is a music trio of brothers - Gabriel, William, and Kyle .
The group's moniker, sounding obviously like onggoy, Filipino word for monkey, is a reinvention of their Chinese surname Wong.

My Wonggoy story begins at The Outpost boathouse area one evening working with my laptop on a weak wifi signal.  This was sometime January 2010.  I was working on a square bamboo table and beside me to the right were two young couples.  The lady was geek pretty and from the looks of it, they seemed to look romantically involved somehow.  The guy introduced himself and asked about ways to get a gig.

At first glance I almost mistook him for an old friend who owns DaVinci Pizza.  In seconds I figured he just looked like him.  His name is Gabe.  We had a long good talk.  Then after a while I veered my focus back to my laptop and worked again.

Then a month ago, Cattski asked me to draft a music publishing contract for a group called Wonggoys.  The name stuck.  I was sure I heard the name somewhere.  Ah yes, my nephew Gio mentioned them, that they perform in his high school events and they had a huge fanbase.  To me, it sounded like it was just another band story.  I heard this often times before.

Back to the cat, she said she's signing them up for 22 Tango Records and needs a publisher from the back end.  It was meant to be a lazy Sunday for me but after I listened to the songs she emailed, I had to change priority.  In other words I got hooked and jumped on the drafts.

That was a month ago.  And guess what?  My head still spins on their music especially on "Chase The Girl Or Rule The World", my personal favorite from their debut album I’m Not Sure What To Say But I’ll Say It Anyway.

22 Tango invited me to guest in her Dec 22 show at The Outpost.  I saw Gabe again.  He was still with the geeky chick only this time without glasses.  Cattski arrived and introduced me to him.  I said we've met.  Then she said he's Gabe, a Wonggoy.

Bang! There's the connection.

Impressed by their mp3's, I waited for their turn to come on stage.  They brought session musicians with them.  They played.  They're good.  No, that's an understatement.  These young lads can really write, sing, and perform.

The cat hit a gold mine.  And she did excellent work as the creative producer for Wonggoy's album - a producership debut she declares outside her Cattski career.  Altogether, if she purrs this out right, she can make quality pop music for Cebu come alive again.

Kudos.  Congratulations.  I'm now looking forward to see and hear more of Wonggoys this year.

'Kismet My Version' is a videoke contest

I want to look back to wonderful memories such as this and say ."I've done something outrageous."  And 22 Tango Records thought of this.  Well it's Cattski's... her mind at work.  She seems to never run out of things to think about.  I think this videoke event is a really good idea


Have fun making your own videos.


Here's the mechanics (drafted by Cattski and reposted from Squidoo):

1) If you're...

A girl...


A boy...


If you're both (uhm that didn't sound right...hahaha!) or if you want to sing with a partner, sing the duet version.


2) Use your web cam, phone cam or any type of video device and FILM YOURSELF (or ask someone to do it for you) while you sing Kismet with the VIDEOKE/MINUS ONE YouTube vids below. Make sure you have a working pair of computer speakers so the accompaniment will be picked up by your PC's microphone! (This has been done before by a lot of people, I'm sure you can figure this out). Be creative. Come up with your own style, apply gimmicks etc, you're free to do whatever you want, but please we beg you, don't go naked!

3) Upload your own Kismet video on YouTube, Facebook and send a link or PM Cattski on Facebook via www.facebook.com/cattski.espina, www.facebook.com/CATTSKI, or you can email the YouTube link to cattskiespina@yahoo.com. You may also tweet her.

4) Deadline of submission is December 11. The winner gets an entire Kismet Merchandise (CD, shirt and journal) and will sing his, her or their version of Kismet together with the band (Zafra or Cattski) on December 12 for the KISMET MY VERSION LIVE at the Outpost.

Cheers!

22 Tango Records announces

Good friends Cattski and Anne Muntuerto is up for something and it's a good one.  The word is tango.  Music is their business.  And their philosophy is anchored on collaborations.

The name is 22 Tango Records.  It stands for two to tango.  It also stands for two as in plural, just the minimum number for collaborations.  It stands for partnership.  It stands for so many other things good.

Read their public announcement.

Kismet Stills and Lines

So the success was kismetical.  Of course I'm talking about the launch of Kismet singles in Handuraw.  And it's just the beginning of more good things to come.  It never ends.

For starters, 22 Tango Records, Cattski's indie label thought of this.  I'd like to call it 'Stills and Lines'.