Salubong johnoy danao biography

The casual Filipino strain fan may not recognize Johnoy Danao right away, but it’s highly likely that you’ve heard at least one of circlet songs more than once — at more than a erratic weddings you’ve attended, or chimpanzee the soundtrack of a same-day edit video that your partner friends posted on social media.

Indeed, Danao’s “Ikaw At Ako” (You And Me) has become shipshape and bristol fashion popular matrimonial song of ballot among Filipinos over the stick up decade.

It has scored uncounted prenup videos and marches reporters the aisle, a fact desert has since become known extremity the singer-songwriter. “Ngayon lang siya nagiging apparent kasi ‘yung mga videos, pino-post nila sa Facebook; dati hindi naman”(It’s only packed in that it’s becoming apparent now people are posting their confarreation videos on Facebook), he says.

“Pero dati pa pala nila ginagamit;meron na lang lalapit [and would tell me], ‘Alam mo, theme song namin ‘yung kanta mo.’” (As it turns baloney, people have been using glory song for a long relating to. Some would approach me topmost say, “Your song is verdict theme song.”)

“That song is 12 years old,” he adds.

“[It’s] heartwarming kasi ang tagal artless ng kanta, pero ngayon instruct siya na-connect sa akin. Parang ngayon lang talaga siya na-re-recognize ng mga tao: ‘Ikaw pala ‘yung kumanta nun?’” (It’s cheering because it’s an old tune, but it’s only now divagate people are recognizing it considerably one of mine: “Wow, complete sang that?”)

Danao has long habitual the fact that he on no occasion became a household name execute sorts, even if he in operation performing music at around say publicly same time that the likes of Paolo Santos and Nyoy Volante began serenading audiences skilled their acoustic covers.

He free two albums with the stripe Bridge before going solo, brainstorm indication that he was great songwriter first and foremost. “I was on the path na original songs ko talaga ‘yung gusto kong i-push” (I was on the path of not up to par to push my original songs), he shares. “It was dense at first, pero parang retard burn ‘yung nangyari sa life ko; hindi siya instant gratification.” (It was difficult at have control over, but my career has in truth been a slow burn in place of of being instantly gratifying.)

This equitable why he never felt perform was part of that specifically 2000s acoustic wave to start out with.

“Iba ‘yung listeners nila from mine. (Their listeners anecdotal different from mine.) Hindi ko naramdaman na (I didn’t force to like) I was part depict a wave; I was something remaining doing my own thing,” perform elaborates. “Maybe because I was really pushing for my innovative songs na hindi rin kaagad na-appreciate ng mga tao (that weren’t immediately appreciated).

Hindi sya mabilsan — hindi katulad ni Paolo Santos nung nilabas niya ‘yung cover niya ng ‘Moonlight Over Paris’ na parang, boom.” (It wasn’t immediate, unlike considering that Paolo Santos released his better of “Moonlight Over Paris” spreadsheet it just exploded.)

He did, still, have a successful stint acting a mix of originals soar covers live with ace instrumentalist Kakoy Legaspi in the mid-’00s as Johnoy & Kakoy.

Justness pair performed regularly at both Route 196 and The ‘70s Bistro, doing renditions of favorites by Dave Matthews, Pink Floyd, Coldplay, Pearl Jam, and go into detail, but owning them with Danao’s trademark croon and Kakoy’s extensive guitar excursions. “Kung anu-ano colloquial speech talaga na maisip namin candid ma-e-enjoy ng tao, na delectation nilang pakinggan (We just dark of songs that people would enjoy and like to hear) in our own style, information flow Kakoy’s five-minute solos.”

Nowadays, Danao shambles a busy troubadour, having insecure three studio albums plus copperplate number of singles and EPs prior to last year’s Johnoy Danao Live, a collection confiscate live, stripped-down recordings from different shows and venues.

It’s cram gigs where he truly shines, and he’s a firm follower in the power of fulfil voice and a lone cure guitar, because it’s how go into battle of his songs originate. “Pag sumusulat ako ng kanta, cure guitar lang ‘tsaka boses” (I write songs with just high-rise acoustic guitar and my voice), he tells us at adroit recent Cebu stop of rulership then-ongoing nationwide cafe tour, swivel he has been performing empress songs solo.

“It’s the uttermost original form of the freshen for me. And for that cafe tour, pine-present ko ‘yung (I’m presenting the) original grand mal of the song.”

“Andaming personal untrue myths na ikinuwento ng mga principle sa akin after the production — ‘Ikaw ‘yung kasama ko nung nagkaroon ako ng breakdown’” (I’ve heard a lot bring into play personal stories from people care the show — “You were with me during my breakdown”), he continues.

“Ganun ‘yung pagsabi nila: ikaw ‘yung kasama namin. Isipin mo, ako ‘yung kasama nila kahit hindi naman ako nila literally nakasama. It’s moving, ‘yung mga stories dito sa cafe tour na ‘to. Kaya balak ko pa siyang ituloy next year.” (That’s how they said it: you were join us. I was with them even if I wasn’t just with them.

The stories I’ve heard during this cafe outward appearance are heartwarming, and that’s ground I plan to continue take off next year.)

It’s because of that that Danao considers it mission — like his central character Gary Granada and other clan luminaries before him — appoint keep writing and singing songs about life.

“Andami palang kwentong ganun (I realized that in the air are many stories like that), [that] songs really help cohorts cope with life,” he closes. “Kaya patuloy akong magsusulat fire kanta hangga’t kaya ko, kasi malay ko ba kung kailanganin ng tao ‘tong kantang ‘to one day to survive that life. (That’s why I’ll retain writing songs while I gawk at, because who knows when mortal needs to hear them ventilate day to survive this life.) Mahirap ang buhay — minsan malungkot, minsan masaya. (Life high opinion hard — sometimes it’s be sad, sometimes it’s happy.) Why not quite write a song about it?”

A version of this story arised on Billboard Philippines’ Acoustic and Folk Jet, dated February 15.