The Reo Brothers is a Filipino rock band composed of five brothers. The band performs
renditions of music from the 1950s to the 1970s, that of
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
,
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...
,
The Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five, also known as the DC5, were an English rock and roll band formed in 1958 in Tottenham, London. Drummer Dave Clark served as the group's leader, producer and co-songwriter. In January 1964 they had their first UK top ten sin ...
,
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...
,
Gary Lewis & the Playboys,
The Lettermen
The Lettermen are an American male pop vocal trio. The Lettermen's trademark is close-harmony pop songs with light arrangements. The group started in 1959. They have had two Top 10 singles (both No. 7), 16 Top 10 singles on the Adult Contempor ...
,
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
The Ventures
The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar across the world during the ...
,
VST & Co., and other prominent bands of the era. The band grew in popularity after they performed at the ABS–CBN Christmas Special 2013 in the
Araneta Coliseum
The Araneta Coliseum, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Smart Araneta Coliseum, is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena that is part of the Araneta City in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines. Nicknamed as "the Big Dom ...
. The Reo Brothers band received the only standing ovation that night.
Background
Formation and early years in Tacloban (2005-2013)
In 2005, lead vocalist Ronjoseph Otic made drums from tin cans covered with potato-chip bags and started teaching himself to play the drums. After learning to play the drums, he then mastered playing the guitar and taught these skills to his three siblings, Ralph, Reno, and Raymart. They started playing
OPM songs and songs inspired by their father's collection of 1950s to 1970s songs by
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
,
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...
,
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...
, etc.
In October 2008, Roger David Gabero Bichachi—an employee of the mayor's office of
Tacloban
Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban ( war, Syudad han Tacloban; fil, Lungsod ng Tacloban), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. The city is autonomous from the province of Leyte, a ...
and a member of PGBI (
Philippine Guardians Brotherhood Inc
The Guardians Brotherhood is a socio-civic service fraternity established in the Philippines in 1976. It is considered as one of the biggest and most respected fraternity in the country, with members mainly coming from the police/military, gove ...
), Tacloban Chapter—saw them jam with their friends, singing and playing their improvised instruments. Bichachi then invited them to his birthday party to sing some Beatles songs, with Ronjoseph as lead vocalist and acoustic guitar player. Bichachi was so impressed with the Otic siblings, he then pledged to help with the band's formation. He bought them musical instruments and requested the band play for his other parties and events. The band mastered other songs until they created a full playlist for gigs, events, and competitions. They were later discovered by Bia Ong, a friend and previous employer of Bichachi. Bia Ong is a retired musician, a member of the Biatles band, a band that did renditions of Beatles songs and other prominent bands of that era in Tacloban from the 1970s through the 1990s. He mentored and trained the Otic siblings and gave them support.
The band was then called PGBI–RDGB (Philippine Guardians Brotherhood Inc – Roger David Gabero Bichachi). The first line-up consisted of Ronjoseph on vocals, Ralph on bass guitar, Raymart on rhythm guitar, and Reno on drums. In 2009, they started entering competitions and singing at events to earn a living. Since their father did not have a stable job, singing at these events was a big help in paying for school and meeting their family's financial needs.
They later changed the name of the band to Reo Brothers, derived from the first letters of their first name, middle name, and surname: 'R' for Reno, Ronjoseph, Raymart and Ralph, 'E' for Evasco, their mother's maiden name, and 'O' for Otic, their surname.
More and more people took notice of the band as they went from gig to gig. On June 22, 2012, they met Reynaldo Fuentes. He was so impressed with the band that he gave them his calling card and told them to contact him in case they decided to come to Manila. The band was featured twice on a local religious TV channel in Tacloban. They were content to continue living in Tacloban, where they became popular and earned enough for their financial needs, until a super typhoon,
Typhoon Haiyan
Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded. On making landfall, Haiyan devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines. It is one of the ...
, known as Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, hit Tacloban.
Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban (November 2013)
Typhoon Haiyan hit Tacloban, Philippines, on November 8, 2013. There was widespread devastation from the storm surge in Tacloban city, with many buildings and trees destroyed, and cars piled up. The low-lying areas on the eastern side of Tacloban city were the hardest hit, with some areas completely washed away.
The Otic family survived from the super typhoon, but the devastation left the family penniless. It was 2 days after the typhoon that Raymart got the chance to communicate with their other siblings residing in Manila, via a social networking site. Their siblings in Manila immediately decided to bring the whole family to Manila. The Otic family had to walk for more than an hour to reach the bus terminal from which they were fetched by their brother-in-law, a bus driver for
Philtranco
Philtranco Service Enterprises, Inc. (Philippine Transportation Company) is a bus company in the Philippines, servicing routes to Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Caraga, Davao Region, and Northern Mindanao. It is the oldest bus operator in the Philippin ...
. The brothers brought only their guitars and some clothes; and the family subsisted on biscuits, a gallon of water, and candies during their entire trip. It took them more than two days to reach Manila, where they stayed in a small apartment in Quezon City.
Reo Brothers in Manila (November 2013 to present)
After a week in Manila, they remembered the calling card given them by Fuentes during one of their gigs in Tacloban. They successfully made contact and met up with Fuentes, who referred them to his friend Tom Banguis Jr., a businessman and band adviser. On November 26, 2013, at the InfinitiF, a professional band rehearsal studio in
Makati
Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines.
Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...
, Banguis asked them to play three selections. After hearing the band play and sing, Banguis and his band ended up clapping. According to Banguis, they performed with polish and finesse normally associated only with mature, much-older professional bands.
Banguis then called up Bobby Caparas, general manager of the Primos Cuisine and Lounge, and implored him to give these Tacloban boys a try, even if it was just for a meal and transport money. Caparas then booked a slot on Thursday, November 28. The audience was so impressed with their first gig that they did not want them to stop playing that night. The boys gladly obliged, perhaps overwhelmed by the crowd's appreciation. The Primos management then announced that the band would be back the following evening, Friday, November 29. The Friday evening crowd was just as enthusiastic and appreciative of the band, which played almost 3 hours of continuous music. Still, it was just a repeat of a "one-shot" performance. Primos then engaged the band to regular gigs on Tuesday evenings, which provided them needed exposure and financial stability in Manila, where they decided to stay while Tacloban was slowly rebuilding.
Banguis decided to share their story with the national television networks in the Philippines.
ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine Commercial broadcasting, commercial broadcast broadcast network, network tha ...
responded to his letter and wanted the band to appear on their annual Christmas celebration dubbed ''Kwento ng Pasko – Pag-asa at Pagbangon'' (Story of Christmas – Hope and Resurrection) on Tuesday, December 10, at
Araneta Coliseum
The Araneta Coliseum, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Smart Araneta Coliseum, is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena that is part of the Araneta City in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines. Nicknamed as "the Big Dom ...
, which was aired on December 14–15.
International success
The band performed at
The Theater at Madison Square Garden
The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden is a theater located in New York City's Madison Square Garden. It seats between 2,000 and 5,600, and is used for concerts, shows, sports, meetings, and other events. It is located beneath the main Madison ...
in New York for the ''Pinoy Relief Benefit Concert'' on March 11, 2014, with other performers, such as
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...
,
Pentatonix
Pentatonix (abbreviated PTX) is an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, currently consisting of vocalists Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola, and Matt Sallee. Characterized by their pop-style arrangements ...
,
Plain White T's
Plain White T's are an American Rock music, rock band from Lombard, Illinois, formed in 1997 by high school friends Tom Higgenson, Dave Tirio, and Ken Fletcher, and joined a short time later by Steve Mast. The group had a mostly underground music, ...
,
A Great Big World
A Great Big World is an American musical duo from New York made up of singer/songwriters Ian Axel and Chad King and signed to Epic Records. The group is best known for their single "This Is the New Year", which was performed by the cast in an epis ...
