MYMP

M.Y.M.P.
Background information
Also known as	Make Your Momma Proud
Origin	Katipunan Ave., Quezon City, Philippines
Genres	OPM
Instruments	Various
Years active	2003 – present
Labels	2003-2008: Ivory Music 2008-2010: Star Records 2011-present: Galaxy Records
Members
Juliet Bahala Chin Alcantara Hannche Bobis Jeff lima Ibey Haber
Past members
Juris Fernandez (2001-2009) Nina (2000-2001) Brix Ferraris (2000-2001) Fritz Ednacot (1996-2000) Mike Manahan (2003)

M.Y.M.P. (or MYMP, short for Make Your Mama Proud) is an acoustic band act from the Philippines, which consists of five members. Their career started when Raymond Ryan, a station manager of iFm watched one of their gigs, and met up with a producer to produce their 2003 debut album, Soulful Acoustic, which has since been certified Platinum.

In 2005, M.Y.M.P. released their second album titled Beyond Acoustic and third album Versions through Ivory Music. The success of the two albums prompted the re-release of their second and third albums in a 2-disc set the same year. In 2006, they released their fourth album, New Horizon, and DVD of their concert in the Music Museum. In 2008, M.Y.M.P. released their last album on Ivory Music, titled Now, as the group signed a deal with Star Records.

Background

Origin (1996-2002)

Jacques "Chin" Alcantara former Claretian founded the band back in late 1996. It was Chin's elder brother, Julius, who gave the band its name --- a tribute to their departed mother. Chin's mother, Dr. Stella Lopez-Alcantara (a cardiologist), had died of complications from breast cancer when she was 17.

Back when it was originally formed, Make Your Momma Proud was a four-man rock band, whose arsenal included Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and, as Alcantara adds, a little Mr. Big. He was still a student at Miriam College then, taking up Communication Arts, major in Advertising. “My mom played the piano but she didn’t get to see me play professionally—she did get to see me start out,” Alcantara said. In the year after his mother died, Alcantara took up the guitar and, in his words, “really got obsessed with it and that’s when I knew what I wanted to be, a musician.” Alcantara was enjoined by his father (an investment and a private development banker) to attend classical guitar tutoring, but stopped after a month. Alcantara taught himself how to play.

The peak of M.Y.M.P.'s amateur days was when it won the 1996 national championship of the San Miguel Beer Battle of (rock) Bands. Before that, the group had won the NCR championship, best vocalist and best lead-guitarist awards.

As a college band, M.Y.M.P. appeared in college fairs and shows, but as they became more earnest in their intent to pursue music as a career, they encountered difficulty in lining up gigs due to their "disciplined rock" repertoire. M.Y.M.P. added a keyboardist and began working on a more pop sound, completing the transformation with the addition of a female vocalist in 2000, Marifil Niña Girado, known then as the R&B singer [and later as Nina—the Soul Siren}] after leaving the band to go solo. M.Y.M.P. then industriously performed in bars, clubs and shows for years, building an identity.

In 2001, Alcantara handed an audition for a new female lead, and the group found Julie Iris "Juris" Fernandez. Originally from Davao, Fernandez explains she didn’t grow up exposed to music on a regular basis. Like Alcantara, Fernandez did not study music formally for long, eschewing the training to learn on her own. After graduating from Miriam, Fernandez was studying at the Ateneo, working towards completing her pre-med requirements when she decided that, like Alcantara, she wanted to immerse herself in music. After singing with Jimmy Bondoc, she fatefully auditioned for M.Y.M.P.^[1]

Early career (2003-2004)

It was the trio of Alcantara, Fernandez and percussionist Mike Manahan that established the beachhead for M.Y.M.P.’s frontal assault on the sales and radio charts.

Their recording career started when Raymond Ryan, the station manager of iFM watched their gig. Ryan met with a producer to produce their debut album, Soulful Acoustic. Ivory Records then became their recording company. M.Y.M.P.'s debut album was released on Ivory Music and Video's 20th anniversary. M.Y.M.P. became famous with their original hit song "A Little Bit" which bagged the People's Choice "Favorite Song" Award in Awit Awards last 2004; "their own version of Sting's "Every Little Thing"; "Waiting in Vain", which was originally sung by Bob Marley.

