What happened to the group? He played in his first two years of college, then quit to focus on journalism, something that he enjoys doing to this day. Before I knew anything about his rockstar days, I’d admired him as an eternally joyous and steady presence, a champion of the underdog, always first to put an arm around anyone who seemed down,” he shared. At the height of his fame, Rigor decided it was time to move on and leave it all behind. Filipino Food Movement engages Barkada DC owners in a conversation after online debate, Is it cultural appropriation or appreciation? Filipino group VST & Co to relive golden days of disco in Abu Dhabi Taking centre stage at the event – which is part gig, part live karaoke – will be Spanky Rigor and Roger Rigor, two brothers remembered as founding members of one of the era’s biggest bands, VST & Co. Find the latest tracks, albums, and images from Tito Sotto III & Spanky Rigor / Joey De Leon. All Rights Reserved. Reggae is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late s. Bythe term was used in Paris to describe any of these type of nightclubs and that year a young reporter named Klaus Quirini started to select and introduce records at … Your Journal. The case at the center of it had made headlines, but the laws that allowed officers to abuse people in their custody were little known: the officers in this case claimed that they’d had consensual sex with a woman they’d pulled over, and in New York state they were allowed to use this defense because the law didn’t automatically classify sex in custody as rape. Spanky Rigor left his rockstar life for a simpler life in America. The cab driver got out of the hood, looked at the bus, then looked at me, then looked at the bus then looked at me,” said Rigor in the video. “I found myself wondering whether I would’ve [taken] the same path they had, which of course only led me to dig deeper into the reasons they took the paths they did. He was a founding member of the iconic group VST & Co or simply VST. The all-male group's monicker, "V.S.T", is said to represent the names of three lead vocalists, "Val, Spanky and Tito." There were three Rigors in VST, namely, Spanky, Roger, and Male. “I go like ‘what are they screaming about?’ And then they were looking at me and I just waved. He knew then it would have to be a long-term thing. The Best of 60s, 70s, and 80s Nostalgia. june 15, 2019 • new york rock baby rock vst & co written by vic sotto album: concerto in a minor 1979 “awitin mo, isasayaw ko” … It entertained Filipinos from 1980 to 1989. He sought out what many people aspire for: the American Dream. The 461 boys have been together for many years, as with the Paco boys...the 461 boys were Spanky (Rigor), Male (Rigor), Monet (Gaskell), Celso (Llarina), Jun (Medina) and myself...Val (Sotto) was the lone Paco boy until Vic (Sotto) joined us in the latter part. In a video by Rigor’s nephew, Albert Samaha, for, In the ’70s, VST & Co was among the bands that popularized what came to be known as Manila Sound, but they became more popular for their, ” Their biggest hit is also their debut single, “. 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Be the first to contribute! But now, he lives a simple life as a baggage handler at the San Francisco International Airport. He was a founding member of the iconic group VST & Co or simply VST. i was a big fan of T.O.D.A.S., a local 80's program which featured a great line of comedic talents like joey de leon, val sotto, jimmy santos, Among their timeless tracks are “Disco Fever” and “Rock Baby Rock.” Their biggest hit is also their debut single, “Awitin Mo, Isasayaw Ko,” which was released to phenomenal success in 1977. Beautiful.’ I couldn't see the dregs of life. We all know now that the well-loved musician did not make it to the event. In a video by Rigor’s nephew, Albert Samaha, for Pop-Up Magazine on Facebook, it reveals how Rigor has spent the last 30 years as a baggage handler in an airport. All Rights Reserved. "[citation needed] There was also speculation that the acronym stood for "Vicor Super Team" — implying supremacy in the roster of Vicor Music Corporation. Samaha is now working on his next book “Concepcion,” the bigger project he anticipated when he decided to focus on his family’s decision to migrate to the U.S. “Don’t Forget Those Who Fell During the Nighttime,” which is from a Jose Rizal quote that I may use elsewhere in the book,” he shared. Everything I see ‘Wow. In the ’70s, VST & Co was among the bands that popularized what came to be known as Manila Sound, but they became more popular for their disco mania hits. “I found that dozens of officers had been acquitted through this defense, and after many hours of reading through all 50 state legal codes, I discovered that this loophole existed in 35 states,” he recalled. Update this biography » Listen to music from Tito Sotto III & Spanky Rigor / Joey De Leon like Ikaw Ang Aking