,
Jessica Sanchez
Jessica Elizabeth Sanchez (born August 4, 1995) is an American singer-songwriter. She rose to prominence following her finish as the runner-up on the eleventh season of ''American Idol''.
Early life
Jessica Elizabeth Sanchez was born in Chula ...
,
apl.de.ap
Allan Pineda Lindo (born November 28, 1974), known professionally as apl.de.ap (), is a Filipino-American rapper, singer and record producer. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas.
Early life
Allan Pineda Lindo was born ...
, DJ Poet Name Life, and
Charice
Jake Zyrus (formerly known under the mononym Charice; born 10 May 1992) is a Filipino singer and television personality.
In 2007, after some appearances on Philippine television, Zyrus sang on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', and the followin ...
.
After their performance in New York, the band performed for a benefit concert called ''Here Comes the Sun'' in Southern California, presented by the Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown in Glendale.
On June 14, 2014, the band performed at the Sun Pearl Arakawa, Tokyo, Japan called ''Damo Nga Salamat'' ("Thank You Very Much"), a thanksgiving concert presented by The Philippine Assistance Group. The event featured the Reo Brothers with guests Charito, FilCom Chorale, and
Sayaka Akimoto
is a Filipino-Japanese actress and singer. She was a member of Japanese idol girl group AKB48 and its spin-off unit Diva (Japanese band), Diva.
As an actress, Akimoto has appeared in both Japanese and American productions, and made her Hollywoo ...
.
In August 2014, they became the first Filipino musicians to perform at the historic
Cavern Club
The Cavern Club is a nightclub on Mathew Street, Liverpool, England.
The Cavern Club opened in 1957 as a jazz club, later becoming a centre of the rock and roll scene in Liverpool in the late 50s and early 1960s. The club became closely assoc ...
in Liverpool, England, the birthplace of The Beatles. The brothers were doing a 3-day tour of the United Kingdom: on August 1 at the Cavern Club, on August 2 at the Bournbrook and Selly Oak Social Club in Birmingham, and on August 3 at the Northumberland Theatre in London.
Almost three months later, the band was back in the United Kingdom for their second tour. They performed at the Cavern Club on October 31 and November 2 at Ten Foundation in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at Benwell & Springback Club in Newcastle upon Tyne on November 7, and at
The Dome in London on November 9, 2014.
On July 15, 2022, the band kicked-off their 12-leg USA tour at the
Ahern Hotel
Ahern Hotel and Convention Center (formerly Lucky Dragon) is a boutique hotel and former casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The resort is located on of land at 300 West Sahara Avenue, near the Las Vegas Strip.
The Ahern Hotel is adjacent to the Allur ...
, Las Vegas, Nevada and performed their last leg at the Arlington Music Hall, Arlington, Texas on August 14, 2022.
Discography
Studio albums
Television appearances
Band members
Reno – lead vocals; drums
Ronjoseph – lead vocals; lead guitar; keyboards
Raymart – lead vocals; rhythm guitar; keyboards
Ralph – lead vocals; bass; keyboards
Roy Mark - keys
References
{{reflist
External links
The Story of Reo Brothers Band'Yolanda' survivors perform at 'Kwento ng Pasko'Standing ovation for Tacloban's Reo Brothers at ABS-CBN's 'Kwento ng Pasko'*
ttp://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/entertainment/02/12/14/how-music-helped-reo-brothers-after-yolanda HOW MUSIC HELPED REO BROTHERS AFTER 'YOLANDA'How Pinoy Beatles group survived 'Yolanda' and got to AmericaYoung band from Tacloban wins ovation in Yolanda benefit concert in NYTacloban's Reo Brothers Band will Perform in NY with Jenni
Cover bands
Sibling musical groups
Filipino rock music groups
Musical groups from Leyte
Musical groups from Quezon City
Star Music artists
Musical groups established in 2009