The trio did click but M.Y.M.P. became a duo when one of their members decided to leave the group. Manahan left the band in 2003 due to what Alcantara called “professional differences” as well as fallout from Manahan’s breakup with Fernandez; the two were in a relationship for a while. Yet, this did not stop MYMP's Juris & Chin from sharing their music.^[2]

Versions and Beyond (2005-2008)

The duo set-up did great and as they enjoy their ride in the Philippine music scene, a new and improved M.Y.M.P. had emerged, a quartet together with Andrew and John as bassist and kahonista, respectiely, as two more albums were released in a year. Beyond Acoustic and Versions, both 12-track albums, were declared Certified Gold Record after less than a month.

Their original hit song "Get Me", and covers "Tell Me Where It Hurts", "Kailan", "Especially For You", "Eternal Flame", were later used as theme songs for TV series and commercial ads.

Last October 1, 2005, M.Y.M.P. had their first major concert at the Music Museum, titled Especially For You.^[3] Due to the success of their concert, this prompted the band to have another concert at the Araneta Coliseum on November 18, 2005, and its repeat on February 3, 2006. Both concerts were sold-out, with each concert having more than 10,000 audience capacity.^[4][5]

In 2006, they released a DVD of their concert at the Music Museum.

Now backed by keyboardist Edward Jimenez, percussionist Dexter John Angeles and bassist Aimiel Rivas, M.Y.M.P. embarks on its most ambitious career step yet: a summer tour of the US West and East coasts, a development that excites Alcantara and Fernandez immensely. “It was a dream we were thinking of fulfilling maybe five years from now,”

Alcantara said of their hot streak. Alcantara hopes to be working on their next album once they return home from the tour. His hopes came true as the group released New Horizon in 2006.

In 2008, M.Y.M.P. ended their contract with Ivory Music and signed a deal with Star Records. M.Y.M.P. released their last album of Ivory Music, Now.

With a new label and Lineup Changes (2009-2010)

M.Y.M.P. is currently working on their new album on their new label. M.Y.M.P. ended the year 2008 with 2 other formidable bands in the philippine music scene, Side A and Freestyle, and took centerstage Back2Back2Back at the Araneta Coliseum on December first. People can't get enough off the sold-out concert that it had a repeat, then dubbed "Love2Love2Love" wherein all 3 bands had a fair share of the spotlight while dishing out hits of the century.Currently M.Y.M.P. can be regularly seen on tube every Sunday on ASAP '09 Sessionistas together with the Soul-Siren Nina, Crooner Richard Poon, Bossa Artist Sitti Navarro, Ex-Southborder Vocalist Duncan Ramos and Asian Acoustic Sensation Aiza Seguerra.

Sometime in the middle of the year 2009, speculations about Fernandez and Alcantara having issues caught some media attention when Alcantara silently pulled out from a segment of ABS-CBN's Sunday variety show ASAP '09 called Sessionistas, leaving only Fernandez giving solo performances. The rumors intensified when the band failed to attend the first-ever Philippine Movie Press Club Music Awards in which the group won for Best duo/group. The group had been silent until an official announcement they released at the Manila Bulletin Entertainment on November 5, 2009, confirming that Juris Fernandez was leaving M.Y.M.P.^[6] They said in the statement that they are parting ways due to "irreconcilable professional differences." However, since they are working on an album when the breakup happened, they also said they will work together to finish the five songs they already had recorded, although the outcome will not be released as M.Y.M.P's, but as Fernandez's solo album with Alcantara as the producer. Alcantara also stated that he is looking for a new vocalist as a replacement of Juris, and Fernandez on the other hand will start her solo career under Star Records.

MYMP performing live

Juliet Bahala was introduced on January 24, 2010 as the new vocalist of MYMP on ASAP. Juliet, an 18-year old regional singing champ, hails from Davao where Juris also came from. She won at the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA) last 2005 and was hailed as Star of Davao – Champion last 2007. In Davao, she was a member of the University of Mindanao College Choir and FIVIBE Professional Wedding Singer. She was also a classical singer, jingle vocal artist, wedding singer and front-act singer for well-known artists while finishing her studies at the University of Mindanao and as a Phoenix Cultural Center Foundation Korean Music school scholar. She sang in MYMP's new album "The Unreleased Acoustic Collection" which was released last May 2011. This is her first album with MYMP.

