Johnoy Danao: the Man, the Plan, the Music

Photo taken by Pong Ignacio

Amidst the many facets of the Philippine music industry – the clamor for artist marketability, album sales, and mass followings – is a man who just wants to play, and play well.

Enter Johnoy Danao, with his toe-tapping interpretations of songs by musicians the likes of Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, the Beatles, and Jack Johnson (to name a few). A former band member-turned-soloist, he brings an unmistakable sound with highlights of contemporary folk-meets-OPM – altogether too striking to ignore. Armed with soothing vocals, remarkable songwriting, and his trusty Guild D25 guitar, Danao aims at the hearts of his audience, shoots, and leaves everyone literally screaming for more.

Primarily known as a cover artist, this troubadour is slowly inching his way through the threshold of greater public attention and renown as an individual, independent artist. His first single, “Ulan”, has enjoyed its fair share of radio airplay, garnering positive feedback and public interest for both song and singer. Before this however came what possibly is Danao’s biggest musical break to date: penning the song “Ikaw at Ako”, the theme for the indie film Labing Labing. The song, which garnered attention and acclaim, would later on stand as a significant hallmark, being sung for the film by the late great Johnny Delgado.

With his first solo album in the works, Mr. Danao’s sights go beyond career, as he banners the plight of every independent artist struggling to share their creation: equal opportunities, artistic integrity, and audiences ready and willing to listen.

Danao expounds on this ideology (among others) as he sat down with GabLifestyle recently:

How would you describe your genre?

Usually I don’t dictate what my genre is. I play rock songs, folk songs…it just so happens that I always play with an acoustic guitar. So I guess it’s up to the people to determine what my genre is. Marketing-wise, I should [pick a genre]. But as of now, it’s very general.

Your cover songs have been very well received. How do you pick which songs to cover?

Two ways: One, personal choices. If I like a song, I’ll sing it. Two, requests. You know those table napkins? I keep those, and browse through them. Kung meron song na hindi ako familiar I listen to it. Usually they request songs that they think would suit my voice and my style. “Parang bagay sayo yung kantang ganyan.” “Have you heard of this artist?” Ako naman, I research on the artist and listen to the song and if meron akong nagustuhan, I play it.

How important is the artist’s style to you?

The important thing for me is the lyrics. Style-wise, for example, I could cover Metallica songs by making [their songs] acoustic but it would defeat the purpose of Metallica’s loud music. Also, pag na-touch akong song. Hindi ko alam kung pano i-explain pero let’s say after listening to it and reading the lyrics, if it hit me in a certain way, I sing it. Kasi ang hirap mag-cover ng hindi mo sya nararamdaman. Dapat maintindihan ko. Hindi naman exactly yung meaning ng artist, pero kapag naintindihan ko sya in a certain way, ganun ko sya kakantahin.

You’ve covered a lot of songs over the years.

Yeah sobrang dami and minsan it’s hard to sing my own songs. I have my own songs and ang hirap nila isingit minsan kasi people will ask for cover songs. I don’t mind that I’m known for covering songs pero medyo mahirap pag na-stereotype kana “his songs should sound like this”. Kunwari, kinakanta ko yung “Ikaw at Ako”. Hindi nila ine-expect sakin na ganun ka-folk yung kanta. They’d still expect it to sound like a DMB song or yung usually naririnig nilang kino-cover ko. So surprised yung audience, I’d say.

Do you see that surprise as a positive thing?

Minsan it’s a negative thing. Kasi nakahon ka na nila sa tunog na usual nilang naririnig from you. Parang kailangan muna nila ng konting panahon para ma-appreciate yung sarili kong music. Parang ganun.

“Hindi yata si Johnoy yun.” Yung Johnoy na alam nila, eto yung mga kinakanta. So I’d sing an original song na medyo mellow, and nahihirapan ako minsan kasi hindi nila gaano kagad natatanggap. Pero ultimately I think matatanggap din nila kasi those songs will show them more who I am.

