Smokey Mountain
Encyclopedia
Smokey Mountain was a Filipino
singing
group formed by musical director, composer, conductor Ryan Cayabyab
and executive producer Judd Berlin. The original group was based in Manila, Philippines, and had James Coronel, Geneva Cruz
, Jeffrey Hidalgo, and Tony Lambino as its original members while Jason Angangan, Chedi Vergara & Shar Santos joined James Coronel for the second lineup after Geneva Cruz, Jeffrey Hidalgo & Tony Lambino left the group.
They were often dressed in ragged clothes to depict the then dire situation of the scavengers living in the garbage dump in Manila after which the group was named, while the second lineup dressed up in casuals.
In 1989, the group released its first self-titled pop
album
that consisted of songs revolving around social, environmental, and patriotic themes. The group's first hit, Kailan (When), was number one on national airwaves for eight straight weeks and the album hit gold, platinum, and double-platinum status within months of its release.
In late 1990, the group went on the "Better World" tour, performing at the United Nations
World Summit for Children in New York and representing the Philippines at the 5th ASEAN Song Festival in Surabaya, Indonesia.
Having to choose between formal schooling and a two-year, two album contract for release in Europe and the U.S., Tony Lambino and Jeffrey Hidalgo left the group, while Geneva Cruz pursued a solo career & released her first solo album "I like you". The popularity of the group already reached it's peak at the time of the departure of the group's 3 members, however, Ryan Cayabyab held auditions to find new members to fill in the void of the 3 founding members who left the group. Ryan Cayabyab then reformed the group with remaining original member James Coronel and three new members Shar Santos, Chedi Vergara, and Jayson Angangan. This second batch also had successful hits, such as Da Coconut Nut (about the benefits of the coconut
tree), Paraiso (literally paradise; ironically, about a degrading environment filled with garbage and smog), and their own version of Kailan (boy version). They also won awards for both Paraiso, "Kahit Habang Buhay" and Tayo Na.
The media was very critical of the new members who joined James Coronel, however in 1992 at the Tokyo Music Festival the new lineup proved their worth as they won the grand prize in the contest. They also joined the Golden Kite Festival & won the 1st Place trophy, their album also sold more copies than the original lineup's release & had more tours in Asia and Europe.
In around 1993 they released the 3rd & international album "Know You Will", after the promotion of the 3rd album James Coronel would leave the group. The remnants of the latest batch released the 4th album "Death Penalty" & disbanded a year later.
Geneva Cruz would later on move full time into showbiz. Tony Lambino had stints in songwriting, musical theatre, and broadcast news, and finished undergraduate studies at the Ateneo De Manila University. He completed his masters degree at Harvard University as a Fulbright Scholar and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication. Tony Lambino also works at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. Jeffrey Hidalgo completed his Chemical Engineering degree at the University of the Philippines and placed 11th when he took the board exam. In 2009, he studied film making at the New York Film Academy in Abu Dhabi. He has written songs in recent years and even competed in the Metropop Song Festival. He currently runs his own company which specializes in cleaning products. James Coronel owns call centers in USA, Philippines, India and Sri Lanka. Shar Santos would audition in the fourth edition of the reality show American Idol
under the name Sharon Galvez, but was shut out of the semi-finals and now she is Sharon Kaylor. Chedi Vergara also released her self-title album "Chedi" with some success and she joined in Teatro and she also has a band but now she stayed in Brisbane, Australia. Jayson Angangan returned back in his own native land in Ilagan Isabela. And in 1998 BMG Records (now Sony Music Philippines) released the fifth and final album of the Smokey Mountain "Smokiest Hits" with 12 tracks.
In March 2011 all Smokey Mountain members re-united for the first time in 15 years to record a new song for Japan earthquake relief entitled I FEEL WHAT YOU FEEL. The group has strong ties to Japan and some members lived in Tokyo during the peak of their popularity in the early 1990s.
