CDMC

Cooliedread and the Microphone Commanders is a Cebu, Philippines-based band formed in 2005.

James “CoolieDread” D’Lonsod and Gregory “Microphone Commander” Polo, with Ryan “Wajahrhymes” Yu pioneered this project. They were able to bring the not-yet-familiar genre to Cebu City, having committed themselves to creating dancehall and producing an energetic sound system crew called CDMC.

The collaboration of CoolieDread and Microphone Commander resulted to the creation of twelve original and powerful tracks in the album, "How Are You World?". Ryan “Wajahrymes” Yu, the lead vocals of Iron Youth, lent his deep baritone voice to heat up the pulsating dancehall beat, with his perfect rapping skills. The group started to promote the album in their Manila Tour last September 2005; there starting the spread of such a vibrant music to the different parts of the country.

Members

Original Members

*James “CoolieDread” D’Lonsod
*Gregory “Microphone Commander” Polo
*Ryan “Wajahrhymes” Yu

Final Line-up

*James “CoolieDread” D’Lonsod (from Herbs) - Vocals
*Gene “Gene Gong” Caballes (from Herbs) - Vocals
*Ryan “Wajahrhymes” Yu (from BambuSpliff and Iron Youth) - Vocals
*Mark Villanueva (from Iron Youth) - Bass
*Eric Yrigan (from Iron Youth and Bud Brownies) - Drums
*Paul Cañada (from Frank, Catski, Zzubu, Uno, Sheila and the Insects, and Johnny and the Walkers) - Guitars (Lead)
*Francis Yrigan (from Iron Youth and Herbs) - Guitars (Rhythm)
*Yani Sagon (from Pasakanin) - Keyboards
*Leo Lim “DJ L-Bow Sun” - DJ

Final Final Line-up

*Leo Lim "DJ L-Bow Sun" left

History

Due to some circumstances, Microphone Commander had to leave the trio. But fortunately, a number of musicians who saw the potential of this feat, the way Cooliedread had envisioned it, joined in to form the crew’s final line-up of nine highly musically enthused individuals now called Coolie Dread and the Microphone Commanders.

As inevitable as the succeeding events had been, Leo DJ L-Bow Sun Lim also had to leave the band to follow a different track. Although seeming a setback, this did not stop CDMCs in pushing on with their greathearted pursue to make as many feet dance and at the same time reach as many souls through their music.

On September 13, 2006, Club Vudu, in Cebu City, hosted the regional elimination round of Motorola’s Rock Mo’To 2006. Among the twenty bands competing, CDMCs came out first, having then to join the semifinals on September 16, 2006, at the Gaisano Country Mall, Cebu City, with four other Cebu-based bands—Hatemail, UNO, Blood of the Stones, and 3mL. Again, CDMCs were able to rock the crowd to dancing and thus were bound for Metro Manila for the final round.

In Metro Manila, the band, with the other fifteen finalists, was made to be a part of the Motorola School of Rock Mo’To, where they were able to further enhance their musical skills through sessions with highly reputed musicians. On the day of the main event, on September 30, 2006, held at Metrowalk, Ortigas, CDMCs played beats of joyous celebration, which in the end turned out to be for a victory of their own.

That the band had finally reached the apex of their high-reaching but selfless aspiration, it is too early to tell. For considering that it is the world that CDMCs had wanted to entrance and make dance, it will do for the moment to say,

The party is lackin’ room for none, dun forget dem dancin’ shoes, everyone!

Discography

How Are You World?

10 tracks of original dancehall reggae, plus 2 Bonus Tracks:
* M.D. ft. D.Smith [Dancehall Remix] – BambuSpliff single
* Buttercup Chill [Drum n Bass Chillout] – CoolieDread single

Merging the influences of dancehall roots culture and hip-hop raggae, a crew of aggressive toasters gather, featuring: Gauchito aka Gaucho (Davao, Phils.), D.Smith (New Mexico, USA)

Trivia

Key points of interest:

* Launched their 12 track 1st full length album “How Are You World?”, DJ Release
* September 3, 2005 at XAYMACA reggae bar, Timog, Quezon City, Philippines
* May 19, 2006 at HANDURAW, Mabolo, Cebu City, Philippines
* Each original song in the album contains either conscious or sensual lyrics.
* Buttercup Chill, How Are You World, Boonoonoonous Girl aired over Monster Radio BT105.9 Cebu
* Wide coverage of album airplay: Tobacco City, Albay (One Radio 91.3), Catanduanes, Sorsogon and Legaspi City and Jam 88.3 Manila…
* Featured in www.leisurecebu.com
* Featured Artist on an international internet reggae radio station, BIGUP RADIO 24X7. http://www.bigupradio.com/artistDetail.jsp?aid=7623
* Featured in Cebu Daily News, Lifestyle, March 4 and July 7, 2006
* Featured in SunStar Cebu, Show, July 8, 2006 and October 15, 2006
* Featured in Cebu TV Channel 28 November 06’ Overdrive 30mins Segment
* Featured in MTV Philippines October 06’: Winning the Motorola School of RockMoto 2006
* Made a jingle for Motorola: Motorola 12 days of Christmas, aired all over the country on radio
* 2nd full length album in the works… To be released 1st quarter of 2007