By Jude Thaddeus Bautista
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–”The Malaysians were scared of whoever would win in the Philippine finals,” Kjwan lead singer Marc Abaya told screaming fans recently at Capone’s Bar in Makati, where the celebration for the band’s triumph at the Asean Ikon grand finals was in full swing.

“To be honest with you,” Abaya went on, “any one of the Ikon finalist bands here could’ve kicked ass and won in Kuala Lumpur. Our country is home to the best musicians in the world!”

Kjwan had gone through a tense moment against Kala and True Faith at the Philippine finals. Guest judge Jose Mari Chan had considered True Faith as “more melodious than the other bands.”

But Carlos Sison, former True Faith guitarist who now plays with Francis Magalona, described Kjwan’s music, thus: “If you listen closely, it has a strong funk influence. What people don’t realize is that this music is representative of how rock is currently evolving. They’ve been around for four years and they really deserve it. I’m proud of Kjwan.”

Asean Ikon is a contest for professional singers and bands whose talents deserve wider exposure in the Southeast Asian Region.

Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines fielded contestants, who were required to perform original songs written for, or by, them.

Vina Morales won in the singers category while Kjwan was adjudged the best in the bands division. Both took home $25, 000 in cash prizes.

Cool funk metal

The Malaysian band OAG was a heavy favorite while the Indonesian group Tahta had its own set of fans in Malaysia. But it was Kjwan’s cool brand of funk metal and distinct appeal that clinched the title.

What made the grand finals different from all qualifying rounds was that the winner would be determined solely by a panel of judges. (In the elimination rounds, a certain percentage was allotted for text voting.)

Each country was represented by one judge: Mac Chew (Malaysia), Hedi Koes Enday (Indonesia) and Eugene Villaluz (Philippines), plus Iskandar Mizra Ismael (Singapore).

On finals night, Kjwan, whose members all wore black silk suits, performed “Invitation,” a track from its second album “Two Step Marv.”

Vina Morales’ first song was “Pangako Sa ’Yo.” Her heartfelt rendition conveyed an emotion that broke the language barrier.

In a cell phone interview, Vina’s male Indonesian competitor, Judika, said, “I didn’t know what the words meant but I felt it was about love. Vina has a beautiful face and an incredible voice. I really want to collaborate with her soon.”

Yet Vina had one more ace up her sleeve — her own dance tune, “Feels So Nice.” She pulled off one impossible dance move after another.

Her G-Force dancer lifted her off the ground and then spun her around with her arms raised as if she was flying. And then the other partner handed her the mic just in time for her to belt out high notes, without her voice faltering.

At that point, the Malay crowd had given her a standing ovation.

Goose bumps

Kjwan drummer J-hoon Balbuena said, “The whole crowd got goose bumps when they found themselves singing along to “Pangako Sa ‘Yo.” Abaya added, “Vina won their hearts. She was amazing.”

Balbuena added, “I think the judges proved they weren’t biased by thinking of the kind of music that’s reflective of Asia. They judged regardless of genre and race. OAG is a great band whose songwriters had a peculiar sense of humor. But we’re also quite different. Hopefully, we’ve reached a wider audience.”

Ikon Philippines Artists Management Director Twinky Lagdameo described the friendships and camaraderie that developed between the performers from each country.

Sincere, professional

“Everybody was so supportive and professional. You could see that they were all sincere. Some of them want to collaborate with each other. And there’s so much great music out there that we don’t know about,” Lagdameo said.

Kjwan bassist Kelley Mangahas echoed Twinky’s sentiments. “We are humbled by the experience. OAG’s members are really nice guys. They’re very respectful. We’ve even made friends with them.”

Lagdameo explained that the goal of Ikon was achieved. She said, “As people and as artists, all the talents were in top form. The winning part is good for the Philippines. My choices and musical instincts were validated by other people in the region. We proved that with the right opportunity we really can make it.”

Fans who missed the grand finals, the Philippine finals and the semis may log on to Pulse.ph.