Celebrate Women’s Month with These Female-Fronted Wish Bus Performances

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These Wishclusive videos featuring OPM bands with talented lady vocalists are in the spotlight this Women’s Month.

No matter which decade you were born in, most of the bands you grew up with were probably led by male, guitar-wielding vocalists.

But over the past years, an increasing number of female-fronted outfits have risen — not only bringing unique perspectives and voices to the music world but also proving that women, too, can rock the stage.

From ASIN to Barbie’s Cradle to UDD, the country has seen groups with ace vocalists and central figures who defy gender-attached stereotypes in the band scene. And the work of these artists did create ripples that left an impact on their peers and younger generations of musicians.

In a previous feature, Ben&Ben keyboardist Pat Lasaten shared that the emergence of musical acts that had women musicians and artists made her “instantly feel like music was something [that she] could do.”

Well, she isn’t certainly alone.

In honor of Women’s Month, here are notable Wish Bus performances that shift the spotlight on Pinay musicians who are taking over the mic.

Moonstar88 – “Migraine”

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Before Maysh Baay succeeded Acel Bisa as Moonstar88’s vocalist, the band had already established themselves with hits such as “Torete” and “Sulat.”

Although Baay had some big shoes to fill, her distinctively dulcet yet wide-ranging voice led to a career that would spawn recognized recordings and innovative efforts, such as their recently released album, “Lourdes 2088” and this indisputable anthem for the romantically confused.

Mojofly – “Mata”

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Like Baay, Lougee Basabas also had to take over vocal duties. In her case, it was when Kitchie Nadal left Mojofly and began a solo career in 2003.

With her commanding trills on the helm, Mojofly experienced a newfound success — with “Mata,” taken from their self-titled EP, becoming an instant OPM pop-rock classic.

The appeal of this Wish Bus rendition of the song isn’t just about sonic nostalgia. Interpreting the track with a mature voice (both in the literal and figurative sense), Basabas delivers lines such as “Kumusta na/ Andiyan ka pa ba?” in a way that hits that emotional spot with both pang and tenderness.

Gigi De Lana and The Gigi Vibes – “Bakit Nga Ba Mahal Kita”

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Gigi De Lana had been in many singing contests, but it was her stint on “Tawag ng Tanghalan” that really made her known to the masses.

That was in 2016. Five years and a life-changing pandemic later, she again made the rounds online when she and her band, The Gigi Vibes, live-streamed their gigs. In an era of digital shows, capturing the online audience’s attention — and garnering a huge following — is already a big feat.  

One of their most-viewed videos features her dramatically belting out to “Bakit Nga Ba Mahal Kita,” a ballad originally popularized by ‘90s diva Roselle Nava. And whether they perform it in a lounge setting like that or aboard a bus-turned-musical platform like this video, their rock-inflected remake is clearly a hit.

This Band – “Hindi Na Nga”

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It was the raspy voice of Andrea Manzano and the infectious melody of “Kahit Ayaw Mo Na” that helped launch This Band into the local music scene. The pop-rock upstart would later expand their repertoire and release tracks sitting on the more hopeful side.

However, it cannot be denied how Manzano’s emotionally charged vocals hit differently in hugot-laden songs. Just play this Wishclusive and wait for the 2:40 mark.

Bita and The Botflies – “Chop-Chop Blues”

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdZHlPQPhh0

From the “musty corner of the internet,” Sofy Aldeguer and the rest of Bita and The Botflies put out music that delivers an eerie spin to common (and uncommon) songwriting themes. They debuted with “Tagu-taguan,” a song about infidelity and an aural play on the Filipino hide-and-seek tune. Then, they piqued the curiosity of more listeners with “Sisikat Ka Iha,” which exposes exploitation in the entertainment industry.

In their Wishclusive performance of yet another intriguing release, “Chop-Chop Blues,” Aldeguer adeptly brings her band’s brand to the fore. As she brings herself to the mic and the instrumentalists play, you’ll find yourself grooving along even though what she tells is a tale of a grisly crime of passion.

Extrapolation – “Villain”

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Extrapolation is a jazz-funk septet fronted by two talented ladies: Zia Quizon and Isab Velasquez. But even if they’re only performing as a five-piece in this Wishclusive, the band still delivers.

From the opening bass notes until the closing salvo of the trip-hop-influenced track, “Villain” is a feast for the ears. But the task of conveying the song’s message — which is about that “brutal honesty required to descend into one’s unconscious and confront the self” — heavily falls on Quizon’s singing. It’s something she so stellarly did that you wouldn’t mind giving it a second listen.

You can watch Velasquez, the other Extrapolation vocalist, display her singing chops in this Wishclusive.

Cheats – “Hakbang”

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Due to pandemic restrictions at the time of recording, indie rock act Cheats’ long-awaited Wish 107.5 debut was staged in two buses. Despite that, the sense of enjoyment that vocalists Saab Magalona and Candy Gamos get from performing with the rest of the band is still palpable.

Fronting one of the most recognized indie-rock bands in recent memory, the dynamic duo lend their voices to “Hakbang.” Originally written by guitarist Jim Bacarro in English and translated by writer Ali Sangalang into Filipino, the track is a head-bopping number despite presenting a weighty matter: the life and unfiltered sentiments of a couple in quarantine.

Celebrate Women’s Month through music. Watch more female-fronted Wishclusives on the Wish 107.5 YouTube channel!

READ NEXT: 8 Songs by Filipina Acts to Empower and Inspire Pinays Everywhere

Written by Emmy Borromeo

Editing and design by Pauline Bolaños and Kathleen Manalo

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