ChicoSci (often spelled as Chicosci) is a 5-piece Filipino rock band based in Manila. The band is composed of Miggy Chavez, Mong Alcaraz, Calde Calderon, Macoy Estacio and Ariel Lumanlan.
Formation and early days
What started out as a group of young college kids from the Ateneo de Manila University, ChicoSci (previously Chico Science) was originally composed of Miggy Chavez, Mong Alcaraz, Calde Calderon and Joel Salvador. The four enjoyed playing together so much that they decided to take their music seriously by recruiting guitarist Sonny Baquisal and long-time friend Eugene "Yug" Esquivias to solidify the songwriting process. The band won an inter school Battle of the Bands and spent the prize money in recording a demo – an investment that landed them a two-album record deal with EMI Philippines. The band released the albums Revenge of the Giant Robot and Method of Breathing.
Career as Chico Science
The highly-successful debut record established Chico Science as one of the forerunners of the new generation of rock. Revenge of the Giant Robot spawned hits such as Amen, Soopafly, and the MTV hit, Sink or Swim. This album was also nominated to the prestigious Awit Awards for Best Rock Recording. Their first-ever music video Sink or Swim, directed by Lyle Sacris, also won as the Best Directed Video for the 2001 MTV Pilipinas Awards. Later on, they decided to change the name Chico Science to ChicoSci, in order not to be confused with the Brazilian singer.
Career as ChicoSci
Never satisfied and always trying out new things, the band continued to work on redefining their sound. Shifting their musical direction to a more melodic style, they sought Raimund Marasigan for guidance in working with their second album. True enough, both audiences and critics embraced the new sound of ChicoSci. Method Of Breathing included several hits such as Glass is Broken, Rolento, and the highly-infectious Paris. Interestingly, Paris holds the record for the most number of weeks a song (foreign or local) has stayed in a countdown. It stayed in the NU107 Midnight Countdown for more than 52 weeks and giving Chicosci the Song of the Year award at the 2002 NU 107 Rock Awards.
In 2004, the band released their third album, Icarus, under Viva Records. The band again enlisted the help of Raimund Marasigan, who tagged along Buddy Zabala, to produce the bands most experimental album. In May 2004, the band gained media recognition by becoming MTVs Lokal Artist of the Month. The songs Theme from Conversation with Fire, Shallow Graves, and An Argument, enjoyed media airtime, also went into the NU 107 Midnight and Year-end Countdown.
On June 6, 2006, ChicoSci released and launched their self-titled 4th album. Having been in the studio for more than a year, the band boasts it as being their best work to date. A self-produced effort, the band again attempts to give listeners something new to look forward to. The self titled album features catchier melodies and more synth playing from Alcaraz. At the same time, there is minimal screaming and more focus on Chavez's singing, the most obvious change on the self titled album.
With the release of their carrier single A Promise, ChicoSci gained more popularity as their market grew. ChicoSci went on to play in Malaysia and Singapore as well as local hot spots like Cafe Saguijo. The album has spawned four singles, A Promise, Seven Black Roses, ChicoSci Vampire Social Club and Last Look. The music video for ChicoSci Vampire Social Club won the Favorite Rock Video at the 2008 Myx Music Awards. The band released their fifth studio album, Fly Black Hearts" in 2009.
