Francis Reyes
| Francis "Brew" Reyes | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Francis Florentino Saludo Reyes |
| Also known as | Kiko, Francis Brew |
| Born |
June 20, 1967 Lipa City, Philippines |
| Genres | Alternative rock, experimental, Pinoy rock, jazz fusion, Progressive rock |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, keyboards |
| Associated acts | The Dawn, Garlic, P.O.T., Afterimage, Project 1, Joey Ayala, Lou Bonnevie |
Francis Florentino Saludo Reyes (born June 20, 1967 in Lipa City, Batangas, Philippines) is a Filipino musician. He was the chief radio announcer and musical director for the rock station NU107.5 FM who uses the on-air stage name Francis Brew.
Reyes was born and raised in Lipa City, the second child of Florante Luz Reyes, a photographer, and Teresita Marquinez Saludo, a housewife. His youth was not particularly musical and his on-stage experiences were focused on oratorical contests which he regularly won. He started playing guitar at 14, helped by his elder brother Ferdinand who was a "natural" guitarist. The Reyeses were not rich, and his first proper guitar was a fake Gibson acoustic worth Php150.00 that his mother promised as a gift if he won a declamation contest during his junior high school year in De La Salle Lipa.
Although supported by his mother, Francis' choice to pursue music or fine arts in university was not encouraged by the family so he majored in Political Science and minored in Literature at De La Salle University. Nevertheless, he continued to study music on his own, bringing an old Telecaster copy–a gift from an uncle in Canada–to school and practicing behind the university library. He formed a few bands with friends and played at school events. The school's prohibitive tuition fees plus the delicate financial status of his family at the time took their toll and he went looking for writing jobs to supplement his income. In 1987 he auditioned for an FM radio station and became a graveyard shift trainee but was eventually able to join NU107.
At around the same time he joined NU107, he became a member of Afterimage, which was then managed by Martin Galan, who also managed The Dawn. When Francis joined The Dawn, he was juggling school, NU107, and the band. When the schedule of The Dawn began to fill up, he became somewhat negligent with the radio station and was let go amicably in 1992. He returned in 1997 to host the show "In the Raw", and has been with the station since then. He eventually was appointed its chief announcer and musical director until NU107 went its final broadcast on November 7, 2010.
...
Wikipedia