Bamboo always wants to surprise himself

THE LAST thing he wants is to let his music stagnate. photo by Rox Nebres

While it is not uncommon for bands to mix old songs with newer ones when putting a set list together, rock star Bamboo Mañalac makes a conscious effort to avoid relying too much on his past hits as an easy way of stoking the crowd or livening up a gig.

“When you’ve been in the music business for so long, sometimes you play too much of your old stuff, which can become your crutch,” he told the Inquirer recently. “I just love playing new material; showcasing and introducing them to the public is such a gift.”

And that was what he did at the launch of his repackaged solo album “No Water, No Moon” (PolyEast Records). First released in 2011, the album now includes an additional cut titled “Carousel,” which he performed during the event.

New single

Aside from the new single, Bamboo also sang other tracks from the album like “Morning Rose,” “In the Shadow,” “Ikot ng Mundo,” “Questions” and “In This Life”—the same set he usually dishes out when he does shows abroad.

“Carousel” was something the label asked him to do; something that would “give legs” to his album’s relaunch, Bamboo said. For skeptical fans who might think that the new song would stick out like a sore thumb, Bamboo stressed that “Carousel”—despite being produced much later than the rest of the tracks in “No Water, No Moon”—would not destroy the album’s musical and thematic cohesiveness.

Thank you song

Bamboo described the song as “a thank you letter” to his fans who had inspired him through the years. “It’s a special song, the lyrics I love because they’re tight,” he pointed out. “It’s all about my beginnings and the things I draw strength from such as my family and fans. They inspire me and I inspire them—it goes both ways.”

“Meeting babies named after me is so cool!” he added, laughing.

He has been in the industry for almost two decades now and the last thing Bamboo wants is to let his music stagnate and to become complacent, which can sometimes happen to maturing artists.

“No Water, No Moon” is a huge statement against being safe. My general rule is to surprise myself and have fun,” he said. “I try to be in ‘Peter Pan mode’ always.”

Asked how his current sound as a solo artist differed from what it was during his nine-year tenure as the front man of his eponymous band, the singer-songwriter said it was like comparing apples and oranges.

“The colors of the sound were quite different back then because there were only four of us in Bamboo—Nathan Azarcon, Ira Cruz, Vic Mercado and I—working on the songs. Now I get to collaborate with more musicians,” he pointed out. “Before, I worked with a band; now I work with a village!”

He continued, “That’s the best part of this journey so far. My love for music was rekindled. There were times when I felt beaten and worn down; I was doing the same things. But going solo sparked something in me. Being exposed to different artists made me think, ‘Oh, I can do this and that.’”

Coach-judge

Aside from doing gigs, Bamboo is busy being a coach-judge in ABS-CBN’s coming reality singing competition “The Voice of the Philippines.” The transition from being a pure musician to a sort of multimedia celebrity was a nice progression, he said. And though the television stint would take away some of his “creative time,” Bamboo believes the opportunity of discovering new singing stars makes having a busier-than-ever schedule well worth it.

“[TV] is a different world. I can’t just wake up, pick up a guitar and write songs. Now I have to follow a structure, which I  actually like. The challenge is juggling all the things I have on my plate now,” he said. “But it’s just a matter of readjusting my routine.”

“I’m 100 percent sure that teaching aspiring singers will also be beneficial for my growth. I’m like a sponge, I just absorb everything,” he added.

As for the naysayers who insist that venturing into TV makes him a sellout or less of a rock star, Bamboo could not care less. In the first place, he said, he never really saw himself as such.

“I never called myself a rock star. I’m just a singer and a songwriter. That’s something I don’t think of,” he said. “I’m just a simple, happy guy. I’m not a rock icon or a prince of whatever.”