Rock goddesses unite

TRES Marias (from left) Cooky Chua, Lolita Carbon and Bayang Barrios.

Each member of the trio Tres Marias carved a niche in Philippine entertainment, in separate periods that span decades.

Lolita Carbon fronted the iconic group Asin in the 1970s and, on and off, into the succeeding decades. Bayang Barrios performed with Bagong Lumad in the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. And Cooky Chua sang lead vocals for pop-rock band Color it Red from 1989, and later, Bluesviminda.

At the height of the campaign for the Reproductive Health Act of 2012, the three women found themselves bound by the advocacy. A friend said at one gathering, “Heto na naman ang Tres Marias!”

And the name stuck.

Born and bred in Malate, Lolita was barely out of her bobby socks when she started singing professionally at 13. A family friend saw her perform at Luisa and Sons, a restaurant in Avenida, and promptly informed her father, who rushed to the “scene of the crime” and doused her with crackling expletives.

Few know that back in 1976, Lolita would sing on board a Baguio-bound bus for half an hour and got paid P150, plus a free stay at the Pines Hotel.

TRES Marias’ EP cover

Success came in 1978 when she broke through as one of the founding members of the legendary group Asin (originally “Salt of the Earth”). Way ahead of its time, Asin sang about the environment long before climate change started staring us in the face. Their songs were deemed courageous in a time of political upheaval.

Asin became a household name, and their songs, mostly from the album “Masdan Mo ang Kapaligiran,” became part of the collective cultural memory of a generation. Lolita likewise joined, sometimes cofounded, several other groups. But it was with Asin that she won the recognition she is proudest of, including Aliw’s Best Folk Song of the Year for “Pagbabalik” (1978), and  Jingle Magazine Awards’  Album of the Year for “Himig ng Lahi” (1984).

Indigenous

Bayang was 18, a college junior, when she started singing with Joey Ayala and his band Bagong Lumad in Davao City in the 1980s, at the peak of vigilante killings targeting revolutionaries.

When she was much younger, Bayang was ashamed of her indigenous roots. But as Lumad toured the country, she learned to appreciate and embrace her identity.

She went on to receive several awards, starting with Katha and the Catholic Mass Media Awards in 1997 for her album “Bayang Makulay.” She was declared 1999 Golden Vocalist of Asia in a regional festival held in Hanoi, Vietnam. She was grand prize winner in the Manila Metropop Music Festival in 2003. Her album “Biyaya” was declared PMPC’s Best Alternative Album of the Year for 2009.

Shy performer

Cooky was 15 and a college freshman at the College of the Holy Spirit in Mendiola when she started singing at Heartbeat. She reportedly performed with her back turned to the audience because she was painfully shy.

When the band scene exploded in the 1990s, Cooky was 18, and already a rock goddess in a male-dominated arena.

Cooky bagged several accolades with Color It Red: Awit awards for Best Performance by a New Group (1995) and Best Performance in a Duet (1997); Best Vocal Performance (Rock) from Katha in 2002. She won the Golden Vocalist of Asia trophy a year ahead of Bayang in Hanoi.

New songs

The trio recently performed at Conspiracy Bar.

“We are introducing the Marias to young listeners,” said Vic Valenciano, A&R (artist and repertoire) director of Curve Entertainment, the trio’s record label.

“’Wika,’ our first single, speaks of love for our native tongue, (Filipino),” he said. The cut was used in GMA 7’s Linggo ng Wika 2013 television commercial.

He added, “The list of songs to be recorded were submitted by the Marias, some came from Curve. We intended to record songs with strong women’s messages and advocacies, but the Marias thought the idea would be too ‘heavy’ and predictable. Eventually, it was trimmed down and the group opted to do light, positive songs that speak of love.”

Cooky and Bayang decided to reprise one Rey Valera song each, “Ayoko Na sa ‘Yo and “Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo,” respectively. Lolita, with her trademark rasp, has a surprising cover of “Bakit Ba Ganyan?”

Tres Marias, as a group, render Florante’s “Sana,” and Gary Granada’s “Kung Ayaw Mo na

sa Akin.”

These days, the two younger Marias balance their careers and family lives.

Bayang is married to musician Mike Villegas, and is mother to 7-year-old Mayumi. She also crafts one-of-a-kind beaded necklaces.

Cooky is a doting mother to young teenager Wacky (her son with comedian Earl Ignacio). For her day job, she does catalog work and research for an NGO.

Lolita’s sons are all grown-up and in their 30s. The hot momma is “single and back to the basics!”

The EP of Tres Marias had its digital release early this month and is available in Astro Vision and Odyssey. The album will be launched on March 8, International Women’s Day.

Photos by Leo M. Sabangan II