On the Road with Bamboo & Rivermaya

“EASY DULLS THE blade,” Bamboo quips when asked about the challenges of striking out on his own, a metaphor that resonates for his former band Rivermaya over the course of their 20-year journey in the Philippine music scene.

Bamboo, who started his career as the enigmatic frontman of the legendary ’90s band, is currently considered rock royalty in the homeland while Rivermaya is still known to Filipinos worldwide for their epic anthems and countless radio pop hits.

Having gone through a lot of changes over the years, it was never an easy ride for both artists, but their dedication and common passion for music has led them through all the bumps.

“At first I thought striking it out on my own was going to be hard, but once I started with the process of making the new album, No water no moon, good things just happened and from my experience of the past couple of years..its been great. It’s never supposed to be easy,” explains Bamboo.

Growing together and apart, both Bamboo and Rivermaya have maintained their resilience, consistently producing brand new material that would continue to build the fabric of OPM (Original Pilipino Music).

Mark Escueta, the lone original founding member, describes Rivermaya’s new album Panatang Makabanda as another ‘thank you’ to all supporters who waited patiently for new music from Rivermaya.

“It is also the beginning of our pledge to keep making music for as long as we can.”

Mark is joined on tour by long time guitarist Mike Elgar and their two new recruits - bassist Norby David and drummer Ryan Peralta, both excited to be part of a legendary band.

“One of the biggest bands that the Philippines ever produced, and I’m in it! Sometimes I still have to remind myself that this is all real. Yes, the ‘legacy’ adds a little bit of pressure, but once the lights go on and you hear the audience singing along to every song we play I just let go and enjoy the ride,” shares new bassist Norby David.

“Aside from being friends with Mark and Mike before joining the band, it really is a privilege to be part of continuing Rivermaya’s legacy. It still gets overwhelming sometimes, but I try my best to keep the spirit,” Ryan says of his role as the new drummer for Rivermaya.

All long time friends and collaborators, Bamboo, Mark and the rest of the new Rivermaya crew describes working together as a lot of fun.

“Most of the work happens off-stage and every gig is the celebration that we share with all our guests,” says Mark.

Looking back Bamboo also has some fond memories with Rivermaya.“Beginnings are always sweet.”

Regarding the Dubai show, Mark noted they will be playing a back-to-back set, meanwhile Bamboo is more laid back saying, “We’ll see what happens.”