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Humanfolk

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HUMANFOLK
Background information
OriginUnited States / Philippines
GenresWorld music[1]
Years active2008–present
LabelsMCA Music Inc. (Philippines)
MembersJohnny Alegre
Abby Clutario
Kris Gorra Dancel

HUMANFOLK[3] is the musical collaboration and concept band of guitarist-composer Johnny Alegre with the New York City–based Fil-Am percussionist Susie Ibarra[4] and her husband, drummer Roberto Juan Rodriguez, together with the multi-instrumentalist Cynthia Alexander and the electronica exponent Malek Lopez. This collective is a pioneering effort marking the convergence in a contemporary Philippine setting of multiple musical idioms (jazz, rock, electronic music, kulintang, agung and indigenous percussion, with Iberian and folk music influences). The group's name is a deliberate conjoining of the words "human" and "folk", akin to "menfolk" and "womenfolk", without prejudice to gender and frequently set in all caps to distinguish it from a dictionary term.

History

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The band started as a collaboration of musicians in the summer of 2008.[5] The introduction of Alegre, Ibarra and Rodriguez at the United States Embassy in Manila spurred a series of musical and social interactions. The impetus culminated in the recording sessions for the "Humanfolk Suite", a world music cycle composed by Alegre, for which Alexander and Lopez completed the HUMANFOLK quintet.

Towards October 2008, the threesome of Alegre, Alexander, and Lopez performed a live semi-improvised score for a short, silent film by Sasha Palomares, entitled Une Femme Andalouse, which was awarded the KODAK Best 16mm Experimental Film in that year by the Kodak Filmschool Competition. They were subsequently invited to perform at the 4th Philippine International Jazz & Arts Festival in February 2009, and a live collaborative performance with the Australian didgeridoo virtuoso William Barton in January 2010, that also introduced vocalist-keyboardist Abby Clutario as a new principal member of the group. These appearances and many others that followed led to the release by MCA Music (Universal Music Group) of Humanfolk's eponymous album in May 2011.[6][7]

In 2012, Humanfolk was conferred an Awit Award for the song "Para Sa Tao", as Best World Music Recording by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI).[8] Upon the exodus of two founding members, Cynthia Alexander[9] (for the United States) and Malek Lopez (for Singapore), Alegre and Clutario have continued as Humanfolk's principal members in a configuration described as Mark II, which was introduced in 2013 before international audiences in Singapore's Mosaic Music Festival and Malaysia's Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival.[1] In the Philippines, the group performed at the 2nd CCP International Jazz Festival in September 2013,[5][10][11] and recorded the promotional EP, Ephipany. In January 2015, the group performed in India at the Saarang International Cultural Festival[12] organized by IIT Madras. Towards the end of 2015, the group was joined by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Kris Gorra Dancel;[13] and session percussionist Deej Rodriguez. This expanded group, described as Mark III, recorded the year-end extended play Naglalarong Ilaw, an independent release.

As a fitting counterpoint to HUMANFOLK's performance in November 2010 when they were launched at the Ayala Museum[14][15] — the music of HUMANFOLK was once again presented in a 2-hour Ayala Museum retrospective concert in November 2023, entitled "Indigenous Legacies"[16] hosted by the Filipinas Heritage Library.[17][18]

Members

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Principal members

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Mark II

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  • Johnny Alegre – guitars, percussion, vocals
  • Abby Clutario – vocals, keyboards, Chapman Stick
  • Yuna Reguerra (1) – bass
  • Rodney Vidanes (2) – bass
  • Paolo Manuel (1) – drums
  • Zach Lucero (2) – drums

Mark III

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Mark IV

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Mark V

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  • Johnny Alegre – guitars, percussion, vocals
  • Abby Clutario – vocals, keyboards
  • Tusa Montes – Maguindanao percussion
  • Mlou Matute – Kalinga-Apayao percussion
  • Yan Bagay Cruz – bass
  • Paolo Manuel – drums
  • Eric Tubon – electronic percussion

Discography

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Year Title Label Type
2011 Humanfolk[20] MCA Universal Studio album
2011 "Para Sa Tao" (radio edit) MCA Universal Single
2014 Epiphany[21] Independently released Extended play
2015 Naglalarong Ilaw Independently released Extended play

