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It’s weird hearing people calling him “coach,” but I know I have to get used to it seeing that the second season of The Voice Philippines is fast approaching. The first time I met Bamboo was when he got back from the States, after he had that hiatus from the whole music thing. I worked with him in a photo shoot, I think that was the very first one he did since he got back. Then when Bamboo, the band, was formed, I’ve been seeing more of him since we’d work on gigs, more photo shoots, you know, the entire media hustle that happens in working for a publication. Our friendship began and grew between him, Ira, Vic, Nathan, and Pancho, their then manager and who’s Bamboo’s manager at the moment. I won’t go through the band break up / heartache/ “he said, he said” story about the band because that’s none of our business, really.
So OK, just like how I asked Ely to do this Cover Collab project with me, I also sent Bamboo a tweet. And here’s his reply:
There are actually numerous reasons that I can think of for him to say “no.” One would be his schedule because he’s an extremely in-demand artist. You see, ever since he went solo, the magnitude of projects that this man has been doing is just a lot…A LOT. There’s The Voice, ASAP, his Globe endorsement/activities, his both local and out of the country tours, that’s why when finally, after almost a year and a half of him agreeing to sing with me, it was definitely worth the wait! I have to give it to Pancho, he had to put up with all my bugging, pagtatampo, and emotional breakdowns.
Bambs and I threw song suggestions at each other. When I went to his gig in Nuvali, we had a conversation again regarding the Cover Collab and which songs we’re going to record, he suggested “Much Has Been Said,” guys, if you don’t know this song, here it is.
he panicked a bit. He though I got into an accident or something.
Dude, I love you, but I won’t be in your gig should that have been the case .
That song is one of my favorite songs ever and for him to suggest that we sing it, made me really happy; a dream come true. If blood compact was still a customary thing to do, I’d ask him to do it when he said “Tara! Let’s do that. I wrote it and it’s one of my favorites.”
So finally, the day of the recording, Pancho told me to be at 8th Note Studios because they will have their last rehearsal for the Christmas show at Music Museum.
So here’s what we came up with for our Cover Collab. We decided to cover Ed Sheeran’s “A-Team” and “Much Has Been Said.” I have to thank my friend Bamboo for doing this with and for me, for agreeing to sing with your crazy, dorky, bully of a friend. I sang with Bamboo Mañalac…. check!
Denise J. Mallabo 