By: Joe Sprite

Sometime ago, we had been lamenting that the musical talents of Jagna had been neglected. The Jagna Band if one may call them that, did not merit any support except those who make it a part time career. However, there is another group that is making waves in the Metro Manila circuit and that is the JB Band. This blew into town just recently and performed in the College of the Miraculous Medal quadrangle.

The band made a side trip to Jagna while on contract with the organizers of Sandugo celebration in Tagbilaran City . It is no surprise why the JB Band hit Jagna. The JB Music Studio and Management own the JB Band. The JB is the first letters of the nicknames Joe and Becky and Boholano couple who made it good in Manila . Joe is Joseph Rañola of Poblacion; Jagna while Becky is Rebecca Salitrero of Tagbilaran City .

It is surprising that Joe would be involved in a musical career like owning and running a music studio. His only exposure to music was the practice notes on the clarinet of his grand uncle Pedro Cuarto, a member of the old Jagna Band. However Nong Pedro lived in Canupao while Joe grew up in Poblacion. Neither could it be in the genes because Nong Pedro was the husband of his grand aunt, therefore his relationship with the musician was by affinity rather than by consanguinity. As far as we know of Becky, we could not identify any musician in he immediate family. Perhaps there is but we are not aware of him. However, Becky provided a firm backup of the enterprise and without her, Joe could not properly function.

The JB Band made itself known in the Metro manila circuit. It had made concerts during an Octoherfest at MYC and a major concert in the Captains Bar. Jack Daniels, the renowned Bourbon Whisky bottler commissioned the JB Band to conduct as promotional tour. In that our, they had performed in Ratsky, Hardrock, Strumms, and Aruba among others, those are favorite watering holes in five star hotels. Their repertoire ranges from soul music – music with Afro American airs, swing, jazz, cha cha – the dance, dummy, not charter change, they are apolitical -, raggae, slow and fast dance numbers. The vocalists can belt out blues.

Joe, a Jagnaanon expat is partial to fellow Jagnaanons and Boholanos with talent. His bandleader is Boy Cabalit. He had been in Kobe , Japan as a musician. His career took him to Indonesia , Thailand . Caribbean and English luxury cruises. The drummer is Alao Alcala. His 17 years as a professional drummer took him to places like Bahrain , Oman , china and the US . His keyboardist, organist if you like, is Sammy Miñosa. He too had been in celebrity bands in Japan , Singapore and Indonesia besides

The lead guitarist is Mike Agcaoile. As a former member of the Groove band, he had traveled with them to Japan , Singapore and Korea . The trumpeter/flutist is JM Perillo. He is the one with music education having finished his Music Education degree in the University of Sto Tomas while being a member of the UST Symphony Band and Orchestra. The percussionist is Dondon Pangindian. He too has been with bands that toured the Far East . The saxophonist is Cletus Caido. a licensed ECE, he was pirated from BOHECO II because of his talent.

The vocalists all of them with foreign stints are Snaffu Rigor, also a composer, Dondon Mejia, Efren Montes, J Ann Talisic and Niña Grabato, also the choreographer and floor director. We knew of a Grabato once, a vivacious girl who took up computer programming in one of the premier IBM training centers. Her name was Niñan C. Grabato of Cagayan de Oro. It is unlikely but if she were the one, we would not reveal the year. It would show our age.