As arguably the most enduring bands in the country, The Dawn has cemented their status as local rock icons since making their debut in 1985. With OPM classic band anthems like “Enveloped Ideas,” "Salamat," and “Iisang Bangka,” they helped define the Pinoy band movement.
This month, the group, currently composed of vocalist Jett Pangan, guitarist Rommel Sanchez, guitarist Francis Reyes, bassist Bim Yance, and drummer JB Leonor, talk about preparing for their upcoming Kwarenta concert in an exclusive interview with PUSH ABS-CBN.
“We have special guests that sort of bring the whole concept of the 40 years together. They are former members of the band. Namely, Kenneth Ilagan who used to be a guitar player for the band, Buddy Zabala who was a 10-year member of The Dawn, and of course, last but not the least, Carlos Balcelis, who for many reasons, is really the OG bassist. Because when we started recording way back in 1987, siya na yung bassista and he covered about eight albums of The Dawn from 1987 to 1994. And also the reunion album that we did in 2001. That’s something I’m really looking forward to. That’s not the usual fare for the band,” Jett said.
With so many talented bands carving out a name for themselves in the OPM scene, The Dawn, as a group, revealed why they do not think it is right to pick out who will follow in their footsteps as an heir apparent to their rock legacy.
“We’re very excited for the band ourselves, The Dawn, because of what we’ve accomplished as a group, but we never think in terms of, oh, who is going to take over the crown or anything like that. Because there’s really nothing to take over. The Dawn’s music has been very unique that luckily has been able to transcend generations. But a lot of bands who are making their name now in the industry have their own sound and their own legacy of their own. I personally don’t look at any particular band and think sila yung susunod.. Longevity-wise, it’s anybody’s game really. So best of luck to everyone,” Jett added.
READ: The Dawn on keeping Pinoy rock alive: ‘It’s not all fun and games’
With the continued rise of popularity of the P-pop scene, The Dawn shared why they applaud groups like the Nation’s Girl Group BINI when it comes to promoting OPM music worldwide. But Jett clarified that the popularity of pop does not mean that the local rock music scene is not thriving as well.
“I think that despite the overwhelming success of groups like BINI and SB19 to name a few examples, band music or band Pinoy rock music never really left. It’s there. There have been doom predictions before, not just here but worldwide, that rock is dead, the band scene is dead. But we’re still here. There are new young bands that are really making it big. We may not have the same fanfare yet as the P-pops, but kudos to them. They are representing the Philippine music scene as a whole. But the band scene I guess underneath that, it’s just there. It will always have an audience,” he explained.
READ: The Dawn celebrates storied legacy with anticipated ‘Kwarenta’ anniversary concert
Even with all of The Dawn members already pushing past 50, the group hopes to share their hits with the younger generation of millennials and Gen Y and Gen Z that may not have grown up with their music through this one-night only event.
“I’m confident that they will love the music din. For the past couple of years, we’ve seen kids, as in mga bata pa talaga, sing 'Enveloped Ideas' and mouthing the words. It’s really amazing. It’s a 40-year-old song. Malamang yung magulang nila were born 40 years ago or even a little later than that. This band has written some good songs we think and it’s nice that it still resonates with really younger people,” Francis admitted.
Watch The Dawn KWARENTA concert on Saturday, June 27, 8 p.m., at The Theater at Solaire in Pasay City. Tickets are available through Ticketworld, the Solaire Box Office at Level 2, and through The Dawn Hotline at 0949 686 6768.