Mike & Joe on growing up on Dad’s music
Mike and Joe are like their famous dad, Jose Mari Chan, and yet they are not — musically speaking that is.
Listen to Dad Joe’s songs and they make you, if you haven’t yet, fall in love all over again. The songs of Mike and Joe strike you in a different way.
The brothers launched their self-titled fulllength album last March, released by Star Music, composed of 10 original tracks, plus two instrumental songs (the bossa nova-inspired
Fernandina and the rock-infused If I Knew You Were Coming).
Joe’s compositions: The Waning Moon, Seven Lakes Drive, With Me Tonight, If I Knew You Were Coming and Tell Her. Mike’s compositions: Higher Degree, Finding It Hard, From Now On, Fernandina and Meant To Be.
The album… described by Joe as “very eclectic”… is the first collaboration of the brothers who used to be with a group called Generation composed of other musical siblings Kowboy Santos (son of Tessy “Sampaguita” Alfonso) and Ige Gallardo (son of Celeste Legaspi), with an album to its credit released in 2014.
“I am very proud of Joe and Mike and of the music they write and perform,” said Joe Mari. “Both have their feet on the ground, helping me in the business, and at the same time, they are giving wings to their musical passion. Pretty much what I have been doing myself these past 52 years of my life.”
Meanwhile, as the “Harbinger of Christmas,” Joe Mari (inset) has co-created the Firefly Christmas video to kick off Firefly’s “Celebright” holiday campaign to promote a safe holiday season and to encourage the public to celebrate a merry and bright Christmas with peace of mind using Firefly LED products, especially Christmas lights.
Joe Mari has a Christmas song called Song of the Firefly, a duet with granddaughter Ramona
Isabel Bunag Chan, part of it goes: Listen to the song of the firefly/Glowing gently light and bright/Twinkling in the dark, a floating star that shines all through the night/There is
a light like the firefly/Shining deep inside your heart/It’s the light of love that tells you we are never far apart… Let’s listen to Mike and Joe.
How different is your music from that of your dad?
Mike: The music that Joe and I have written over the past two decades incorporates other genres that my Dad hasn’t explored, namely hard rock and progressive rock. On the other hand, our music shares a common ground with Dad. We enjoy writing love songs, Beatlesque pop music, jazz-influenced pop songs and middle-ofthe-road material.
Dad was recording his music in the 1960s and 1970s. Music which was current and trendy in those days, and now, 40 years later, Joe and I are doing music not far removed from the classic pop sound of those eras. Of course, Dad’s music has stood the test of time, which is what all songwriters aspire to — creating music which will live on long after they’re gone.
Joe: Our music has more of a rock influence, because of our 1980s and 1990s musical influences.
Of course, you have your own style but somehow, how was it influenced by your dad?
Mike: We learned all about crafting catchy melodies and setting down lyrics with substance, by both listening to Dad’s music growing up and through countless sharing with him. I place him alongside my other musical heroes, such as Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder.
Joe: Our Dad influenced us in the classic romantic/melodic styles of music. Ballads, Broadway musicals, the crooners, etc.
What tips/pointers did you get from your dad?
Mike: Always be true to your music and your songwriting craft. Don’t write music that you feel only others will want to hear.