The other new members of MYMP are: Jeff Lima (drummer); Hannche Bobis (keyboardist), and Ibey Haber (bassist) under the new management of Maria Teresa Tinio.^[7]

2011-present

MYMP recently released their 6th studio album, The Unreleased Acoustic Collection. The band also signed with a new recording label Galaxy Records, and continues to do shows around the Philippines and abroad. Visit their Facebook page: MYMP (OFFICIAL) and follow them on Twitter: MYMP2010

Discography

Main article: MYMP discography

Studio albums Soulful Acoustic (2003) Versions (2005) Beyond Acoustic (2005) New Horizon (2006) Now (2008) The Unreleased Acoustic Collection (MYMP album) (2011)

Other albums MYMP Live at the Music Museum (2006) High Five: The Best of Five Years (2009)

TV shows

• ASAP - ASAP Sessionistas feat. Richard Poon, Aiza Seguerra, Nina, Sitti, Duncan Ramos and M.Y.M.P.
• Maynila TV Series (GMA 7)
• MYX Live (2004, 2005, 2007)
• MYX Presents: Love Moves,A date with M.Y.M.P.
• MTV Homecoming (2005)
• At Home Ka Dito (May,2005)
• Your Song (2 episodes)
• "Pambansang Awit" Mano Mano: The Celebrity Boxing Challenge (October,2007)
• Balik-bayan - January 2008

Awards

• 2004 - Awit Awards - People's Choice Favorite Song (A Little Bit)
• 2004 - SOP Music Awards - Best Acoustic Act
• 2005 - Aliw Awards - Best Pop Performance in Hotel, Music Lounges and Bars
• 2005 - SOP Music Awards - Viewer's Choice For Artist of the Year; Revive '05 Category (Tell Me Where It Hurts)
• 2005 - ASAP's 1st Platinum Circle - Top Awardee (Versions and Beyond)
• 2006 - Aliw Awards - Best Performance In A Concert
• 2006 - MYX Music Awards - Favorite MYX Live Performance; Favorite Ringtone (Tell Me Where it Hurts)
• 2006 - Box-Office Entertainment Awards - Most Popular Recording Group
• 2007 - ASAP's Pop Viewer's Choice Awards - Best Band Performance in a Music Video (Only Reminds Me Of You)
• 2007 - ASAP's 3rd Platinum Circle - Band Awardee: New Horizon (Single Platinum)
• 2007 - ASAP's 24k Gold Awards - Awardee: New Horizon (Released Dec. 2006 Reached Gold in Feb. 2007)
• 2008 - Myx Music Awards - Favorite Myx Live Performance
• 2009 - Digital Music Awards (Korea) - August International Artist
• 2009 - Awit Awards - Best Christmas - Wishlist from the album "Now"
• 2009 - 1st PMPC Star Awards for Music - Best Duo/Group Artist of the Year

References

1. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "History". MYMP Official Website. http://www.mympband.com/history.html. Retrieved 2010-02-16. 
3. ^ http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2005/09/23/ENTR2005092345154.html
4. ^ http://news.inq7.net/sunday/index.php?index=2&story_id=71346
5. ^ http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2005/11/17/ENTR2005111749459.html
6. ^ "MYMP reaches crossroad, Juris bids adieu". Manila Bulletin. 2009-11-05. http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/228058/mymp-reaches-crossroad-juris-bids-adieu. Retrieved 2010-02-16. 
7. ^ Godinez, Bong (2010-02-08). "MYMP opens new chapter with pre-Valentine concert on February 12". Philippine Entertainment Portal. http://www.pep.ph/guide/5539/MYMP-opens-new-chapter-with-pre-Valentine-concert-on-February-12-nbsp;. Retrieved 2010-02-16. 

External links

• M.Y.M.P. official website
• M.Y.M.P. official Twitter