Jo Koy’s guests reconnect with Pinoy roots

Jo Koy (center) with Andrew Lopez and Joey Guila

Jo Koy and his gags hardly ever disappoint—and part of the most satisfying elements of his latest comedy special “Jo Koy: In His Elements” is the high-wire feat of bringing not just Netflix to the Philippines, but taking along with him other Filipino-American talents on his homecoming journey.

The show also treats viewers to the music of Grammy-winning Fil-Am producer !llmind (aka Ramon Ibanga Jr.) and homegrown singer-actor Iñigo Pascual and provides a platform to introduce B-boy Ronnie (of Full Force Super Crew) and three diverse Fil-Am stand-up comedians—Andrew Lopez, Joey Guila and Andrew Orolfo—to viewers in 180 countries around the world.

Indeed, the special allows them “to be seen” by more people and proves there’s more where Jo Koy’s Filipino ancestry, artistry and heart are coming from.

To create music for “In His Elements,” !llmind, who has worked with the stellar likes of Drake Jay-Z and Beyonce, inventively incorporated rap and traditional Filipino hooks to fuse two cultures together. In the show, we see the Grammy winner, with DJ Medmessiah assisting him, hard at work in a recording studio as he coaxed local young rappers to work their magic.

Asked what his thoughts were about the potential of Pinoy music on the world stage, !llmind told Inquirer Entertainment, “I see so much potential in Filipino music going global. Music is at a place right now where lines are getting blurred, and genres and styles are mixing together.

“The more creative we are and the more homage we pay toward these global styles, the better we will be moving forward. Filipino music is such a beautiful art form, and I’m honored to continue learning more about it.”

Andrew Arolfo

!llmind, who’s been Jo Koy’s friend since they met three years ago, knows only too well that music is sometimes a trial-and-error endeavor, but he says that one can’t go wrong if he’s true to his art.

“I’m still learning so much every day,” he admitted. “My biggest takeaway so far in my journey is learning how to stay honest and true to my craft. As a music producer, I’m not always going to have chemistry with everyone, even with the biggest stars—and that’s totally OK.”

For his part, B-boy Ronnie knew Jo Koy long before the famous comic could command a paying audience at a comedy bar. In fact, about 20 years ago, the Vegas buddies even opened for Snoop Dogg’s show together!

In the show, the hip-hop masterclass Ronnie facilitated at the Tenement was as entertaining as it was inspiring. What was running through his mind during the sessions with local dancers?

“One thing I could say about the breakers in the Philippines is that they have style and a strong foundation,” Ronnie noted. “The B-boys I witnessed getting down at the Tenement were so passionate about hip-hop art that it reminded me of the raw cyphers that would take place in the streets of New York, where this dance originated.

“I even got called out by some of the local B-boys in the cypher, which is a big part of our breaking culture. Pinoy B-boys/B-girls are preserving the essence of what this dance represents.”

But the Manila visit in January provided more than just a showcase for a genre Ronnie is passionate about. “I had the opportunity to bond and build friendships with some of the B-boys I performed with onstage,” Ronnie told us last week, before “In His Elements” began streaming on Netflix last Friday.

“We’re still in touch today—two of them I’ve known for over 10 years: B-boy Mouse from the UK/PI and B-boy Dyzee from Canada. In the world of breaking, they’re considered Pinoy icons, and having us dance together onstage alongside the local breaking community will forever be etched in Filipino breaking history.”

Asked to share little-known trivia about the Jo Koy he knew 20 years ago, Ronnie disclosed,

!llmind

“Jo Koy played a big role in our breaking community. Not only did he host two of the biggest battles in America (‘Freestyle Session’ and ‘Red Bull Lords of the Floor’), he also organized the ‘Illest in the Game’ in Las Vegas, where breaking crews from all over the United States were given a platform to strut their stuff in the early 2000s.

“Even as a host at a breaking battle, Jo Koy always knew how to hype up the crowd. I remember being injured at ‘Freestyle Session 2002’ during a big national battle in LA, but the moment Jo Koy yelled my name on the microphone, I was able to execute all my moves, even forgetting that I was injured!”

