Internet fans propel Voices of 5 to offline success
How do you put five vocalists from well-known bands together without bruising egos? How do you make them work together in harmony despite their wealth of experience as musicians and performers?
For newly-formed Voices of 5 band leader Daryl Neilson Ong, it was a matter of strategy.
“Iba’t iba ang boses ng bawat isa,” he explains. So he makes sure each member gets the song that best fits his voice.
“Walang sapawan. May hatian,” Daryl explains.
Individual strengths
His bandmate, Drey Reyes, is a tenor bordering on bass. The child prodigy performed in the musical “Magnificat” and was a member of Akafellas. He was the young Jose Rizal in Celeste Legaspi’s “Sino Ka Ba Jose Rizal?”
Solomon “Sol” Glass, is known for his falsetto. The former vocalist of South Border and Mulatto was a semi-finalist of “Pilipinas Got Talent.
Johann Mendoza can hit high notes well within the female vocal range. Often compared to noted R&B singer Marc Dorsey, Johann was former vocalist of K24/7 and Baguio-based band Brown Flava. The songwriter’s ballad, “Come Back to Me,” was a hit in 2004.
Dream come true
West Zerrudo sang for Freshmen, the band which won the Best in Theme Song trophy at the 2004 Star Awards for Music. Freshman is the voice behind “I’ve Fallen for You,” the theme of Star Cinema’s “Got to Believe.”
Together, this group of twentysomethings (the youngest, Daryl, is 26) has fulfilled a cherished dream – an album of its own. The self-titled CD has the blessings of ace songwriter Vehnee Saturno.
“Nakakatuwa ang kanilang song-and-dance performance. Manly ang galaw. And they can really sing.”
Originals as good as covers
The quintet showed what Saturno was saying when they performed tracks from their album at Area 05, Tomas Morato, Quezon City.
Theirs is a throwback to the sweet, soul harmonies of the 90s, best exemplified by Boyz II Men. In fact they covered “On Bended Knee” that evening, along with Rockstar’s “Mahal pa Rin Kita.”
But the originals were standouts, too: Saturno’s “Pagkat Mahal Kita,” the carrier single; Daryl’s “Dapat Pa Ba”; Drey’s “Shower You with Love”; Karl Guarano’s “Panaginip na Lang”; and Teddy Katigbak’s “Parang Langit.”
True to the band’s policy of fair play, each member had his own moment. Each guy stepped forward to sing solo while his bandmates stood behind, happy to be their colleague’s back-up singers.
Regular gigs
The band has regular gigs – Thursdays at Resorts World Manila and Fridays at Tony’s Grill along busy Scout Rallos in Quezon City.
It’s so far, so good for a group as new in the business as Voices of 5.
“Mabilis kami nakilala through Internet. We didn’t expect it and we’re thankful,” gushes Drey. The videos of at least nine of their covers are online, with the most views topping 20,000.
He’ll have more reasons to rejoice once Saturno’s prediction that the band will go a long way comes true.