Mahal. When Spanky Rigor, a member of the legendary VST & Company and producer of the Bagets movie soundtrack first let me hear this beautiful, bittersweet song composed by Odette Quesada I fell in love with it right away.As it turned out, Odette had written Farewell during high school and wanted to record it herself. How To Spot Fake Rich People, According to the Truly Rich Lady, Remembering When the Spaniards Fought Japanese Samurai and Pirates in Cagayan, These Medical Frontliners Got a Surprise Noche Buena Treat From Globe Last Christmas, The Story Behind Cebu’s Love Affair With Chocolate, Showbiz Couples, Exes Proving There's More than One Way to Define Family, People Are Comparing Kanye West's Presidential Bid to Manny Pacquiao's. But in 1988, he surprised the whole nation and even his bandmates when he decided to leave that life behind. So while his friends were dedicating to … Step 2. The  “S” in. “I never thought to dig into that past— which now feels a bit shameful.”, His elders would take about it and make passing references to Spanky’s time in the band, but as a kid, Samaha assumed “they were hyping it up the way my mom hyped up my report cards or science project.”. Your email address will not be published. Green cards for undocumented ‘essential workers’ on Biden’s agenda, PH eligible again to participate in US H-2B visa program in 2021, Non-profit offers US citizenship test materials in 9 languages, including Tagalog, Fil-Am actress Ginger Gonzaga to star in Marvel’s ‘She-Hulk’ series, H.E.R. By continued use, you agree to our privacy policy and accept our use of such cookies. Considered by many to be the pioneer and icon of what is known as the Manila Sound, VST & Co. released disco singles such as “Swing It, Baby”, “Magsayawan”, “Ipagpatawad Mo”, “Awitin Mo, Isasayaw Ko” and “Disco Fever”. This one gets more personal. Television’s Outrageously Delightful All-Star Show. Samaha currently works as an investigative reporter at BuzzFeed, something he calls his dream job, one that he is in because he was able to catch some lucky breaks early on in his career. “I graduated college at a time when newspapers were shutting down and magazines were shrinking, so the precarity of working in journalism is always in the front of my mind.”. © 2019 EsquireMag.ph, All Rights Reserved. Well, what is Spanky doing now? “One student recorded his interaction with the unit’s chief and sent it to me, confirming many of the details I’d gathered in my reporting and providing indisputable evidence of the unit’s troubling tactics. “Over the Bridge,” which I think might end up as a chapter title. Biden’s first directives. “It was like going to La La Land. He then realized that the biggest challenges ended up being more about how to do their stories justice — what lessons, insights, and conclusions to draw, how their experiences fit into the arc of history. History [edit | edit source]. Watch full length episodes of your favorite 60s, 70s, and 80s cartoons and tv shows. This lovingly done short feature on the musician and comedian—written by his nephew—is a surprising tribute to an entertainer who might have just chosen the better path than his more famous bandmates. Spanky Rigor and Roger Rigor of “ VST & Co “The Union” – a show band composed of: Jet Montelibano (of Music & Magic) Jessica Casas (of Something Special) Nino de Jesus (of New Minstrels) Jo-ann Visitacion Fulton Montoya. Spanky Rigor was one of the founding members of VST & Company, one of the pioneering ‘70s disco bands and popularly known as “the Bee Gees of the Philippines.” He has worked as a baggage handler at San Francisco International Airport for almost 30 years, since he immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines. The planned trip to the Philippines happened and he wrote an essay about his mom’s support for Duterte in 2017. In hindsight, he thinks part of this newfound curiosity might have had to do with the fact that he had reached the age where his mom and her siblings had been when they migrated to the United States, and their journey no longer felt so distant. Since 1991. Find out more here. Marinela Neri Velez is a professional, expert, cognoscente, and aficionado of classical opera. The idea about the feature came from Albert Samaha, an investigative reporter at BuzzFeed who was fascinated by the backstory. Gaskell said he had befriended the musically-inclined Rigor brothers before the group was formed and later got hooked with the talented Sottos upon the creation of the group which, according to him, was actually tapped to counteract the famed Boyfriends act. The Disco Fever is back! “The whole bus started screaming and I was just looking. Aside from being one of the lead vocalists of the group, Rigor also wrote and produced songs and played guitar for the band. presents ‘awitin mo, isasayaw ko’ an amazing filipino disco night fever featuring spanky and roger rigor of vst & co with lorrie