Geejay Arriola, artistic director, composer, percussionist, and vocalist,
has been writing songs for Davao-based theater group Kaliwat since 1991. In 2000, Geejay wrote most of the musical pieces of Kaliwat’s musicale “Mindasilang”, and in 2002 wrote the music for and directed Mebuyan Peace Project’s “Panaw,” which was hailed as one of the best plays at the Asian Women Director’s Festival in New Delhi, India. She also conceived, directed and wrote music for “Salima,” a concert-theatre play on peace produced by EarthMusic Foundation and written by Arnel Mardoquio. Geejay has traveled widely across Asia and Europe on performance and workshop tours.
Gauss Obenza, music director, composer, guitarist, and vocalist decided to become a folk singer in 1993 and has since become a household name in Davao City as the only woman who sang solo and strummed her own guitar in Davao’s music joints. She co-founded the now defunct Bagaylan Women Quartet, and 4Elements—both all-women bands. She is currently also singer and guitarist for Seventh Heaven, now one of the most prestigious local jazz bands in Davao. Gauss wrote the music for the first place winner in Global Cooling: the first Mothers for Peace Singout and Songwriting Competition, and second place for her “Celebrate, Glorify, Spread the Peace.”
Maan Chua, composer, guitarist, percussionist, and vocalist is the youngest member of the group and is also a multi-instrumentalist.
She played the lead in EarthMusic Foundation’s concert-theater play “Salima.” She won Best Solo Artist in Musika del Sur’s new annual 2007 Music Awards, first place in Global Cooling: Mothers for Peace Singout and Songwriting Competition for her “Dahon, Puno, Ugat, Lupa”, and Best Interpreter in the same competition. Also a craftswoman, Maan produces works of art during her free time, and is a folk singer.
Maree Contaoi, composer, percussionist, and vocalist
performed for Mebuyan Peace Project’s “Panaw” and was lead actor for Kaliwat Theatre Collective’s “Anatomiya sa Korupsiyon.” Also a visual artist, Maree designed the sets for Arnel Mardoquio’s dance musicale “Bud Dahu” and also performed as one of the actors-musicians. When not busy with theatre, Maree performs solo as a folk singer in Davao City’s pubs.
Maia Tampoy is a pop singer and keyboardist doing the rounds of pubs and bars in Davao City. A soprano, hers is one of the most popular voices in the Davao music scene.
Paolo Sisi, bassist,
is a multi-instrumentalist playing bass, keyboard, percussions, drums, and guitar for various jazz, retro, and R&B bands in Davao City. His musical influences include R&B, jazz, and rock. Paolo is a music teacher.
Chico Zambrano, percussionist,
plays latino percussion for various bands in Davao. When not gigging, he manages “Chico’s” his own latino resto-bar in downtown Davao. Chico’s expertise in percussion is second-skin, having grown up in a joyfully musical environment—his Venezuelan father Jose Miguel Zambrano Contramaestre was a professional percussionist who played with Xavier Cugat.
Raffy Ayala, percussionist, is actually a multi-instrumentalist who honed his musical skills by writing and singing his own songs while playing guitar in his bathroom during his high school years. After college, he began working in Eden Nature Park and Resort. He learned to play the kulintang while helping to train Kultura Edeng – a cultural dance theatre group composed of children and teenagers living in Barangay Eden, Toril Davao City. He helped conceptualize Tinubdan, a multimedia cultural tribute to the lumads within the resort.
