Bamboo Essentials
Playlist - 14 Songs
A fixture in the Filipino rock scene since the mid-1990s, Bamboo Mañalac has an enviable songbook—whether it’s via his solo work, with Rivermaya or with his namesake group Bamboo, formed in 2003. Bamboo the band racked up a slew of hit albums and singles during their eight-year tenure, between dramatic power displays (“Noypi”), downtempo ruminations (“Much Has Been Said”) and playful, brassy pop-rock (“Probinsyana”). Meanwhile, Bamboo the solo act emerged in 2011 with No Water, No Moon, followed by 2015’s Bless This Mess—both of which dovetailed rock with pronounced jazz influences.