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.

Think BIG, start small : POP goes 3

Neil Quisaba would share his vision over sticks of cigarettes down the driveway in the previous building where we used to work together.

Describing his dream - an exhibit for the benefit of his fellow vector artists' and their finest works, he would name his brainchild Perfect On Paper. The name was later shortened to P.O.P., perhaps to imply modern yet simple and popularly accepted visual ideas.

That was three years ago and I must admit I still feel guilty that I only went days late, missing its debut at Turtle's Nest. And so I didn't get the experience right. I missed its 2nd run last year too.

Not this year. I just cannot fail my promise to good friend Neil anymore.

And so, three years after P.O.P.'s conception (and a year of my quit-smoking-plight) I came to rediscover how much I've missed in the past P.O.P.(s). Neil, congratulations! I've always had so much faith in your undertakings. You've come a long way and will still go where your heart will take you.

To Tschai, I love the journals and postcards. To the artists, congratulations. You all did a really great job.

Cheers ninyo tanan!