Asin (band)

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Asin


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Origin = Philippines
Genre = Folk rock
Years_active = 1970-present
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URL = [http://www.asinpilipinas.com/ www.asinpilipinas.com]
Current_members = Lolita Carbon
Past_members = Saro Bañares Mike Pillora /Pendong Aban, Jr.

Asin (sometimes spelled ASIN, in all capital letters) is a Pinoy rock and folk rock band from the Philippines. They were formed during the 1970s and originally known as Salt of the Earth from the song of Joan Baez, but later Filipinized their name into "Asin", which means salt in Filipino language.

Past and present members

* Pendong Aban - current member, who later formed the group Ang Grupong Pendong
* Lolita Carbon - current member
* Saro Bañares - who was murdered in 1993 in a bar brawl in South Cotabato, Philippines
* Mike Pillora - former member

History

After fronting rock and roll bands during her teens, Lolita Carbon met Cesar "Saro" Bañares, Mike Pillora, and Pendong Aban in Kola House, a folk rock club, and then decided to form their own musical group, naming it Salt of the Earth.

They had signed a major record label and renamed their band to Asin after a record producer was searching for a "female" Freddie Aguilar, taking advantage of the Filipino folk rock boom during the late 1970s. Their eponymous 1978 debut album includes a cover of Freddie Aguilar's "Anak" and the rest are all original works.

Some of their popular songs include the environmental song "Masdan Mo Ang Kapaligiran" (See the Environment), "Ang Bayan Kong Sinilangan" (The Land Where I Was Born), "Pagbabalik" (Comeback) and "Balita" (News). According to Pendong Aban who grew up in Agusan del Norte, most of their songs were based on the experiences in Mindanao. Because of too much illegal logging and violence in their homeland, they wrote lyrics that hoped for peace and a better environment in Mindanao. They sometimes use "kulintang" and other traditional instruments of the southern Philippines to give their music a more indigenous spirit.

In 1993, Saro Bañares was murdered in a bar brawl in South Cotabato because he refused to sing for a lawyer, causing the group's members to part ways. Aban had his band Ang Grupong Pendong, while Carbon went solo.

One July evening in 1999, at a concert in Bahay ng Alumni at U.P. Diliman, while waiting for their respective turns to perform in a concert for press freedom, Pendong and Lolita sat together to share about their experiences as each carved a career of his/her own. One of the most common experiences they had in their concert tours is the audience’s reaction when they sing songs of ASIN as part of their repertoire. From children to teenagers to old folks, the same reaction would be observed. It is both of reminiscence and amazement at hearing the songs again and watching an ASIN member performing live.

Later in 2000, they decided to reunite but Pillora backed out later, although Pillora gave his blessings to the new album that Carbon and Aban would release. The record album "Pag-ibig, Pagbabago, Pagpapatuloy," the first Asin album after 12 years, features unreleased materials of the late Bañares.

Pendong and Lolita both acknowledged the fact that their songs have transcended three decades and yet the message that each song carries (from the seven albums that ASIN recorded) is still as relevant and as meaningful to the present times. Both recognized the fact that there is hunger for the music that relates to the present situation that Filipinos are in, whether they are in the country of their birth or in some other adopted land across the seven seas; music that tells of every Filipino’s dream, aspiration, desires, even heartbreaks or social commentaries that reflect the true Filipino culture.

Importance of Asin

Asin were the first group to incorporate Filipino indigenous instruments into pop/rock music. They also studied Filipino tribal music and did what they could to be true to the origins of the music. Instead of plagiarising the indigenous music they set about educating people about respecting the origins of the music and representing it with agreement from the tribal sources.

Asin were also important in the political world and although they did not set out to be a political band they reflected the political message needed for the times. This should be seen against the backdrop of martial law during the time of President Ferdinand Marcos. Occasionally their recordings were confiscated as subversive yet on the other hand they were invited to play at the Presidential Palace.

Reference to Asin

The Tagalog lyrics of Black Eyed Peas' "The Apl Song" is based on "Balita" (Tagalog for "News"), one of Asin's songs. "The Apl Song" tells about the hardships of Allan Pineda, member of the Black Eyed Peas, that he experienced during his childhood in Pampanga. He chose "Balita" because he grew up listening to Asin.

Awards

*Best Folksong of the Year for “Orasyon” – AWIT Awards 1984
*Best Album of the Year for “Himig ng Lahi” – AWIT Awards 1984
*Album of the Year for “Himig ng Lahi – Jingle Magazine Awards 1984
*Best Vocal Arrangement for Group in “Lupa” – Cecil Awards 1986
*Department of Environment and Natural Resources Likas Yaman Award for “Masdan and Kapaligiran” 1991
*For Lolita Carbon – Best Rock Recoding for “Paraisong Liku-liko”, AWIT Awards 1990
*For Pendong Aban, Jr. – Best World Music Album for “Ang Grupong Pendong – Dito Sa Lupa”
*Album – Katha Music Awards 1995
*Best Folksong for “Pagbabalik” – Aliw Awards 1979
*Nominated as Best Rock Recording for “Usok” in the 1st Cecil Awards
*Best Musical Arrangement for “Dalawang Dekada ng Asin (Overture)”, AWIT Awards 2002
*Environmental Champions 2004- DENR/WORLD BANK Publication- Environmental Monitor 2004, given June 20, 2005

External links

* [http://www.asinpilipinas.com Asin's Official Website]
* [http://www.geocities.com/pinoyblues2000/asin.html Asin - Pinoy Blues]