2nd. Lineup
3rd. Lineup
PARAISO
(1991, Sony BMG Music Philippines)
PARAISO (JAPAN EDITION) (1992, Sony BMG Music Philippines)
KNOW YOU WILL (1993, Sony BMG Music Philippines)
DEATH PENALTY (1994, Sony BMG Music Philippines)
SMOKIEST HITS (1998, Sony BMG Music Philippines)
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
group formed by musical director, composer, conductor Ryan Cayabyab
Ryan Cayabyab
Ryan Cayabyab is a Filipino musician and was the Executive and Artistic Director of the defunct San Miguel Foundation for the Performing Arts...
and executive producer Judd Berlin. The original group was based in Manila, Philippines, and had James Coronel, Geneva Cruz
Geneva Cruz
Geneva Mendoza Cruz-Miller, who is better known by her screen name Geneva Cruz, is a Filipina singer and actress. Cruz was a member of the defunct music group Smokey Mountain.-Career:...
, Jeffrey Hidalgo, and Tony Lambino as its original members while Jason Angangan, Chedi Vergara & Shar Santos joined James Coronel for the second lineup after Geneva Cruz, Jeffrey Hidalgo & Tony Lambino left the group.
They were often dressed in ragged clothes to depict the then dire situation of the scavengers living in the garbage dump in Manila after which the group was named, while the second lineup dressed up in casuals.
In 1989, the group released its first self-titled pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
that consisted of songs revolving around social, environmental, and patriotic themes. The group's first hit, Kailan (When), was number one on national airwaves for eight straight weeks and the album hit gold, platinum, and double-platinum status within months of its release.
In late 1990, the group went on the "Better World" tour, performing at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
World Summit for Children in New York and representing the Philippines at the 5th ASEAN Song Festival in Surabaya, Indonesia.
Having to choose between formal schooling and a two-year, two album contract for release in Europe and the U.S., Tony Lambino and Jeffrey Hidalgo left the group, while Geneva Cruz pursued a solo career & released her first solo album "I like you". The popularity of the group already reached it's peak at the time of the departure of the group's 3 members, however, Ryan Cayabyab held auditions to find new members to fill in the void of the 3 founding members who left the group. Ryan Cayabyab then reformed the group with remaining original member James Coronel and three new members Shar Santos, Chedi Vergara, and Jayson Angangan. This second batch also had successful hits, such as Da Coconut Nut (about the benefits of the coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
tree), Paraiso (literally paradise; ironically, about a degrading environment filled with garbage and smog), and their own version of Kailan (boy version). They also won awards for both Paraiso, "Kahit Habang Buhay" and Tayo Na.
The media was very critical of the new members who joined James Coronel, however in 1992 at the Tokyo Music Festival the new lineup proved their worth as they won the grand prize in the contest. They also joined the Golden Kite Festival & won the 1st Place trophy, their album also sold more copies than the original lineup's release & had more tours in Asia and Europe.
In around 1993 they released the 3rd & international album "Know You Will", after the promotion of the 3rd album James Coronel would leave the group. The remnants of the latest batch released the 4th album "Death Penalty" & disbanded a year later.
Geneva Cruz would later on move full time into showbiz. Tony Lambino had stints in songwriting, musical theatre, and broadcast news, and finished undergraduate studies at the Ateneo De Manila University. He completed his masters degree at Harvard University as a Fulbright Scholar and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication. Tony Lambino also works at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. Jeffrey Hidalgo completed his Chemical Engineering degree at the University of the Philippines and placed 11th when he took the board exam. In 2009, he studied film making at the New York Film Academy in Abu Dhabi. He has written songs in recent years and even competed in the Metropop Song Festival. He currently runs his own company which specializes in cleaning products. James Coronel owns call centers in USA, Philippines, India and Sri Lanka. Shar Santos would audition in the fourth edition of the reality show American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
under the name Sharon Galvez, but was shut out of the semi-finals and now she is Sharon Kaylor. Chedi Vergara also released her self-title album "Chedi" with some success and she joined in Teatro and she also has a band but now she stayed in Brisbane, Australia. Jayson Angangan returned back in his own native land in Ilagan Isabela. And in 1998 BMG Records (now Sony Music Philippines) released the fifth and final album of the Smokey Mountain "Smokiest Hits" with 12 tracks.
