Advertisement

Music in shopping centers featured in photo exhibit

Japs Sergio photographed when he was still with Rivermaya. He now does vocals and guitars for Peso Movement. (Photo by Niña Sandejas)

I have been dropping by Tiendesitas for several years now, shooting a lot of their music events.

Their lineup varies with artists coming from various eras of the music scene from Juan Dela Cruz Band to The Dawn, Razorback to Color It Red and Sugarfree, among many others.

In addition, another property belonging to the Tiendesitas group, Greenhills Shopping Center, holds “Sessionistas” each year, a competition for new bands, but with the special participation of legendary musicians including Mike Elgar, Cooky Chua and the late Karl Roy.

 

Not just shopping

But it seems that both places are still thought of strictly as shopping centers. We don’t normally associate Tiendesitas and Greenhills as venues for music.

To highlight the music events that have been happening in Tiendesitas, I’ve been asked to mount an exhibit called “Ang Inyong Awitin,” taken off Juan de la Cruz Band’s groundbreaking song “Ang Himig Natin.”

The exhibit, which is ongoing until April 20, features the photographs I’ve taken of some of the musicians who gig at Tiendesitas and at Greenhills’ Sessionistas band contest.

 

Photos taken over 8 years

The photos span eight years, the earliest being in 2006 and the latest taken just early this year. They’ve been processed by FANS Digital Philippines in 20x30-inch prints.

Some of the artists featured are Pepe Smith and Wally Gonzales of Juan Dela Cruz, Kevin Roy and Louie Talan of Razorback, Basti Artadi of Wolfgang, Mark Escueta and Mike Elgar of Rivermaya, Francis Brew Reyes and The Jerks’ Chickoy Pura.

 

The exhibit reminds us that music is deeply rooted in our culture and showing images of iconic musicians who have gigged in Tiendesitas and Greenhills reinforce the truth that the local music scene remains very much alive today because artists have places to gig.


“Ang Inyong Awitin” can be viewed until April 20, 2014 at the Tiendesitas Events Area, New Building, C-5 corner Eulogio Rodriguez, Jr. Avenue, Pasig City. For more details check out the Facebook event page. Niña thanks Tiendesitas and FANS Digital Philippines for supporting the exhibit.

Check out the photo gallery



Read more Music stories