Brownman Revival

Perhaps one of the most enduring and familiar legacies to come out of the Caribbean shores would be that sensational dance-rhythm phenomenon born in the late 60’s, accented with a delirious and bewildering backbeat known as reggae. Armed with cool, soothing melodies and infectious grooves, reggae music chose to celebrate life, love and dance, amidst heated surroundings of ferment and crisis. It shouldn’t be hard to imagine then why nearly 180° degrees around the equator and thirty years later, on an isle quite similar to Jamaica, several young lads aimlessly floating in the doldrums of urban campus life caught on to the reggae fever and formed BROWNMAN REVIVAL. Started in late 1994, the band re-captures the original groove and spirit of the reggae vibe - when reggae appealed more to the heart and the hips, infusing it with pop undertones that strike a familiar chord with Filipino “aural palates”, not to mention their pelvic areas. BROWNMAN REVIVAL is made up of the one-drop rocksteady beats of drummer Dennis, the sensual grooves of Jao on bass, the sexy accents from percussionist Januarie, the steady “chanka” rhythms of Alphy on guitars, the wicked horn riffs of Jayson on trombone, Jojo on sax, Ambet on trumpet, capped-off by the passionate wailing of frontman Dino. Drawing heavily on contemporary reggae acts such as Big Mountain and UB40, BROWNMAN REVIVAL creatively mixes the traditional roots sound of venerated reggae icon Bob Marley, with an OPM sensibility producing a festive but sensuous strain of Lover’s Rock reggae with such vibrant energy that never fails to leave the crowds winding and grinding their sweaty bodies to the band’s euphoric reggae party.