Considering that, what’s your game plan for drawing people to your own songs, and not just your cover songs?

The game plan is to sing my songs more often. For a five-song set, I’d sing three original songs, and two cover songs. Plus, my song is playing on the radio. So yung mga hindi pa nakakarinig sa akin live, they hear my original song on the radio, a buzz [forms], and they begin to know me as the writer of that song, and not a cover artist.

Another, I’d probably need to be seen on television, even for something as simple as a music video for “Ulan.” That also gives a face to the song, as the buzz spreads. And of course, word of mouth. Pero yung buzz na yun, I think magsisimula lahat sa ako, gagawin ko yung trabaho ko and kakanta mula sa puso. Dun magsisimula e. Kasi if they watch you live after hearing you on the radio or seeing you on TV, and hindi nila nagustuhan yung live performance mo, mawawala din sila.

So merong mga taong una akong nakita live, yung iba narinig ako sa radio, sana magsama-sama sila. Hindi mabilis yung palitan ng pera and effort, pero kailangan mo parin yun para makagawa ka pa ng music. Kasi hindi libre mag-record ng album. Hindi lang yan purely “for art’s sake.” So that’s my plan.

Out of all the cover songs that you’ve done, which ones are you happiest with?

[pauses] Lately I’ve been singing a Gary Granada song, it’s called “Kapag Sinabi Ko Sayo”. I’m really proud of that. It’s a lovely song. Why? Kasi I’ve been dreaming of singing it since college.

I had an independent band before, called Bridge, [and] we had some songs out [but we had no] chance to play that song…it wasn’t a band song. It’s a one-man song. You sing it with your eyes closed…something like that.

Also may image din yun banda [that didn’t allow for that song]. We were a five-man band: saxophone, two guitars, drums, and band.

After the band broke up, tsaka lang ako kumanta ng songs by artists like Simon and Garfunkel [and other bands] na yung mga kanta nila… hindi mo normally kakantahin in a band setup.

How was it working with Johnny Delgado?

I can’t describe it. Grabe yung dedication nya sa craft. I didn’t expect that he would sing ["Ikaw at Ako"] so well…when I came to the recording session I was surprised. Prepared na ‘ko to coach him. He wasn’t known as a singer, right? Apparently, he had been practicing that song for days [just to get the feel of it.] Hindi ko ma-describe, ang galing e. Pagdating ko sa studio, he had already memorized the song. Yung dedication talaga sa craft, dun ako namangha sa kanya. Plus of course, it was Johnny Delgado. So medyo starstruck ako, and medyo surreal na kakantahin ni Johnny Delgado yung kanta ko.

That was when I realized na meron din palang mga artista sa Pilipinas na yung puso nila andun talaga. Hindi lang for showbiz. Yung puso e, dun ako talaga namangha sa kanya. Tapos yung nga, hindi lang nya binigyan ng hustisya yung kanta, naangkin pa nya. Ayoko sana sya isama sa album ko kasi sa pagkaganda ng pagka-interpret nya ng song, ayoko na sanang sirain.

Binigay nya ang lahat e. And kung meron kang gusting gawin, ibigay mo na lahat. Ganun yung dating sakin ng ginawa ni Johnny. If he had sung it normally, probably it would have still sounded great, pero yung nakita ko sa kanya was talagang binigay nya lahat. Naniwala sya sa kanta. And at the end of the day, that’s all you can do.

What did the song mean to you as the writer?

[In all honesty,] it was one of those songs I was most proud of. Alam mo, ang hirap i-impress yung sarili mo. So pag nakagawa ka ng ganun, hindi mo [maisip] kung paano mo ginawa. Ganun pala yun, na-realize ko. The moment na nago-overflow lang yung puso mo, na wala ka masyadong iniisip, ang ganda ng kakalabasan.

