Parokya ni Edgar

Parokya ni Edgar

Parokya ni Edgar (English translation: Edgar's Parish) is a Filipino band that was formed in 1993 by a group of college students. The band is famous and most lauded for its original rock novelty songs and often satirical covers of popular songs. The band has since transcended musical genres, varying styles from one song to another - alternative rock to pop rock, funk to rapcore, and so on - while providing comic relief to their listeners. Despite having "Edgar" in the band's name, none of the members go by it.History

Before Parokya ni Edgar

Naming themselves Comic Relief, the band originally consisted of three vocalists – Chito Miranda, Jeric Estaco, and Vinci Montaner, and two guitarists - Mikko Yap and Gab Chee Kee. They regularly played in after-school jam sessions, before performing an opening number for an Eraserheads concert. This served as their break into the local music scene and prompted them to add a drummer and a bassist – schoolmate Dindin Moreno and Buwi Meneses, respectively. The same performance also marked the change of the band's name to Parokya ni Edgar.After high school, Mikko and Jeric decided to withdraw from the band to pursue other interests. As a replacement, the remaining band members invited their friend guitarist Darius Semaña (lead guitar) to their fold.
Parokya ni Edgar

Parokya ni Edgar during their early years.

The name Parokya Ni Edgar came from a class joke by Jeric Estaco recited in one of their classes in high school. Sources state that the class subject was Filipino, and it all started when the teacher asked him where the father of Jose Rizal's fictional hero, Crisostomo Ibarra (in the novel Noli Me Tangere), was educated. It was said that Jeric answered the teacher with the daft remark "sa Parokya ni Edgar". However up to now, the exact background behind this is unknown.
In the early 1990s, the band started performing regularly in Club Dredd, one of the famous clubs in Manila during that time. The band slowly gained popularity during the height of the Filipino rock explosion, with the local rock community opening up to the influence of foreign grunge acts such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
Eventually, the late managing director of Universal Records, Bella Dy Tan, signed them as contract artists after witnessing one of their performances at Club Dredd.
Soon their initial recordings such as Buloy, Trip and Lutong Bahay were heard across Philippines through radio stations. Their first album, Khangkhungkherrnitz became a triple platinum hit in the Philippines having sold 120,000 units. The other 3 albums include Buruguduystunstugudunstuy (triple platinum), Jingle Balls Silent Night Holy Cow (gold), and Gulong Itlog Gulong (triple platinum).
They recently released their 8th studio album, Middle-Aged Juvenile Novelty Pop Rockers in 2010 with the carrier single "Paki-usap Lang (Lasingin Nyo Ako)". It is PNE's 11th album in total.
In 2011, Parokya joins the roster of Tanduay's First Five and RockFest replacing long running Tanduay endorser 6cyclemind who has recently left the group with Bamboo, who is now replaced by Wolfgang.
In 2012, the band released their 2nd live album Inuman Sessions Vol. 2 which is a follow up to their Inuman Sessions Vol. 1 released in 2004. This album mostly contains live versions of their second batch of singles. Tatlong Araw, Your Song and Alumni Homecoming were performed although these tracks were released from albums prior to Vol. 1. Mang Jose is performed as well in this album which also appears in the first live album. Artists featured on this were Yeng Constantino, Kamikazee, Gloc 9, Miggy Chavez of the band Chicosci, and the son of the late Francis M, Frank Magalona. This is also the last album released by Parokya ni Edgar with Vinci Montaner on it.

Band members

Alfonso "Chito" Miranda, Jr. (lead vocals)
Buhawi "Buwi" Meneses (bass guitar)
Darius Gerard "Dar" Semaña (lead guitar)
Gabriel Ignatius "Gab" Chee Kee (rhythm guitar / vocals)
Ferdinand "Dindin" Moreno (drums)

Former member

Francis Vincent "Vinci" Montaner (backup vocals / monologue / live comic relief) – left the band for personal reasons. He announced his exit last October 14, 2012 through the band's official page on facebook with lots of fans giving him their support for his new career path. His last gig with the band was on September 2012 at 70's Bistro. His former band mates respected his decision and they parted ways in good terms and still remain very good friends even though he said that he won't rejoin the band again.This is the second time Montaner left the group. Back in 2005, he also left the band to attend school and rejoined them in the making of their album, Solid, released in 2007.