Mike Hanopol
Encyclopedia
Mike Hanopol is a Filipino
rock music
icon and legend, revolutionary singer, veteran musician, guitarist, pop artist, folk rock
star, and recording artist. He was a former bass guitarist for the Juan Dela Cruz Band. He is a pioneer of rock music in the Philippines
during the 1970s, along with Pepe Smith
and Wally Gonzales
. In his career as a musician, Hanopol produced twenty albums, three of which became Gold prize awardees while another three received the Aliw Awards
. Hanopol’s trademark is the beret
, leather clothing, and his Steinberger
guitar. Hanopol was the mentor and songwriter for the famous Filipino rock band known as HAGIBIS.
. The most influential person in Hanopol’s life as a musician was his maternal grandmother Nanay Inday, who during Hanopol's childhood put him to sleep by playing the guitar. Hanopol started his career as a guitarist at the age of nine during the late 1960s. At 14 years of age, Hanopol was already earning money as a musician. He became a bandleader as a seminarian. In 1967, after graduating from high school, Hanopol joined his band to play music in Vietnam, one semester away from graduating from college. Hanopol’s decision was against the wishes of his father, resulting in their being not on speaking terms for a period of nine years.
passages. Examples are the first two stanzas for Hanopol’s song Balong Malalim ("Deep Well") which were based on the Book of John, and the Laki sa Layaw song that conveys the biblical message of avoiding arrogance. Laki sa Layaw, also known as Laki sa Layaw Jeproks, is Hanopol’s trademark and favorite song. Some of the songs in Hanopol’s latest album Lagablab, under Warner Music Philippines, were based on the Book of Psalms (Psalm 75: 3-16 and Psalm 37: 1-6) and the Ten Commandments
. Hanopol’s Lagablab is a "10-track guitar album" that features "inspiring and original compositions" aimed at imparting life’s lessons to the younger generation of Filipino
s. Lagablab is an assortment of jazz
, rock
, hip-hop
, rap
, fusion, and ballad
music. The rap song in the album was performed with Filipino rapper Francis Magalona
.
. His album Pilyong Bata was produced in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
. Hanopol relocated to New York City
in 1983. After playing music with Filipino and American bands in New York
, Hanopol went back to the North Miami beach area in 1987. He returned to the Philippines in 1993.
and Led Zeppelin
. Hanopol was the founder of the Asian pop band known as Tribu Kemistri, a group of musicians who play rock, ethnic rhythms, and new age music. On June 11, 2005, Hanopol and the Juan De La Cruz Band held a reunion concert at the World Trade Center in Pasay City
.
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
rock music
Pinoy rock
Pinoy rock, or Filipino rock, is the brand of rock music produced in the Philippines or by Filipinos. It has become as diverse as the rock music genre itself, and bands adopting this style are now further classified under more specific genres or combinations of genres like alternative rock,...
icon and legend, revolutionary singer, veteran musician, guitarist, pop artist, folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
star, and recording artist. He was a former bass guitarist for the Juan Dela Cruz Band. He is a pioneer of rock music in the 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...
during the 1970s, along with Pepe Smith
Pepe Smith
Joseph William Feliciano Smith is a Filipino singer-songwriter, drummer, and guitarist. More commonly known alternately as Joey Smith and Pepe Smith, he is an icon of original Filipino rock music or "Pinoy Rock"....
and Wally Gonzales
Wally Gonzales
Wally Gonzales is a Pinoy rock legend, Filipino bluesman, and professional guitarist. He established and played with the Juan Dela Cruz Band, along with lead singer and drummer Pepe Smith and bass player Mike Hanopol. Gonzales was dubbed as "the quiet Juan Dela Cruz" band member because of his...
. In his career as a musician, Hanopol produced twenty albums, three of which became Gold prize awardees while another three received the Aliw Awards
Aliw Awards
Aliw Awards by the Aliw Awards Foundation, Inc. was established by the renowned Philippine journalist Alice H. Reyes, to recognize achievements in the live entertainment industry in the Philippines...
