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For the first time, MALDITA met yesterday the local press here to promote its first album featuring the mega-hit song "Porque" released under Viva Records Corporation.

"In our first album, we have two versions of Porque, the Tagalog version and the Chavacano version," said RB Bandiola, the lead guitarist of Maldita band.

"Now that we're going on a nationwide level, we came up with the 'chagalog' (incorporation of Chavacano and Tagalog) version of Porque," he added. "We hope the people will like all the versions."

The band is composed of Demz Espiñosa (lead vox), Whey Guevara (composer & rhythm guitarist), RB Bandiola (lead guitarist), Jimi Tristan (base guitarist), and Mad Nubhan (drummer).

The band's executive producer, Ms. Geraldine Therese Lim who owns WINNERS Inc., was also very glad to announce that MALDITA will have a lof of gigs and TV guestings in Manila and hopefully abroad.

Ms. Lim said her company has been fortunate enough to discover the talented inviduals (Demz, Whey, RB, Jimi & Mad).

"We have not regretted our decision to bring them to Manila. In fact, I can say that we are very proud because Viva Records Corporation has taken interest in the band and it promised to catapult these kids to stardom," said Ms. Lim.

"So we should be more hearing of the band in the next few months. In fact, very soon!" she exclaimed."So we are selling Zamboanga and we're selling Chavacano."

As of now, the band has been getting requests from people of Columbia, Mexico and Spain to translate the song into Spanish after they heard the song from Youtube.

Asked about what inspired him to write the mega-hit song Porque, the band's composer (Guevara) said: "I think it's just an imagination but related to the real situation."

For the female lead vocalist, Espiñosa said the kind of music they play is alternative pop rock. "We are proud that we're Zamboangueños and we reached this far. Having an album alone is already a great achievement for us."

Meanwhile, RB (the lead guitarist) and Mad (drummer) said they were both influenced by jazz fusion, rock, and inspired by the music of Eraserheads, Rivermaya, Rico Blanco, Sugarfree, and other alternative rock bands.

"Our music ís a mixture of all these influences and inspiration that jibe into one," Mad explained.

The album of MALDITA has officially been out since December 19, 2010 and even without the media publicity, the band already sold some 300 CDs in Zamboanga alone among friends.

It features the songs "Tulero", "Selosa", "Gayuma", "Sayo", "Ito Ya Lang Era", "Bahala Na", "Sana", "Bakit" (the Tagalog version of Porque), "Ayoko Na Sayo", "Crossroads" and "Porque" (chabacano version).

"Aside from Tagalog version, we have exciting 12 tracks where some of them are already potential movie sound track hit and a lot of people have taken noticed of it during the time when were recording in the studio," Ms. Lim further said.

MALDITA launched on December 30, 2010 its first ever album at BAR Code, one of the most popular live acoustic music bars in town located at Paseo del Mar.

By Hader Glang