Discography
2000 – Revenge of the Giant Robot
2002 – Method of Breathing
2004 – Icarus
2006 – ChicoSci
2007 – BEST
2009 - Fly Black Hearts
Achievements
Listener's Choice Award - NU107 Rock Awards, 2009
Favorite Artist of Philippines - MTV Asia, 2008
Best produced album - “Method of Breathing,” 2002 NU107 RockAwards
Song of the year - “Paris,” 2002 NU107 RockAwards
Guitarist of the year - Mong (2002 & 2006 NU107 RockAwards) and Sonny (2002 NU107 RockAwards)
Best Director - Lyle Sacris for “Sink or Swim,” 2001 MTV Pilipinas Music Awards
Best Designed Album Cover - “Revenge of the Giant Robot,” 2001 NU107 RockAwards
Male of the year - Mong, 2006 NU107 RockAwards
Nominations
Song of the year – “Diamond Shotgun,” 2009 Nu107 Rock Awards
Album of the year - “Icarus”, 2004 NU107 RockAwards
Guitarists of the year - Mong and Sonny, 2004 NU107 RockAwards
Best album packaging - “Icarus”, 2004 NU107 RockAwards
Drummer of the year - Joel, 2002 NU107 RockAwards
Best rock recording - “Sink or Swim,” 2001 Awit Awards
Song of the year - “Swim - Swim,” 2001 NU107 RockAwards
Best music video - “Swim - Swim,” 2001 NU107 Ro
Former members
Eugene "Yug" Esquivias - Percussions (2000-2007). Last appeared on Seven Black Roses music video. Esquivias left for Canada.
Sonny Baquisal - Guitar (2000-2007). Last seen on ChicoSci Vampire Social Club music video. Baquisal left to go to Italy with his family. Replaced by Ariel Lumanlan of the Metalcore band Arcadia on November 2007.
Joel Salvador - Drums (1996-2008). Last seen on ChicoSci'Myx Live Performance. Replaced by Macoy Estacio of the Post-hardcore band April Morning Skies.
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Bob Ong
Bob Ong, or Roberto Ong, is thepseudonym of a Filipino contemporary author known for using conversational Filipino to create humorous and reflective depictions of life as a Filipino.
One reviewer notes (translated from the vernacular):
" Filipinos really patronize Bob Ong's works because, while most of his books may have an element of comedy in them, this is presented in a manner that replicates Filipino culture and traditions. This is likely the reason why his first book - and those that followed it, can be considered true Pinoy classics."
The six books he has published thus far have surpassed a quarter of a million copies.
The website and the pseudonym
The pseudonym Bob Ong came about when the author was working as a web developer and a teacher, and he put up the Bobong Pinoy website in his spare time. The name of the site roughly translates as "Dumb Filipino," used fondly as a diminutive term. Although impressed, Bob Ong notes, "my boss would've fired me had he known I was the one behind it." When someone contacted him after mistaking him as an actual person named Bob Ong, his famous pseudonym was born. The site received a People's Choice Philippine Web Award for Weird/Humor in 1998, but was taken down after former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada was ousted after the Second People Power Revolution.
Pseudonym Confusion
There has been occasional confusion between Bob Ong and Filipino-Chinese author Charlson Ong. However, according to Bob Ong's account in Stainless Longganisa, he is not actually Filipino-Chinese. Neither is he actually named "Ong." The family name "Ong" just evolved out of play of words that was the BobOng Pinoy website.
It has also been suggested that the poet, Paolo Manalo, is Bob Ong, but he has denied this. The books of Bob Ong are often humorous can produce feelings of nostalgia for the reader.
Another theory also states that Carlos Palanca Memorial Awardee for Literature, Prof. Eros S. Atalia, graduate of Philippine Normal University and is now a teacher in the University of Santo Tomas, is Bob Ong. He also produced two books with Visual Print Enterprise, entitled "Peksman, Mamatay ka Man Nagsisinungaling Ako" and "Lapit na me, Ligo na u". Atalia's writing style falls under a similar type Bob Ong uses. (But if you examine the context, particularly on the author's political view and religious view, Atalia is way too different from Bob Ong)
Published works
*ABNKKBSNPLAko?!(Aba, Nakakabasa na pala Ako!) (2001)
* Bakit Baligtad Magbasa ng Libro ang mga Pilipino? (2002)
* Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas (2003)
*Alamat ng Gubat (2003)
*Stainless Longganisa (2005)
*Macarthur (2007)
*Kapitan Sino (2009)
*Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan (2010)