In March 2011 all Smokey Mountain members re-united for the first time in 15 years to record a new song for Japan earthquake relief entitled I FEEL WHAT YOU FEEL. The group has strong ties to Japan and some members lived in Tokyo during the peak of their popularity in the early 1990s.
Chronology of Lineup
Original lineup:- James Coronel
- Geneva Cruz
- Tony Lambino
- Jeffrey Hidalgo
2nd. Lineup
- James Coronel
- Jayson Angangan
- Chedi Vergara
- Shar Santos
3rd. Lineup
- Jayson Angangan
- Chedi Vergara
- Shar Santos
Albums
SMOKEY MOUNTAIN (1990, Sony BMG Music Philippines)- Not All The World Is America
- Mama
- Street People
- Earth Song
- Better World
- Kailan
- Escape
- Can This Be Love
- Steal To Eat
- Sabihin Mo
PARAISO
Paraiso (album)
Paraiso is the second studio album by young Filipino singing group Smokey Mountain. It was released in the Philippines in 1991 by Sony BMG Music. The album slightly surpassed the commercial success of the group's self-titled debut album, also certifying 8× Platinum by the Philippine...
(1991, Sony BMG Music Philippines)
- King Philip
- Nahan Ka
- Da Coconut Nut
- Paraiso
- Sama Na Kayo
- Wanna Say No
- Kahit Habang Buhay
- Hideaway
- Best Friend
- Kailan (Boy Version)
- Freedom
PARAISO (JAPAN EDITION) (1992, Sony BMG Music Philippines)
- King Philip
- Paraiso
- Tayo Na (Come On)
- Nahan Ka
- Sama Na Kayo
- Wanna Say No
- Kahit Habang Buhay
- Da Coconut Nut
- Hideaway
- Best Friend
- Kailan (Boy Version)
- Freedom
KNOW YOU WILL (1993, Sony BMG Music Philippines)
- One Less Lonely Heart
- I Believe In You
- A.S.A.P.
- Why Do You Tell Me
- Stand Up
- I'm In Love With You
- She Has Gone
- Without You
- Shall We Dance
- We Can Change The World
DEATH PENALTY (1994, Sony BMG Music Philippines)
- Death Penalty (Intro)
- When Doors Close
- Leave Me forever
- Ikaw Lang
- What's Wrong With Dat
- Learn To Love
- You Can't Expect (Interlude)
- Sama Ko (Interlude)
- You Make Me Feel Good
- I Get So Lonely
- Ai Shite Ruyo
- Magbalik Ka Sana
- Sabi Mo
- Being Free
- We Share The Earth (Interlude)
SMOKIEST HITS (1998, Sony BMG Music Philippines)
- Paraiso
- Kailan
- Da Coconut Nut
- I Believe In You
- Kahit Habang Buhay
- Can This Be Love
- Mama
- Nahan Ka
- One Less Lonely Heart
- Sabi Mo
- What's Wrong With Dat
- Better World
Notable singles
Note that until recent years, artists in the Philippines never release stand-alone singles.- Better World
- Can This Be Love
- Kailan
- Mama
- Da Coconut Nut
- Hideaway
- Kahit Habang Buhay
- Kailan (Boy Version)
- Nahan Ka
- Paraiso
- Tayo Na
- A.S.A.P.
- I Believe In You
- One Less Lonely Heart
- She Has Gone
- Ai Shite Ruyo
- Ikaw Lang
- Leave Me Forever
- Magbalik Ka Sana
- Sabi Mo
- What's Wrong With Dat