INFORMATION
| Born In : | Manila, Philippines |
| Genres : | Pinoy Rock, New Wave |
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.
From Wikipedia
