Filipino singer Bamboo ready to rock Dubai once again

Gulf News

In an interview, the Pinoy icon opens about surviving the pandemic  Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3xJhtSW  See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km  Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV  #UAEnews #music #Bamboo

Transcript

00:00It feels good to be back in Dubai. That's the thing, especially during this time.

00:06It's a crazy time in the world right now, but to be back in Dubai, to play live music in front of a live audience, nothing better.

00:16Touring has been, I guess the word, I don't know if this would fit it, but sort of surreal.

00:23It was eight shows in the U.S. and I never thought that day would come after a couple of years.

00:30Initially, when I got on stage, I was a bit emotional, to be honest, because I couldn't believe I was finally doing this again.

00:40Did you shed any tears?

00:42I think during rehearsals, to be honest. During rehearsals, it was like, man, I'm back.

00:47I'm expecting a crazier vibe. If indications from the U.S. tour, how people are sort of starved for this,

00:56considering it's the holiday season coming up and people want to celebrate, I think it's time we reclaim that, that sort of spirit.

01:05This is a time of reflection, so I ask myself all these questions like, okay, what does this all mean for me?

01:10What's really happening with me? What's happening to the world? What's happening with everybody?

01:14I'm 100 percent sure it's going to inform the writing.

01:18Before this, right before the pandemic hit, I was supposed to release an album already, and then this happens.

01:24That album doesn't work in this world now, so it's scrapped that and we're moving forward.

01:33So people will never see that album?

01:35You never know. No, no, no. Nothing is ever scrapped, so you can always build up on it.

01:38One song from here, a few years down the line, you just change the production, change a few lines, and you just rewrite, rewrite.

01:47I have a lot of albums. I've lived a lot of lives, but I've always been, as someone who's grown up in two worlds,

01:57in Manila and in San Francisco in the U.S., I'm a child of that.

02:02So there's a large influence of hip-hop, of R&B in my music, much has been said.

02:08There's a certain material that's built in.

02:11So I never considered myself a rock artist.

02:14That's a label somebody gave me, that people give to me.

02:17Whatever labels they throw at me.

02:19But myself, I'm just an artist. I'm just a musician, and I play what I want to play.

02:24I expect people to be surprised.

02:28Don't expect anything. Don't expect it to be the next whatever.

02:32Because that's never been the goal.

02:34Again, what I said is, I'd rather create something different for myself and for my audience, and let them grow with me.

02:42The thing is, I don't want to get stuck.

02:45So if I end up writing the same thing over again, or do the same thing that sounds like this, I'm going to disappoint myself.

02:51I can't sleep at night.

02:53Do you feel pressured?

02:55At this point, no.

02:57I feel no pressure now.

03:00When it comes to writing, no, I don't.

03:03It's just something I do.

03:05It's just finding the moments, finding the experience.

03:09That's the fun part.

03:11I'm such a soldier of music, I believe that.

03:13And I just say focus on the music.

03:15There's so many things people focus on.

03:17And I think that's a good thing, if that's your thing.

03:21Whatever makes you happy.

03:22But I myself, I always say, I just focus on the music.

03:26And let that speak for itself.

03:29You're not a fan of social media influencing the music or the music industry?

03:35No, I'm not a hater as well.

03:37It's been great for a lot of artists.

03:40But for myself, it just distracts me.

03:45I came to a point, when this whole social media thing happened, I was on it.

03:49And I go, man, this thing's distracting me from doing the real thing, what I'm doing.

03:54But it's good, it's a good thing.

03:58I think it's democratized the setting.

Category

Transcript

Recommended