Teddy Diaz looms large in The Dawn concert tonight
When The Dawn takes to the Music Museum stage tonight at 9 pm for their Landmarks concert, they will unveil the new tracks of their forthcoming album and pay tribute to the legacy of Teddy Diaz.
Diaz, the founder and original guitarist of the band, was killed in 1988 in what was said to be a botched robbery attempt. He was 25.
Since the band was formed in 1985 and following Diaz’s death, the band has undergone major changes, including a breakup and eventual reunion.
Chief visionary
It’s been a long, strange, rocky trip and no matter how boldly the band has carried on, Diaz looms large to this day.
“In many ways, (Teddy) was The Dawn since he stood as the band's chief visionary, musical arranger and driving force; the rest of us basically just rode on his wave,” said vocalist Jett Pangan, who was recruited during the early years of the band.
“We play songs that come from most of our albums, including the classics that Teds co-wrote like ‘Enveloped Ideas,’ ‘Love Will Set Us Free,’ ‘Salamat,’ so every gig has the Teddy Diaz stamp somewhere.”
Eheads listened to The Dawn
Dawn bass player Buddy Zabala, who joined the band in 2005, describes Teddy Diaz as a very creative composer and songwriter.
“It's very inspiring also the way Teddy musically arranged the songs with Jett, JB (Leonor, drummer and founding member), Clay (Luna, the original bassist) the and then Carlos (Balcells, who followed Clay). The changes he introduced still inform the way songs are written nowadays,” the former Eraserhead says.
“OPM bands today who started listening to local bands in the 80s most likely first heard The Dawn’s 'Enveloped ideas,’ on the radio. The E-heads certainly grew up listening to them too,” he adds.
The ‘next Dawn’
The Landmarks concert will also reveal the band’s new guitarist Sancho, to be called by his first name only (like Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers). He takes the place of Kenneth Ilagan who left the band recently.
Previously, Sancho has played with the likes of Cynthia Alexander, Bob Aves and the Eraserheads during their London reunion concert.
“I was awe-struck the first time I rehearsed with the band, in the same space they used to rehearse with Teddy,” Sancho says, adding that his old college band used to cover “Enveloped Ideas” and aspired to be “the next Dawn.”
“We even wrote songs that sounded like The Dawn’s,” he admits.
Generations
Jett says the fans of the band centered around Teddy Diaz continues to swell across generations.
“I've had kids as young as 10 come up to me who know Teddy Diaz either from the Internet or from their parents. Teenage musicians have told me how their guitar-playing were influenced by Teddy,” he says.
And apropos to Diaz’s 26th death anniversary on August 21, Jett adds, “As for the hardcore fans, Ted is alive and well in their hearts and in their music devices.”
The Dawn’s Landmarks concert happens tonight, August 8, 2014 at the Music Museum in Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila. Gates open at 8 pm, concert starts at 9. Tickets at P515, P309 and P206 available at Ticketworld .
