Kjwan
Kjwan is a Filipino hard rock band formed in 2003 by former Sandwich guitarist and lead vocalist Marc Abaya and Dicta License bassist Kelley Mangahas.
| Kjwan | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Metro Manila, Philippines |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts |
|
| Members | Marc Abaya Kelley Mangahas Boogie Romero Enrique de Dios EO Marcos |
| Past members | J-Hoon Balbuena Jorel Corpus |
History
Long-time friends and former high school bandmates Marc Abaya (vocals) and Kelley Mangahas (bass) got together with fellow Ateneans Jorel Corpus (guitar) and J-hoon Balbuena (drums) to form the band's initial lineup. In 2004, Boogie Romero (guitar), another high school friend and former bandmate of Marc and Kelley, joined the lineup. They released their self-titled debut album in 2004 with their carrier hit single “Daliri” which gained constant airplay on radio stations and television.
Kjwan released their second album, 2StepMarv three years later under Barnyard Music.
The band won Favorite Indie Artist in the local music channel MYX’s music awards night. Their video “Pintura” nabbed “Favorite Guest Appearance” with the help of a seasoned actress, Chin-Chin Gutierrez. They were also featured for a month on MTV Pilipinas in December 2006. They enjoyed a month-long feature as Yahoo Southeast Asia's band of the month and another month-long feature as “Celebrity VJs” in MYX for the whole month of April 2006. They also got nominated in 6 categories in the 2007 NU Rock Awards for Artist of the Year, Best Live Act, Album of the Year, Producer of the Year (with Angee Rozul), Vocalist of the Year (Marc Abaya) and Guitarist of the Year (Boogie Romero). 2Step Marv was a massive success for the band as they cemented themselves with releases that included: Pintura, Sa Ilalim, Shai, Invitation and One Look.
At this time, the band also had the chance to show what Philippine rock is made of to various countries abroad. They headlined HK-Live, in Central, HK back in October 2007 in front of a packed Fringe Club with fans from many different nationalities. HK-Live is a monthly showcase of the Hottest Acts around Asia in HK's Fringe Club. They were also part of the Annual Baybeats Music Festival in Singapore and the HUSH Music Festival in Macau, China.
One of their biggest breakthroughs was winning the grand prize in the Asian and Philippine leg in IKON ASEAN Competition. Held in Putrajaya, Malaysia and watched by hundreds of thousands all over the region, their performance made an impact to the Asian Music Community. Kjwan beat thirty other bands from both the Philippines and in South East Asia.
Kjwan released their third album entitled 13 Seconds to Love. Inspired by the fact that a great song can be determined in just thirteen seconds, the band brought this along in their song writing with love as the common theme. The album was also the first one that was released first on a purely digital format when it was preloaded in official releases of Nokia 5800 XpressMusic in the Philippines, six months before the actual physical release of the album.
Band members
Current members
- Ramon Marcelino "Marc" Abaya – lead vocals, rhythm and lead guitar (2003–present)
- Roberto Miguel "Boogie" Romero – lead guitar, co-lead & backing vocals (2004–present)
- Federico Kelley Mangahas – bass guitar (2003–present)
- Enrique de Dios – keyboards, synthesizers, percussion, backing vocals (2011–present)
- Emilio "EO" Marcos – drums (2012–present)
Former members
- Marinito "J-Hoon" Balbuena – drums, backing vocals (2003–2009)
- Jorel Corpus – guitars, percussion, backing vocals (2003–2009)
Session musicians
- Bryan Makasiar – drums
- Wendell Garcia – drums
- Paolo Manuel - drums
Discography
Studio Albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Kjwan | Sony Music Philippines |
| 2006 | 2StepMarv | PolyEast Records/Barnyard Music Philippines |
| 2009 | 13 Seconds to Love | MCA Music Philippines |
| 2014 | Kjwan IV Volume One | MCA Music Philippines |
Other Appearances
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Drizzle (Helltop Remix) | Rx Band Breakout Finalists CD |
| 2005 | A Different Kind | ROK ON! Music Inspired by the Ragnarok Online Game |
| 2007 | Daliri | LIVE AND RAW (6UG Live CD) |
| 2009 | Pause | Kerplunk! DEFIANT |
| 2009 | 13 Seconds to Love | Nokia 5800 Express Music Phone
MCA Music |
| 2012 | Kjwan IV volume 1 | Independent |
| 2014 | Kjwan IV volume 2 | Independent |
Awards and achievements
NU Rock Awards:
- 2004: Best New Artist Nomination
- 2004: Best Video Nomination – "Daliri"
- 2004: Best Album Packaging Nomination – Kjwan
- 2004: Best Drummer Nomination – J-Hoon Balbuena
- 2007: Artist of the Year Nomination
- 2007: Best Live Act Nomination
- 2007: Album of the Year Nomination – 2StepMarv
- 2007: Producer of the Year Nomination – Kjwan with Angee Rozul
- 2007: Vocalist of the Year Nomination – Marc Abaya
- 2007: Guitarist of the Year Nomination – Boogie Romero
- 2009: Artist of the Year Nomination
- 2009: Album of the Year Nomination - 13 Seconds to Love
- 2009: Vocalist of the Year Nomination - Marc Abaya
- 2009: Guitarist of the Year Nomination - Jorel Corpus, Boogie Romero, and Marc Abaya
- 2009: Bassist of the Year Nomination - Kelley Mangahas
- 2009: Drummer of the Year Nomination - Jhoon Balbuena
- 2009: Song of the Year Nomination - Lifeline and 13 Seconds to Love
- 2009: Best Album Packaging Nomination - 13 Seconds to Love
- 2009: Best Music Video Nomination - Lifeline (Director: Joaquin Valdes)
- 2009: Producer of the Year Nomination - Pat Jalbuena and Kjwan
MTV Pilipinas Video Music Awards:
- 2005: Favorite New Artist Nomination
- 2005: Best Video Nomination – "Daliri"
Myx Music Awards:
- 2007: Favorite Indie Artist
- 2007: Favorite Guest Appearance
Miscellaneous and Other Awards:
- 2007: IKON ASEAN Champion (Group Category) at Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Ani ng Dangal Award from The Office of the President and The National Commission for Culture and the Arts(NCCA)