People always ask me where I got my start in music. I say it all began in 1989 in my uncle Pepito's house- a haven for artists, and home base at that time, to a band called Cocojam.
I was 13 years old and had just begun my freshman year of highschool. I hated school, though I have always enjoyed learning. I'd come home to my uncle's house right after school and just hang out. There were always people in my uncle's living room. And more than a few musicians lived there- some full time, some on again, off again. On some afternoons, there would be an impromptu jam going on. One Tuesday night (even though it was a school night), my uncle thought to bring me along to this hole-in-the wall place in Espana called Mayric's. The people living in our Pasay home, who jammed and who I hung out with were members of a band called Cocojam.
Cocojam took the stage: and to this day I will maintain that it was the best line-up this band has ever had- a powerhouse of Pinoy Rock Legends: Rolly Maligad on vocals and guitar); Jun Lopito &Noli Aurillo (guitars); Edmund "Bosyo" Fortuno (drums); Rico Velez (bass); Ike Bernardino (keyboards) and his wife, Girlie (backing vocals); and Dorai (backing vocals, who incidentally, also played bass when Rico wasn't around, as she was the original bassist for the band, I think). The bar was wall-to-wall with bodies. It was hot, sticky, sweaty and people were fine with it. To this day, I don't know how the hell they all fit on that tiny stage. The place seriously shook! I shall credit Cocojam for my reggae education- it was through these musicians that I had come to know the songs of Bob Marley---as well as being reintroduced to the classic songs of Pinoy Rock, and good ol' rock n' roll--- as their sets were rarely, if ever pure reggae sets. To those of you who have been lucky enough to have watched Cocojam in the late 80's to mid-90s- you'll never forget that intesity, that energy. I, who grew up around music and musicians, was hooked. Yep, music was my first drug.
I became a regular after that, following the band to gigs in the city and even some out of the city. We frequented Mindoro-Puerto Galera, particularly. Full Moon concerts at Kalaw Place. Then on the eve of Rolly's birthday, I was invited up on stage to jam, and I have been singing ever since. Even after two stints with Tropical Depression as a back-up singer, I always returned to Cocojam. These were uncles to me! And they kept it fun (if a little chaotic, at times). Cocojam was my first band, and like all "firsts"- one never forgets it, like the first love or the first kiss.
Cocojam wasn't born in Pepito's living room like some may think. Although that is the Cocojam that will always be my Cocojam. A version of the band was playing in the early 80s in Puerto Princessa, Palawan. No matter how many changes in line up the band has had in the last 20-odd years, the one constant has been Rolly Maligad. I guess it is safe to say that Rolly is Cocojam. And Rolly is one of the most underrated songwriters in the country- listen carefully to their original songs and you cannot deny that songwriting like that takes talent.
I became a songwriter myself because of Rolly, and in spite of him as well. (I wonder if he'll even remember this story- probably not).
I was young, and was never an awesome guitar player. It was a quiet day, and I picked up the guitar in the Pepito's living room. It may have been a weekend, since it was so quiet- maybe everyone had hangovers. I didn't know how to play any songs, but I knew a few chords (thanks to Pido introducing me to a jingle magazine chordchart and letting me practice on his red Ibanez---but that story is for another time), so armed with a few chords, I started stringing chords together, looking for combinations that sounded ok. Rolly came out of the kitchen, I think, sat down and well, he kinda dissed me. I don't remember what he said, exactly, but I do remember feeling ashamed that I even attempted to play a song, and feeling kinda hurt. Noli Aurillo later told me to keep playing, practice, make it up. He told me he didn't know the names of more than half the chords he played anyway. (I think Noli just said that to make me feel better.) Nonetheless, I got my hands on a stratocoaster a few months later, and I was the proud owner of my own guitar (which meant I could write songs in private- I wanted to write songs like Rolly even though Tagalog was not my strong point). The day I got the guitar was Diokno Pasilan's exhibit opening at Penguin, and there was a jam going on---and that was the day my guitar was broken in, played by both Rolly and Jun Lopito. The same guitar was later used during the recording of the first Album, "Lakambini". I may not be on the album, but my guitar was, and I was in the studio as they recorded most of the album. (I had met Howlin' Dave and Delilah at this point, through Cocojam). The album was released under Viva-RJ in 1992 and garnered the band an Awit Awards nomination for Best New Recording Group. A second album titled "Cocojam" was released in 1996 under Neo Records.
Over the years, Rolly has continued to keep Cocojam jammin'- playing venues from Mayric's to Fire & Rain, Kalye, Larry's Bar, Le Caribe, Paper Moon, Coconut Palace, Music Museum. Together with Stairway Foundation, Cocojam worked on a collaborative project called "GoldTooth, A Street Children's Musical"- for which Rolly penned the music. He has written for other artists as well, such as Manyikang Lansangan (performed by Binky Lampano); Bayle Ta (Lolita Carbon), and Cocojam songs are still covered today by young reggae bands and even Tropical Depression did a cover of Lakambini in their second album. They have influenced a lot of the local musicians as well- I remember the unknown Wolfgang and a young Razorback in the Kalye audience on Friday nights.
Many of the members of Cocojam may have moved on to other things: Jun Lopito has his own thing going, as does Noli Aurillo. Bosyo passed away many years ago (I called him "Tatay"), and Rico Velez no longer plays bass since his stroke. But Cocojam still plays.
I had the luck of seeing Rolly again, and hearing his daughter Shallah, sing (she has a band with the daughters of Rica Concepcion and Egay Navarro). Rolly sat in the back and played guitar for his daughter (who like Rolly, may turn out to be an exceptional lyricist someday- as her poetry is really good). She sang an old cocojam song. My legs turned to jello. I was younger than Shallah is now when I used to sing that song, almost 20 years ago. I think I'd sing those songs again, for the good old days.
Rolly has also since acknowledged that I can write songs, after all. But maybe someday, I'll sing one of his songs again. It would be, simply, an honor. I am seriously missing my old strat (stolen and probably pawned for drugs by DG). I need a new guitar. I have songs to write...and songs to sing.
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