ASIN

 

ASIN

Current Members
Lolita "Nene" Carbon| Mike "Nonoy" Pillora Jr.| Cesar "Saro" Bañares Jr.(deceased)| Fred "Pendong" Aban, Jr.,
Genres
Filipino Folk/Folk-Rock Music,
External links
About us

Asin is a Pinoy folk rock band from the Philippines. They started as a trio in the late 1970s, and was originally known as the Salt of the Earth. They later changed their name to "ASIN", which means salt in Filipino language.

ASIN was formed in 1977, the nucleus of which was the duet of Mike Pillora Jr. (Noy Pillora) and Cesar Bañares Jr., who at that time were playing at folk joints and pub houses in Metro Manila.

History

A year later, Lolita Carbon was recruited by the duo to fill in the missing middle voice and eventually became the third member Nonoy came up with the name, 'Salt of the Earth' after the song recorded originally by The Rolling Stones and later by Joan Baez, written and composed by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Other than the song title, the name of the group was also taken from the Biblical metaphor salt of the earth which represents the humble and the lowly that comprises the majority of the population.
In 1978, the trio (who later discovered the hidden talent within them as songwriters, composers and arrangers) signed their first recording contract and localized their name 'Salt of the Earth' into 'Asin ng Lupa'. They ultimately became known simply as " ASIN ". Simultaneously, the members adopted local names for themselves and they were later known to their fans as Nonoy, Saro and Nene.

In the same year, they worked on their album with their original compositions entitled Masdan mo ang Kapaligiran ("Look at Your Environment"). The release of the album gave birth to an alternative form of music which was different and distinct from what was mainstream. Their songs conveyed a message that had instilled awareness into the vast majority of Filipinos and became a rallying call for emancipation from the ruling dictatorship.


Mike "Nonoy" Pillora Jr., Lolita "Nene" Carbon, and Cesar "Saro" Bañares Jr.

In the last quarter of 1979, they launched another album called Himig ng Pag-ibig ("Hymn of Love"). The group's break-up abruptly followed. However, their absence from the music scene did not hamper their growing popularity. Asin songs were continually playing on the airwaves and were even more sought for by the populace and admired than ever.

The group was not heard of until 1983. In the summer of the same year, AIESEC (Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales), a students’ business organization based in the island of Cebu, made a project to reunite the group. Nonoy was summoned and was tasked to reunite his band. This resulted in a jam-packed reunion concert of the group at Cebu Coliseum, Cebu City. From that time on, ASIN, with their manager Dindo, rolled into a series of performances in Mindanao, sporadic shows in the Visayas and marathon concerts in Luzon.

The culmination of all these events led to the creation and launch of their third album Himig ng Lahi ("Hymn of the Race") in the same year. Three weeks after its release, the album became a Gold Record. Simultaneously, the members had adopted local names for themselves and they were later known to their fans as Nonoy, Saro and Nene. Another significant event happened at this time, Through Nonoy's recommendation, Fred Aban Jr., the session bass player who was later known as Pendong, was anointed by the trio and became the fourth member of the group. Since everybody in the group was a "junior" (each one was carrying their father’s first name), Nene aso proclaimed herself a "junior".

In early 1984, the group released an experimental album called Ang mga Awitin ng Bayan kong Pilipinas, an adaptation of traditional and contemporary songs from various regions of the Philippine archipelago.
In the year 1985, the group made another album called " ASIN...Sa Atubiling Panahon :(Asin...In a Doubtful Time). This was unfolded by the roll of events that happened in the beginning of the following year 1986, among which was the EDSA Revolution that toppled the ruling Marcos regime. ASIN called it "Atubiling Panahon" (doubtful time) and the group split for the second time.
In 1988, they decided to regroup again hoping to come up with new material to make another album that would speak of the time. Instead they put out a double album called Himig Kayumanggi and Sinta which were adaptations and revival of old Fiipino folk and pop songs.

Asin songs had lived on through the generations that followed. Up to the present their songs are being played in the radio and often made as movie themes. The songs made its way in the archive of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and most of all, to the hearts of the Filipino people.
Albums


    Masdan Mo Ang Kapaligiran (Vicor Music, 1978)
    Himig Ng Pag-Ibig (Vicor Music, 1979)
    Himig Ng Lahi (Ivory Music, 1983)
    Ang Mga Awitin Ng Bayan Kong Pilipinas (Ivory Music, 1984)
    Asin sa Atubiling Panahon (Ivory Music, 1985)
    Himig Kayumanggi (Ivory Music, 1988)
    Sinta (Ivory Music, 1988)


Compilation albums


    Ang Bayan Kong Sinilangan: Paglalakbay sa mga Awitin ng Asin (Vicor Music 40th Anniversary) (Vicor Music, 2004)
    18 Greatest Hits (Vicor Music, 2009)


Album appearances


    Ugat: The Best Of OPM Folk Rock Vol. 1 (Vicor Music, 2008)
    Ugat: The Best Of OPM Folk Rock Vol. 2 (Vicor Music, 2010)