The show was Fil-Am stand-up comedians Andrew Lopez and Joey Guila’s first time in the Philippines. The former’s dad migrated to Iowa in sixth grade. After his father married his 21-year-old mom in the Philippines, Andrew’s dad brought his wife with him to the United States.

On the other hand, Joey’s dad was also born in the Philippines but left the country soon after he turned 6 years old.

The special was Andrew Orolfo’s “homecoming” of sorts—his first trip to the Philippines after a weeklong visit just before he turned 10 years old.

While Andrew Lopez likened Manila traffic to a “Fast and Furious” movie, Mr. Orolfo calls the vibrant place “one of the most welcoming places I’ve ever been. Everyone was sooo nice. I don’t remember too much from when I was little, other than hanging out with family. The heat is still the same, though.”

Our Q&A with Joe and the two Andrews:

Comedy is a hit-and-miss endeavor for many comedians. When are you most confident about your material and what do you do when your audience isn’t as receptive?Andrew Lopez (AL): I’m most confident about my material when I’ve been able to try the joke out in different and diverse crowds. Comedy is subjective and, a lot of times, crowds think the same.

If I’ve been able to test my jokes out and found that the jokes can work at any kind of crowd, then I’m confident doing that material. For instance, if an older crowd laughs at my joke the same way a younger crowd laughs at it, I know it’s ready.

When the audience isn’t as receptive: Slow down, be present, and keep going.

Joey Guila (JG): Over the years, I figured out that doing stand-up comedy is like having a conversation with your audience. I honestly don’t know what they like yet. If a joke or topic does not work, I have to serve them something different on the menu immediately.

Andrew Orolfo (AO): I don’t know if I’m ever truly 100 percent confident in my material. Sometimes, the material will be on a hot streak, crushing. Then, there’s that one show that takes it all away.

But I’ll say, I’m confident in the material when I’m excited about it, and when I’m real eager to get some new things out. If the audience isn’t as receptive, I’ll try to switch up what I’m doing, riff, work the crowd, etc. And if that doesn’t work, I power through it and get ice cream after to make me feel better.

What struck you about your first visit to the Philippines? And what makes Pinoy audiences different from US audiences?

AL: The energy on the streets! No one follows the traffic lines on the streets, and it’s awesome. It’s a “Fast and Furious” movie. I felt like The Rock chasing a bad guy.

I felt that Pinoy and US audiences were very similar. Besides cultural references that are location-based, funny is funny everywhere—and every crowd understands universal stories and elements.

JG: I was amazed by everyone’s driving skills in heavy traffic, just inches away from each other with no accidents. I saw someone driving a scooter while on his phone and eating a big slice of pizza—I wish I could do that!

B-boy Ronnie (center) in “In His Elements”

Performing for a Filipino audience made it feel like I was at a family party. I could see people in the audience who looked like my cousins, aunts, uncles and ex-girlfriends!

What was it like working with fellow Fil-Ams? Did you compare “comedic” notes and give tips to each other about how to be funnier or make the timing sharper?

AL: It was a dream come true! I knew some of them before we came to the Philippines, but met the others for the first time when we arrived there. I love talking about material with other artists. I think everyone is funnier than me, so I ask for help as much as possible!

JG: It was amazing getting to work with comedians Andrew Lopez and Andrew Orolfo. Both are super talented, hardworking and extremely nice. I definitely ran some of my jokes by them when I arrived in Manila, and I honestly did not know the timing of my new jokes.

The day of our show, I said a prayer and the audience let me know what to put the brakes on or what to put the gas on—and [I just] kept going!

AO: It was so much fun. I’ve been friends with the comedians before this, so it was like a reunion in a way. We didn’t really compare notes like that, but there was one part during the trip where we were talking about jokes for the show, and Joey asked if he should open with this one specific joke and, collectively, we were like “Nawwwwwwww.” Hit him up for the joke (laughs)! INQ