. Hanopol’s trademark is the beret
Beret
A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
, leather clothing, and his Steinberger
Steinberger
Steinberger refers to a series of distinctive electric guitars and bass guitars, designed and originally manufactured by Ned Steinberger. The word Steinberger can be used to refer to either the instruments themselves or the company that produced them...
guitar. Hanopol was the mentor and songwriter for the famous Filipino rock band known as HAGIBIS.
Early life
Hanopol was born in LeyteLeyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
. The most influential person in Hanopol’s life as a musician was his maternal grandmother Nanay Inday, who during Hanopol's childhood put him to sleep by playing the guitar. Hanopol started his career as a guitarist at the age of nine during the late 1960s. At 14 years of age, Hanopol was already earning money as a musician. He became a bandleader as a seminarian. In 1967, after graduating from high school, Hanopol joined his band to play music in Vietnam, one semester away from graduating from college. Hanopol’s decision was against the wishes of his father, resulting in their being not on speaking terms for a period of nine years.
Musical influences
Despite being a rock-and-roll figure, Hanopol’s experience in the seminary influenced him to compose song lyrics based on BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
passages. Examples are the first two stanzas for Hanopol’s song Balong Malalim ("Deep Well") which were based on the Book of John, and the Laki sa Layaw song that conveys the biblical message of avoiding arrogance. Laki sa Layaw, also known as Laki sa Layaw Jeproks, is Hanopol’s trademark and favorite song. Some of the songs in Hanopol’s latest album Lagablab, under Warner Music Philippines, were based on the Book of Psalms (Psalm 75: 3-16 and Psalm 37: 1-6) and the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
. Hanopol’s Lagablab is a "10-track guitar album" that features "inspiring and original compositions" aimed at imparting life’s lessons to the younger generation of Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
s. Lagablab is an assortment of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, rap
Rap
Rap may refer to:*Rapping, performance in which rhyming lyrics are used, with or without musical accompaniment ; while an MC performs spoken verses in time to a beat/ melody**Hip hop subculture**Hip hop music...
, fusion, and ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
music. The rap song in the album was performed with Filipino rapper Francis Magalona
Francis Magalona
Francis Michael Durango Magalona , also known as FrancisM, Master Rapper, MC The Mouth and The Man From Manila, was a Filipino rapper, entrepreneur, songwriter, producer, actor, director, and photographer. He was the first Filipino rapper in the Philippines to cross over to the mainstream...
.
Life in the US
Hanopol left the Philippines in 1982 to live in the North Miami beach area of South Florida, United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. His album Pilyong Bata was produced in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
. Hanopol relocated to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1983. After playing music with Filipino and American bands in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Hanopol went back to the North Miami beach area in 1987. He returned to the Philippines in 1993.
Present status
A legendary rock artist recognized in Asia and the Western world, Hanopol is a "frequent show-opener" for concerts such as Asian performances by Western rock artists Pink FloydPink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. Hanopol was the founder of the Asian pop band known as Tribu Kemistri, a group of musicians who play rock, ethnic rhythms, and new age music. On June 11, 2005, Hanopol and the Juan De La Cruz Band held a reunion concert at the World Trade Center in Pasay City
Pasay City
The City of Pasay is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the north by the country's capital, Manila, to the northeast by Makati City, to the east by Taguig City, and Parañaque City to the south.Pasay City was one of the original four...
.
Personal life
Mike married Herminia in 1973 and they have a daughter named Michelle, nicknamed “Yummy”.Discography
- Katawan
- No Touch
- Laki sa Layaw Jeproks
- Buhay Musikero
- Awiting Pilipino
- Tulungan Natin
- Mr. Kenkoy
- Balong Malalim
- Titsers Enemi No.1
- Lagot Ka Isusumbong Kita
- Peace Naman
- Sa Aking Pag-uwi
- Ang Magulang Mo
- Hawakan Mong Mabuti
- Hindi Ka Magsisisi
- Talamak
- Buhay Musikero
- Buhay Amerika
External links
- Images of Mike Hanopol at flickr.com
- Mike Hanopol at IMDb.com
- Mike Hanopol at facebook.com