How personal did you get in writing that song?

It was originally a song for someone I was enamored with. So when they gave me the project to make a theme for the movie, of course I adapted it to the story of the movie. And nagtugma naman sa mga iniisip ko personally. Hindi sya kwento ng buhay ko pero kung ako yung tatanungin mo tungkol sa pagmamahal, “Ikaw at Ako” it is. It’s a very general question, “What is love?” Just read the lyrics to “Ikaw at Ako.”

So it was also your attempt to answer that question about love?

Yeah, I think so.

Do you think you managed to achieve it?

Well, in my own way, I guess. Iba-iba naman tayo e. Hindi ko sinasabing pag pinakinggan mo yung “Ikaw at Ako”, maniniwala ka sa sinasabi nya. Pero ganun ang pagibig para sakin e.

What’s the story of “Ulan”?

Basically it’s a first date song. I was on a date with this girl and it was raining so hard. It was a great night and I had to capture it. And I sang it to her. I just captured a moment para hindi mo makalimutan.

You’re particular to writing in Tagalog, right?

I am because mas tama yung words. Mas comfortable ako mag-Tagalog, and para ma-convey yung song properly I guess you should use what you’re most comfortable with.

How do you think it is for the audience?

For my usual audience, I don’t think sanay na sila, because of all the cover songs I’ve done, which are all English. But they’re warming up to the Tagalong songs I’ve been singing.

How long were you playing “Ulan” in gigs before it got on the radio?

Six months. Hindi madaling pumasok sa ganyan, bilang independent artist. You don’t get media mileage, or support from labels. Kayod talaga.

Your upcoming album: all-original, or does it have covers too?

All original songs. Some were written by my producer, Sammy Asuncion. He’s the frontman for Kalayo. I had the idea for an album last year. I approached him because he’s a friend and magaling din sya mag-areglo ng mga songs. I told him I had some songs, and I asked him if he would want to help me put an album together. Apparently, he also had some old songs that he never managed to put out, kasi Kalayo is a group that plays world music. So he said “Baka pwede mo kantahin ’to Johnoy.” So we collaborated on it.

Which artists have you collaborated with?

For this album, si Sammy Asuncion, and because some of the songs need a full band to work, I got Louie Talan on bass; Wendell Garcia of Pupil to play drums; percussions, si Boy Garovillo, he’s also from Kalayo; and then Sammy also played some guitar. So that was fun. And Aya de Leon of Imago also sang some songs.

A growing musical trend today involves artists remaking songs with a novelty sound for marketing purposes. Do you think there’s a barrier with regard to which songs should be turned into novelty, or are you fine with this trend?

I’m fine with it. Yun nga lang, if kakanta yung isang artist ng isang novelty song just to sell it…made up lang to e. Sasabihin ng label “Gawin mo tong English song na to, gawin mong Tagalog. Matatawa yung mga tao.” It’s fine. Ganun yung culture natin e. Pero para sakin, sana, I hope, that yung mga taong gumagawa ng ganun, if you watch them live, they should at least sound decent. I don’t care what they sing, basta makita ko lang sa kanila na they worked on it hard.

Dito sa Pilipinas sana, ma-appreciate ng mga tao yung mga artists na talagang tumutugtog, and hindi dahil nakita nila sa TV. Pero pag pinanood mo naman they don’t sound that well. Hindi naman ako nakiking sa lahat ng genre, pero pag may isang bandang pinakinggan ko ng live and ang galing nila, OK yun. They work on the craft. Sana ganun yung gawin ng mga singers dito. Para pag pumunta ka sa gigs nila, even if hindi mo gusto yung kanta, you’d think “Wow, they sound great.” Hindi yung out of the blue, sikat ka na. Kanta-kanta ka lang kasi sikat ka, and you don’t mind that you sound [mediocre].

