Asin (band)
| ASIN | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Manila, Philippines |
| Genres | Folk rock, Manila Sound |
| Years active | 1976–80, 1983–85, 1988-90, 1992-present |
| Labels | Vicor Music, Ivory Music |
| Associated acts | Nene Band Noyginji Interaktiv Ang Grupong Pendong |
| Website | www |
| Members | Lolita Carbon Mike Pillora Jr. |
| Past members | Cesar Bañares Jr. (deceased) Pendong Aban, Jr. |
Asin (sometimes spelled ASIN, in all capital letters) is a Pinoy folk rock band from the Philippines. They started as a trio in the late 1970s, and was originally known as the Salt of the Earth. "ASIN" means salt in Filipino language.
ASIN was formed in late 1976, the nucleus of which was the duo of Mike Pillora Jr. and Cesar Bañares Jr., who were playing at folk joints and pub houses in Manila as 'Mike and Cesar'. A year later, Lolita Carbon was recruited by the duo to fill in the missing middle voice and eventually became the third member. Pillora named the trio 'Salt of the Earth' after the song recorded originally by The Rolling Stones and later by Joan Baez, written and composed by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Other than the song title, Pillora also based the name of the group from the Biblical metaphor salt of the earth which represents the humble and sincere masses.
In 1978, the trio (who were all songwriters, composers and arrangers) signed their first recording contract and localized their name 'Salt of the Earth' into 'Asin ng Lupa'. They ultimately became known simply as ASIN. Simultaneously, the members had adopted local names for themselves and they were later known to their fans as Nonoy, Saro and Nene.
In the same year, their eponymous debut LP "Asin" was released, giving birth to an alternative form of music which was different and distinct from what was mainstream. Their songs conveyed a message that had instilled awareness into the vast majority of Filipinos and became a rallying call for emancipation.
In the last quarter of 1979, they launched another album called Himig ng Pag-ibig ("Hymn of Love"). The group's break-up abruptly followed. However, their absence from the music scene did not hamper their growing popularity.
The group was not heard of until 1983. In the summer of the same year, AIESEC (Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales), a students’ business organization based in the island of Cebu, made a project to reunite the group. Nonoy was summoned and was tasked to reunite his band. This resulted in a jam-packed reunion concert of the group at Cebu Coliseum, Cebu City. From that time on, ASIN, with their manager Dindo, rolled into a series of performances in Mindanao, sporadic shows in the Visayan Region, and marathon concerts in Luzon.
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