SHOW rocks with Kamikazee frontman Jay. Writer Luis A. Quibranza III tells us about the band’s third album and more. Allan Defensor is the lensman.
Jay Contreras is the ultimate frontman a band would want. He has the ability to create and sustain a killer connection with the audience (lots of dancing and kissing are some of the weapons in his “entertainment arsenal”) and is equipped with a voice that rises above the layers of distorted guitars and a fast-paced rhythm section.
Think of it this way. With his crazy antics and impressive vocal skills, Kamikazee gets two things for the price of one: A rocking lead vocalist plus, an energetic emcee.
Now for their third release. According to Jay, the band’s unsure of the title for their third album coming out tentative on October 2008.
“We’re hoping to beat the October deadline. Right now we’re on the recording process and I think we’re coming out with 12 songs,” he says in Tagalog.
“Any featured guest artists?” I asked.
“Iniisip pa, secret muna. Hindi pa sigurado kung papayag sila Justin Timberlake, Madonna at si Michael Jackson,” he says.
“Ginagawa’n namin nang paraan!” Jay assures with a questionable smile.
Iron Man or Dark Knight? Asked on what he liked most, Jay without hesitation praised the latter.
“Si Heath Ledger sobrang galing. Okay din Iron Man, okay bigote niya at gusto ko rin may ganun na assistant. Pero yung Dark Knight, galing! The best.”
Jay on Cebu. “Besides saying that the people here are friendly and the place is similar to Manila but a whole lot cleaner, he also mentions that Cebu is one of his favorite places to visit.” Come to think of it, I guess every visitor asked that question by the media on foreign soil would most likely have that and other positive lines for an answer.
He then goes on citing great bands that Kamikazee considers as friends and are based from Cebu like Urbandub and Faspitch.
He even shares a bit on his southern escapades.
“Last time nandito ako, huli ko lang maalala, uminom ako sa Outpost. Huli ko lang naalala pumara ako nang taxi. Next thing, nagising ako, nasa Quezon City na ako. Iba talaga dito sa Cebu.”
Kamikazee performed in a free show dubbed the “Biyaheng Bayan Caravan Concert” sponsored by SuperFerry at the Ocean Park, City of Naga, Cebu last Saturday. The event was also hosted by Tuesday Vargas and Paulo Walker.
