YEARS
ACTIVE: 1985 – 95; 2000 – PRESENT
90’S Members: JET PANGAN, FRANCIS REYES,
CARLOS BALCELLS, JB LEONOR
90’S HITS: IISANG BANGKA TAYO, BABAENG
MAHIWAGA, SALIMPUSA, TALAGA NAMAN, SALAMAT (Salamat was from their 1989 album)
The Dawn is a Filipino rock band which
first achieved commercial success during the late 1980s in the Philippines. The
band broke up in 1995 with lead vocalist Jett Pangan forming another band, the
Jett Pangan Group. The Dawn reunited in late 1999. The Dawn is considered the
"longest-lived and most prolific rock band in the Philippines".
The Dawn was formed in 1985 by Teddy
Diaz (vocals and guitars), JB Leonor (drums), and Clay Luna (bass). The band's
name was derived from a portrait of the Holy Spirit that symbolized the dawn of
a new day (probably found in a book given by the Sisters of the Holy Spirit to
Teddy Diaz, as well as a crucifix which Teddy also received from the same
sisterhood), called The Dawning of the Holy Spirit. Diaz, Leonor and Luna
initially wanted a female vocalist; but in the course of their search, Jett
Pangan auditioned and got the trio's unanimous nod. The quartet began
performing in clubs and eventually recorded a demo of a song entitled
"Enveloped Ideas", a copy of which they submitted to DWXB 102.7, a
now-defunct Metro Manila–based FM radio station that played alternative rock
and new wave music. It topped the radio station's charts in 1986, helping the
group gain a cult following. While The Dawn was in search of a major record
label, Luna left the band to immigrate to the US. Carlos "Caloy"
Balcells, bass player of another Filipino group, the Cicada Band, soon replaced
him. In 1986, The Dawn signed with OctoArts International (now PolyEast Records
Philippines) and, the next summer, released their eponymous debut album, which
gained commercial success. Many critics felt that The Dawn would fill the void
left behind by the Juan de la Cruz Band when their music slowly faded in the
1980s. Heavily influenced by the new wave genre of the 1980s, "Enveloped
Ideas" is distinct for its introductory operatic vocals a la Klaus Nomi.
At the height of their popularity, and just
weeks after the release of their second album I Stand With You, containing the
title track, "Magtanim Ay 'Di Biro" and "Love (Will Set Us
Free)", after that, Diaz was stabbed to death in front of his girlfriend's
house on August 21, 1988 by two men allegedly under the influence of drugs and
alcohol. Despite the demise of Diaz, his influence is still felt among many
guitarists today and he has become a legend among many Filipino musicians. The
Dawn still considers Diaz to be the band's driving force to this day.
The band continued to play, at one time
employing the services of a masked guitarist (nicknamed "Zorro" by
some fans - is actually rock guitar virtuoso Noel Mendez who will eventually
form the band HAYP) in the absence of a permanent guitar player. Atsushi
Matsuura, a Japanese guitarist who had earlier released a solo album in the
Philippines under Ivory Records, took on lead guitar duties in January 1989 as
the band released Beyond the Bend. Matsuura was featured on the music video of
"Salamat".
He was later replaced by Francis Reyes,
former Afterimage guitarist, who was also a disc jockey at NU-107, a local
alternative rock radio station. Reyes also happened to be Diaz's close friend.
Classically trained session keyboardist Millette Saldajeno also joined the band
in 1990 but was later replaced by Isidore Fernandez in 1992.
In 1995, the band went their separate
ways due to Pangan's desire to move on with another career. Pangan then formed
the Jett Pangan Group.
The 1997 reunion at the ULTRA brought
the band back on-stage and, for the first time, the band employed two
guitarists: Matsuura and Reyes. They did another reunion show at the now
defunct ABG's along Pasong Tamo, while they were discussing a comeback release
through Sony Music Philippines (now Sony BMG Music Philippines). In 2000 they
reunited with both Francis Reyes and Atsushi Matsuura on guitars and performed
on GMA Networks' 2000 Global Millennium Day Broadcast in Ayala Avenue in Makati
City. That year, they also recorded Prodigal Sun, an album that, much like the
parable of the Prodigal Son, symbolized their return to the music scene.
2001 saw the band actively engaged in
the live circuit, embarking on an 8-city US tour and were in New York City when
9/11 turned the World Trade Center into ground zero. In 2003, Carlos Balcells
left the band in order to perform his duties as city councilor in his native
Talisay City, Negros Occidental. Wolfgang's bass player Mon Legaspi took his
place in the band. A few months later, the band once again parted with Matsuura
and returned to being a quartet.
In July 2009, the band launched their
eleventh studio album, Sound The Alarm. The album features The Dawn's latest
guitarist Kenneth Ilagan, formerly of True Faith and Rivermaya. Francis Reyes,
who had been with the band for the last 18 years, left after what Jett Pangan
called a "hard meeting". Pangan also went on to state that Reyes was
welcome to rejoin the band.