ilustre & sounds of manila. This love for writing to a backseat when he checked if he could become a professional football player. DISCO MANILA LIVE BAND KARAOKE. Find link is a tool written by Edward Betts.. searching for Waks 174 found (177 total) alternate case: waks WAKS-HD2 (1,083 words) case mismatch in snippet view article find links to article WAKS-HD2 (96.5-2 FM) – branded Real 106.1 – is a digital subchannel of Cleveland market radio station WAKS (96.5 FM). July 11, 2014 TODAS Reunion as Joey de Leon, Jimmy Santos, Maribeth Bichara, Val Sotto, Spanky Rigor, Richie D' Horsie and Freida Fonda. He tended to avoid writing anything about himself because there is so much else to write about. “Sometimes they would tell me ‘What the hell were you thinking about?’ You practically had it made here,” said Rigor. Now, even younger people know more about one of the founders behind monster hits that continue to be played in every Filipino gathering that involves line dancing. 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Get a dose of real nostalgia with Nostalgia Manila! “He taught me the power optimism and warmth can have on others. “I get to chase stories that interest me, I have editors I trust, and I’m provided the sort of resources that make the job easier, from reporting trips to database subscriptions,” he shared. Spanky Rigor used to live the life of a rockstar. Owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., WAKS-HD2 He considers sports as his gateway into writing. actually stands for his name Spanky, while the “V” and “T” stand for the other lead singers of the group: Val and Tito. “It wasn’t my first idea, or second, or third… I burned through a list of possibilities. The  “S” in VST actually stands for his name Spanky, while the “V” and “T” stand for the other lead singers of the group: Val and Tito. More from EsquireMag.ph The all-male group's name, "V.S.T", was said to represent the names of three lead vocalists, "Val, Spanky and Tito. “But my Uncle Spanky, Auntie Ging, and the other relatives I interviewed were generous with their experiences and memories, and really understood the value of that reflection, especially for those of us in the next generation who knew only the world we were born into,” he shared. VST & Co. were a Filipino disco group prominent during the late 1970s in the Philippines. At one point, he was named among the sexiest men in the Philippines. For a while, in lieu of a title, Samaha used the name of his favorite VST song, Rock Baby Rock, as a sort of code name for the book project. Over the past few weeks, a video feature on Pop-Up Magazine became viral, furiously shared on social media by diehards of Manila Sound and even occasional fans. The Filipino-American Community Newspaper. “You always hope at the outset that a story can have an impact, but it so rarely happens, so you never expect it. The unit’s chief resigned the same day the story was published, under pressure from local officials,” he said. That part took a lot of reading and thinking. “When I was at the Village Voice in New York, my main beat was criminal justice, and right around the time BuzzFeed News was expanding its operation, the Ferguson uprising happened and suddenly criminal justice became the central issue of the moment, and when BuzzFeed went out looking for someone to cover the topic, I had relevant clips to show them and a bit of experience,” he said. Copyright © 1991-2021 Asian Journal Media Group. “At the core, I wanted to better understand how my family ended up in the States. Concepcion is his mom’s family name, and it’s the name that links the main characters in the story: from his grandparents and uncles, aunties to his cousins. Amb. VST is also being used by … (From left): Celso Llarina, Spanky Rigor, Male Rigor, Roger Rigor. Remembering When the Spaniards Fought Japanese Samurai and Pirates in Cagayan. He explained that the 2018 story that changed the laws did so because it caught a wave of public outrage, and a lot of people called (or tweeted at) their congressional representatives. When Samaha last visited the Philippines in April 2017, he went with his mom, for an essay he wrote about Duterte later. Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. “All I thought was, ‘Wow, what a beautiful place.’”. More from EsquireMag.ph “So putting together the pieces, weaving in the historical context, arranging the timeline, picking what details to include or leave out, all building toward some kind of wider meaning, that was probably the central challenge.”