Lolita Carbon is a Filipina singer and songwriter best known for her work with the band

Asin Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononymously as Asin, is a former Indian actress who appeared predominantly in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She has received three Filmfare Awards. She ...

and her influence in the

Pinoy rock Pinoy rock, or Filipino rock, is the brand of rock music produced in the Philippines or by Filipinos. It has become as diverse as the rock music genre itself, and bands adopting this style are now further classified under more specific genres or c ...

movement. She has been active as a composer and performer from 1970 to the present day who performs in Philippines as well as internationally. She is known for her songs "Masdan ang Kapaligiran", "Ang Buhay ko", "Pagbabalik", "Himig ng Pagibig" and "Usok".

Career

Carbon showed promise as a singer early in life. At age 10, she won a singing contest on the radio program ''Tina Betty's Children's Show'' with a performance of " The Impossible Dream". At age 13, she held a 6 month position as a singer with the

Philippine Navy Band The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

N2 Division and sang music by Shirley Bassey. Despite her father's wishes, Carbon decided to drop out of high school and pursue a career in music. By 1976, Carbon had become an active musician who was booked to a full-time singing slot at a club called the Kola House. At that time, the Filipino popular music scene was undergoing a folk music revival associated with the

Pinoy Rock Pinoy rock, or Filipino rock, is the brand of rock music produced in the Philippines or by Filipinos. It has become as diverse as the rock music genre itself, and bands adopting this style are now further classified under more specific genres or c ...

movement. Filipino pop musicians were heavily influenced by Western performers such as

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

Simon and Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of " ...

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

, and

Peter, Paul, and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary was an American folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival phenomenon. The trio consisted of tenor Peter Yarrow, baritone Paul Stookey, and contralto Mary Travers. The group's reperto ...

. While working at the Kola House, Carbon met fellow musicians Cesar Bañares Jr. and Mike Pillora Jr. and together with them, she would eventually form the ensemble known as

. One of the band's early successes came when they were signed by a record company and Carbon was tasked with singing a Japanese overdub of the hit song

Anak Anak (; he, , homophone to a word for "giant, long neck, necklace"; ) is a figure in the Hebrew Bible. His descendants are mentioned in narratives concerning the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites. According to the Book of Numbers, Anak was a ...

, written by fellow filipino musician

Freddie Aguilar Ferdinand Pascual Aguilar (born February 5, 1953), better known as Freddie Aguilar or Ka Freddie Aguilar, is a Filipino folk musician. He is best known for his rendition of "Bayan Ko", which became the anthem of the opposition against the regi ...

. While the band saw great success and popularity, Carbon and the other band members had extremely turbulent relationships. After alternating periods of collaboration and hiatus, Asin officially disbanded in 1990. In the time since, Carbon has contributed many musical collaborations. She was a part of the 'supergroup' Lokal Brown (best known for their hit "This Is Not Amerika") in 1990 and in 1991 formed her own band by the name of Nene. In 2012, she formed the band Tres Marias with fellow female musicians Cooky Chua and

Bayang Barrios Bayang Barrios (born on June 12, 1968 to parents of Lumad origin) is a Filipina musician and singer who hails from Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, and is known for her use of indigenous instruments and styles. In 2005, Barrios' song "Isipin Mo Na Lan ...

Personal life

Carbon was married twice and has four children.

Contributions

Through her work with Asin, Carbon has contributed to the representation of indigenous Filipino instruments in popular music. She is also notable as a female band leader who has been consistently performing with various outfits since the 1970s.

Collaborations

* One Way Up Band *

Lolita and The Boys ''Lolita'' is a 1955 novel written by Russian American, Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudo ...

* Sulabama *

Holy Smoke Band Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

* Lokal Brown * NENE * Tres Marias

Honors and awards

* Winner, singing contest on ''Tina Betty’s Children’s Show'' at age 10 for a performance of “The Impossible Dream” * Best Folk Song of the Year for “Pagbabalik” -

Aliw Awards The Aliw Awards by the Aliw Awards Foundation, Inc. was established by the renowned Philippine journalistbr>Alice H. Reyes to recognize achievements in the live entertainment industry in the Philippines. It was founded in 1975 by the National Press ...

1978 * Best Rock Recording for "Paraisong Liku-liko" - AWIT Awards 1990 * Best Musical Arrangement for "Dalawang Dekada ng ASIN (Overture)" (a classical arrangement of all of ASIN's top hit songs) - AWIT Awards 2002

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carbon, Lolita 20th-century Filipino women singers Filipino women singer-songwriters Filipino singer-songwriters 1952 births Singers from Manila Living people