Asin (band)

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This article is about the Filipino rock band Asin. For other uses, see Asin

Asin (sometimes spelled ASIN, in all capital letters) is a Pinoy rock and folk rock band from the Philippines. They were formed during the 1970s and originally known as Salt of the Earth from the song of Joan Baez, but later Filipinized their name into "Asin", which means salt in Filipino language.

[edit] Members

• Pendong Aban - later formed the group Ang Grupong Pendong
• Lolita Carbon
• Saro Bañares - who was murdered in 1993 after a bar brawl in Cotabato
• Mike Pillora
• Chat Coloma-Aban (former member)

[edit] History

After fronting rock and roll bands during her teens, Lolita Carbon met Cesar "Saro" Bañares, Mike Pillora, and Pendong Aban Jr. in Kola House, a folk rock club, and then decided to form their own musical group, naming it Salt of the Earth.

They had signed a major record label and renamed their band to Asin after a record producer was searching for a "female" Freddie Aguilar, taking advantage of the Filipino folk rock boom during the late 1970s. Their eponymous 1978 debut album includes a cover of Freddie Aguilar's "Anak" and the rest are all original works.

Some of their popular songs include the environmental song "Masdan Mo Ang Kapaligiran", "Ang Bayan Kong Sinilangan", "Pagbabalik" and "Balita". According to Pendong Aban who grew up in Butuan City, most of their songs were based on the experiences in Mindanao. Because of too much illegal logging and violence in their homeland, they wrote lyrics that hoped for peace and a better environment in Mindanao. They sometimes use kulintang and other traditional instruments of the southern Philippines to give their music a more indigenous spirit.

In 1993, Saro Bañares was murdered in a bar brawl in Cotabato, causing the group's members to part ways. Aban had his band Ang Grupong Pendong, while Carbon went solo. Later in 2000, they decided to reunite but Pillora backed out later, although Pillora gave his blessings to the new album that Carbon and Aban would release. The record album Pag-ibig, Pagbabago, Pagpapatuloy, the first Asin album after 12 years, features unreleased materials of the late Bañares.

[edit] Reference to Asin

The Tagalog lyrics of Black Eyed Peas' "The Apl Song" is based on "Balita", one of Asin's songs. "The Apl Song" tells about the hardships of Allen Pineda, member of the Black Eyed Peas, that he experienced during his childhood in Pampanga. He chose "Balita" because he grew up listening to Asin.

Chorus of "The Apl Song", from "Balita":

Lapit mga kaibigan, at makinig kayo
Ako'y may dala-dalang Balita galing sa bayan ko
Nais mong ipamahagi ang mga kuwento
At mga pangyayari na gaganap
Sa Lupang Pinangako

English Translation
Come here my friends and listen
I have some news coming from my homeland
I wish to give you the stories
Of the events going on in
the Promised Land