Videography

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Title Musicians Director Producer Category Year Country
Para Sa Tao[22] Abby Clutario, vocals, keyboards & Chapman Stick ♦ Johnny Alegre, acoustic guitar ♦ Cynthia Alexander, bass ♦ Malek Lopez, electronics Daphne Oliveros PH AFFINITY Productions music video 2011 Philippines
Hexagram II[23] Abby Clutario, keyboards & vocals ♦ Johnny Alegre, guitars & percussion ♦ Rodney Vidanes, bass ♦ Zach Lucero, drums ♦ Frances Escapé, percussion Perth Salva PH AFFINITY Productions live in the studio 2013 Philippines
Himig Ng Pasko[24] Abby Clutario, keyboards & vocals ♦ Johnny Alegre, guitars & percussion ♦ Rodney Vidanes, bass ♦ Zach Lucero, drums JM Quiblat PH AFFINITY Productions music video 2014 Philippines
Naglalarong Ilaw[25] Kris Gorra Dancel, vocals & rhythm guitar ♦ Johnny Alegre, guitars ♦ Abby Clutario, keyboards & harmonies ♦ Rodney Vidanes, bass ♦ Zach Lucero, drums ♦ Deej Rodriguez, percussion Phillip Miguel Luis & Lycylle Bianca Tse Cawaling PH AFFINITY Productions music video 2015 Philippines
Indiemand[26][27] Johnny Alegre, guitars ♦ Abby Clutario, keyboards & vocals ♦ Deej Rodriguez, percussion Pamela Carbonell The Filipino Channel[28] music video 2019 Philippines

Awards

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Year Award Giving Body Venue Category Nominated Work Results
2012 25th Awit Awards Glorietta Best World Music Recording Para Sa Tao Won
2012 25th Awit Awards Glorietta Best Jazz Recording Para Sa Tao Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b "Humanfolk". All About Jazz. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  2. ^ "Deej Rodriguez". Archived from the original on May 6, 2021.
  3. ^ "Human + Folk = Pinoy World Music". ph.news.yahoo.com.
  4. ^ "The Epiphany of Humanfolk". Rogue Magazine Philippines. Rogue Media Inc. January 31, 2013. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  5. ^ a b "2nd CCP International Jazz Festival to be held from September 17–22". Yahoo! Celebrity Philippines. September 12, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  6. ^ Albano, Lou (May 11, 2011). "Humanfolk Rhapsody". Status Magazine. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  7. ^ "Music Review: Humanfolk by Humanfolk". FHM Philippines. May 12, 2011. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  8. ^ "MCA music artists honored at 25th Awit Awards". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippines. December 5, 2012. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  9. ^ Bautista, Christian Brazil (June 23, 2012). "Cynthia Alexander's intimate send-off". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippines. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  10. ^ "Johnny Alegre brings Jazz further on Radar". Manila Bulletin. Philippines. September 11, 2013. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  11. ^ "2nd CCP International Jazz Festival to be held from September 17–22". Cultural Center of the Philippines. August 28, 2013. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  12. ^ "Humanfolk launches "Countdown to Saarang"". National Commission for Culture and the Arts. NCCA. October 20, 2014. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  13. ^ "Music Industry Professionals Discover New Music the Old Way". Esquiremag.ph. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021.
  14. ^ "Jazz at Ayala Museum". philstar.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  15. ^ "+ Follow JOHNNY ALEGRE HUMANFOLK Tag". philstar.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  16. ^ "JEEPNEY JAZZ: INDIGENOUS LEGACIES". filipinaslibrary.org.ph. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  17. ^ "Listen to OPM classics played with the kulintang". cnnphilippines.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  18. ^ "Filipinas Heritage Library tackles jazz". bworldonline.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  19. ^ Montes, Tusa. "Music Festivals in the Philippines: Tropicality, Identity, Cosmopolitanism" (PDF). Art Archive 03. The Japan Foundation Manila: 78.
  20. ^ "Humanfolk Rhapsody". Status Mag.
  21. ^ Arcellana, Juaniyo (November 3, 2014). "Chennai, Memphis, Bavaria". The Philippine Star. Philippines. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  22. ^ HUMANFOLK: "Para Sa Tao" (Music Video)
  23. ^ [Perthman Mobile] HUMANFOLK – Hexagram 2
  24. ^ HUMANFOLK: "Himig Ng Pasko" (Music Video)
  25. ^ HUMANFOLK: "Naglalarong Ilaw" (Music Video)
  26. ^ TFC Original Indiemand Humanfolk
  27. ^ Indiemand – Human Folk | TFC QuaranThings
  28. ^ "iWantTFC". TFC. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021.
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