Rappler Live Jam diaries: Underrated shows from 2019 you may have missed

MANILA, Philippines – 2019 was another big year for Rappler Live Jam, with acts that included OPM legends, early 2000s icons, rising stars, and just a lot of talented people who are passionate about making music.

We previously released a list of some of our favorite shows: Ben&Ben, Ebe Dancel, Ruby Ibarra and the Balikbayans, Gloc-9 – just to name a few.

This time around, we give you a list of 2019 acts that you may have missed – but really shouldn’t sleep on:

Hiraya

This duo made of lead vocalist Craig and violinist Dabe are the indie-folk duo whose music is perfect for a rainy day or a long drive. On Live Jam, they performed with a keyboardist – but the magnitude of their music felt like there were more people on stage. As completely independent musicians, they talked about the challenges they have to go through to get their music out there – which only makes us respect them – and all independent musicians – so much more.

Nar Cabico

With a voice like Nar’s it’s almost a wonder that the singer-songwriter hasn’t yet taken over the world – but he may soon do, if his Live Jam performance is anything to go by. His playful set – performed with an equally talented team of theater actors and musicians – was defined by suave, powerhouse vocals and the type of lovelorn storytelling that we wouldn’t mind getting more of this year.

Bopek

Not gonna lie, the priss in me had a slight reservation about saying this band’s name out loud on the internet (for those who don’t know, it’s a slang term that is a shortened version of “boses pekpek” – literally, pussy voice) – but we do love a female vocalist, especially if her voice sounds like frontwoman Phoebe’s – who, at some point during their set, even had a little scatting moment. Aside from the voalist though, Bopek’s set also featured long instrumental parts where the guitarists Vince and Wilton were able to show off their skills.

Bopek’s brand of music is hard to pin down – kind of like blue-eyed soul, but distinctly Filipino, and with a smattering of soft rock thrown into the mix. But no matter the genre though, they were a pleasure to listen to live – and definitely a band we’re looking out for in the future.

PusaKalye

Living up to their name, this band often performs on the streets of Makati – which perhaps added a spontaneous feel to their set when they played on Live Jam. during their set, they performed a setlist of unapologetically mushy love songs – the kind that any hugot-seeking Filipino would play and cry to on a rainy night.

Charlie Lim

We really should be listening to more music from the other parts of Southeast Asia – because your next favorite song might just be out there, being sung by an artist from the region. Maybe it’s a song from Singaporean singer-songwriter Charlie Lim, who swung by Rappler for an acoustic, soulful show that really made us wonder why we haven’t heard more from him before.

Morobe

We didn’t really know what to expect from the kids of Morobe (and by kids we mean college students, they’re that young) – but they left our jaws dropping with an acid jazz set punctuated by vocalist Laean’s velvety voice, glorious instrumental riffs from the rest of the band.

We’ll be kicking off a new series of Live Jam shows soon – so there’s more awesome music coming your way. If these underrated acts prove anything, it’s that you should tune in every week, because you never know the kind of magic you might discover at the next show. – Rappler.com