. “They separated when I was young. These kids then had to wear a wire and help out on a certain number of drug busts, which usually targeted their friends. His mother had immigrated alone to the States in 1978, and his whole family followed one by one. VST is also being used by Tito Sotto, which means "Vicente Sotto the Third." Snaffu Rigor would have celebrated his 70th birthday last Aug. 8. VST is also being used by Tito Sotto, which means "Vicente Sotto the Third." The “S” in VST actually stands for his name Spanky, while the “V” and “T” stand for the other lead singers of the group: Val and Tito.. How to take part: Step 1. How To Spot Fake Rich People, According to the Truly Rich Lady. His wife left for the U.S. in 1981 in what was supposed to be a temporary setup to support his mother. As someone who is into investigative journalism, Samaha did more research after that. . It entertained Filipinos from 1980 to 1989. He was a founding member of the iconic group VST & Co or simply VST. I couldn’t even see garbage. He was writing eight or nine features a year while learning how to be a local reporter from editors who had been in journalism longer than he’d been alive. Spanky Rigor – Biography – IMDb. This was around the time he began to grow more interested in his family’s own history, not just for Spanky but all his elders. Spanky Rigor, Soundtrack: Txt. Life was all glitter and glamor for Rigor, who only realized he was famous when he encountered a busload of students screaming at him while he was waiting for his taxi driver to finish repairs on the roadside. It was going to another dimension, another world. The all-male group's monicker, "V.S.T", is said to represent the names of three lead vocalists, "Val, Spanky and Tito." He grew up reading the sports section of the newspaper and Sports Illustrated magazine, and by high school, he knew he enjoyed writing and wanted to keep doing it. Apl.de.Ap, real name Allan Pineda Lindo of Sapang Bato, Angeles City, Pampanga, rocked San Francisco's Union Square last Saturday, June 15, 2013, as he headlined the Philippine Independence Day celebration of the city. “It’s the story I know best, and though it’s only one thread in the tapestry of the immigrant or American experience, the more threads we can record, study, and reflect on, the more understanding we’ll have of why the world works the way it does,” he quipped. Spanky Rigor used to live the life of a rockstar. He wanted to report this history, and who knows, maybe write a book about it. [OPINION] The daunting task of uniting the ‘divided states of America’ is upon us: Are we brave enough to see, be the light? “When I was young I knew he’d been in a well-known band called VST & Company, but had no sense of how famous he was,” Samaha shared. bracelet at CES 2021, Family Business Stewardship Is a Lasting Gift, Pfizer’s COVID vaccine & your mortgage rate, Report: Filipinos top social media users in the world, PH among highest in online piracy in Southeast Asia, Survey: Facebook greatest source of coronavirus disinformation, Your next car could be at New Century Volkswagen in Glendale, Van Nuys Kia now open with over 700 cars to choose from, MG Motor Signs As Official Mobility Partner Of The 30th South East Asian Games, Boost your ride with exclusive promos at the Manila International Auto Show 2019, High hopes or another false hope? He pitched a couple of ideas and both got rejected, but from those early brainstorming discussions came the idea that resulted in the final product which was released a couple of weeks ago. IMDb takes a look at Gal Gadot's biggest roles and the parts she never got the chance to play, including a major role in the James Bond franchise.. Watch the video PEPSI PALOMA – A Facebook post has gone viral about the “real story” behind Pepsi Paloma’s case and mysterious death following Tito Sotto’s request to take down Inquirer’s articles about it. “He has always struck me as a person at peace, and his enthusiasm for the granular moments of life made a big impression on me growing up.”, As he looked back at the past, Samaha thinks that one of the reasons he underestimated his uncle’s celebrity status is that” he always seemed to live in the present: he eats slowly, listens closely, and sees the best in people.”. By JEROME GOMEZ His mother has seven siblings and most live in the States. What could be the real story behind the mysterious rape case and death of Pepsi Paloma? Watch the video below to know what happened to Spanky Rigor, founding member and lead vocalist of VST & Co. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on Esquiremag.ph. used to live the life of a rockstar. From December 2 to 11 at the CCP Main Theater, celebrate the holidays with “Awitin Mo At Isasayaw Ko”, Ballet Philippines’ new dance musical featuring the songs of popular Filipino disco group, VST & Co. I lived with my mom in California, but saw my dad at least once a year, and much more often in recent years. Your News. — They met on an airplane. But the older he got, and the more stories he heard from his elders, and the more he researched, the more he got drawn to the idea of reporting on his family’s experience. Years now, he went with his mom ’ s migration and greeting screaming fans whenever recognized... 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