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After General Luna, Caren Tevanny rocks even harder

Dream come true: two female rock guitarists jamming--Caren Tevanny and famed Aussie rocker Orianthi, (Facebook photo credited to @judengvfx)

In the middle of her performance at the Hard Rock Café in Makati last year, famed Aussie female guitarist Orianthi, one of the world’s best today, called out to the audience for Caren Tevanny.

A lot of heads in the packed venue turned around looking out for Caren.

A slim figure stood up from one of the tables at the back and climbed nimbly up the stage.


Overwhelmed

In the bright lights, former General Luna axe wielder Caren Tevanny strapped on a guitar, curtsied to the crowd then started trading licks with Orianthi, who Carlos Santana once named next in line to his legacy.

Caren, now 34 and fronting her own band, considers her jam with Orianthi to be one of her most memorable experiences.

“I was really overwhelmed by that rare chance to play live with one of my idols. On top of that, Orianthi used my acoustic guitar in all of her performances in Manila,” Caren exclusively told Yahoo Philippines.



The prejudice against female rockers

On another level, Caren expects that Orianthi’s visit will help bring down prejudices against women who rock.

“Di pa marami sa Pilipinas ang open to the fact that a girl can play guitar solos. Orianthi came here for a couple of shows and she was featured on TV. I think that should introduce something new to the local audience, that a girl can do great guitar solos and sing well at the same time,” she argues.

“I know most people think that guitar playing especially going solo, is a guy thing. There are guys who come to my gigs not to enjoy the show but to just watch me play so when they come home, they can criticize me in forums that I am not that good at all,” she confesses.

“I really don’t mind that. I play not for them but for myself. I am focused on my playing to learn more and improve on it.”


Life after General Luna

After parting ways amicably with General Luna two years ago, Caren turned to polishing her songwriting skills. She handled the riffs in her previous all-female band and only contributed to its chief songwriters.

She got her songwriting break when she was accepted to the Elements Camp in Dumaguete in 2013. It was a week-long series of interactive workshops with seasoned composers and aspiring musicians.

“After Elements Camp, gut feeling ko may bala na ako to begin writing my own songs. In fact, when I came back to Manila from Dumaguete, I wrote my first Tagalog song entitled ‘Sinag.’ Sakto naman I composed it after the Typhoon Yolanda struck and it’s a song of hope for the victims.”


Self-named band

She also met Kerwin Rosete who, after hearing her songs and watching her music videos, agreed to manage her and four-piece, self-named band Caren Tevanny,

The band is composed of Andy Saunar, formerly of Agiw Jr. on keyboards; ex-Django bassist Jim Caliwan; and drummer Ivan Rodel Domasig, who used to be with Third Nature.

They’ve already written four songs for an EP they plan to release later this year.

“It’s a mix,” she says of the EP. “May metal, may prog, siyempre may konting pop. You can’t take that away if you wanna reach out to a diverse audience. We’re not exactly keen on attracting a mainstream audience but I think with a little pop in the mix, most people would easily get into our music.”


Caren Tevanny, the guitarist and the band, now. (Phoo from Caren Tevanny Facebook)
Caren Tevanny, the guitarist and the band, now. (Phoo from Caren Tevanny Facebook)


Dreaming big

The band’s long-term goal is international recognition.

“It’s not entirely impossible,” she says. “We have the resources now, like the Internet, to help us do it.”

She also muses: “Some mornings I am lying in bed and day dreaming of winning in the Grammies. You dream big, you focus on it and I believe you can reach it. You just need to think positive all the time.”

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Caren Tevanny pays tribute to Jimi Hendrix tonight, February 18, at the Roadhouse by the Bay, Mall of Asia, Pasay City. For updates, gigs and videos, like Caren Tevanny on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and subscribe to Caren’s YouTube channel.