Kailangan mayroon paring artistic integrity, and panindigan mo yung kinanta mo. Kung gusto mong kumanta ng ganyang genre, ipakita mo man lang sa mga tao na [you’re serious about it and you worked on it.] Hindi masyado naa-apreciate minsan yung mga artists na magagaling talaga, those who work hard for the craft.

How do you take that, as an artist?

It’s very sad. There are a lot of singer-songwriters here who need to be heard. And they’re not even given the chance. Because for one, konti lang yung makikinig sa kanya minsan, and madi-discourage lang siya. Sayang yung totoong talent. Ang dami, ang dami. Hindi mo sila maririnig kasi hindi sila kayang ibenta. It’s marketability. And it’s sad.

Which artist do you think broke through that barrier of being just marketable, and became known because of their talent?

Kung meron mang genuinely magaling na artist talaga na nakasingit, Eraserheads na yun. Hindi sila sobrang galing tumugtog, pero napasok kasi nila yung utak ng Pilipino through their songs. They weren’t flashy, pero nakita mo na maganda yung kanta, and minahal sila ng tao dahil sa kanta. Before them, there was Apo Hiking Society, pero ibang panahon naman sila.

Para sa akin, the song is the king. Kung meron kang kanta, kahit sino kumanta nyan, basta maganda, people will be able to relate. That’s it. It’s not a matter of salability.

What do you think it was about the Eraserheads?

It was all truth. Masyadong totoo yung mga kanta nila. Minsan palang mare-realize mo iba-ibang yung buhay mo through their songs. Kinwento nila yung buhay mo. Hindi lang sila music e. Pinasok nila yung generation nung 90’s. They infiltrated culture. They were a culture. Sasabihin ko na: greatest Pinoy band for me, for my generation, it’s the Eraserheads. Walang nag-touch ng buhay ko through music like the Eraserheads. Gusto ko tumugtog at magsulat ng kanta dahil sa Eraserheads. I’m writing songs because I listened to the Eraserheads. I became a musician because of the Eraserheads.

What was your reaction when they broke up?

Heartbroken. But nag-mark na sila sakin e. What else could I ask for? They influenced what I wanted to do. In our province, Masbate, bihira yung mga batang mapunta sa arts pag lumaki. Pero when I heard the Eraserheads, I knew I wanted to be a musician.

Pero I don’t want people to listen to my songs and hear the Eraserheads. I want them to hear me. Dapat gumawa ka ng sarili mong identity, no matter kung sino yung influence mo.

What identity would you like to be remembered for years from now?

I’d like to be remembered for my songs. Ako yun e. My songs are me. Maybe hindi sya identity, it’s a mark. Kumbaga, it’s my way of saying “Johnoy was here.”

As you begin to cross the threshold from cover musician to a public figure, what do you think the Philippine music industry has in store for you in the future?

I’m hoping that people here in the Philippines would really appreciate us musicians who work really hard for the craft, rather than appreciate what’s popular. So I’m pretty hopeful that in time that would happen. Ganun lang ka-simple. Sana magbago yung thinking ng labels, and sign artists who are really worth it. What I notice is they look for what’s popular. For example, bossa nova becomes popular and they look for bossa nova artists. Novelty songs become popular and they look for those who can make novelty songs. I’m still hopeful that their mindset changes. I’m hopeful that the ones who dictate and contribute the most to the industry would be the musicians who work for their art.

Kaming mga independent artists, ang liit lang ng sirkulo e. Konti lang yung makikinig saamin. Pag tinapat ka sa masa, konti lang kasi, for example, wala ka sa TV. Kailangan mo ng celebrity status muna. Nagugustuhan ka nila dahil napapanood ka muna sa TV, and not necessarily for your songs. I’m hopeful that that will change.

Johnoy Danao holds regular gigs at Route 196 (196 Katipunan Avenue) and Conspiracy Garden and Cafe (59 Visayas Avenue) in Quezon City.

His first album is scheduled to be released September 2010.

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