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Francis "Brew" Reyes | |
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Born | Francis Florentino Saludo Reyes June 20, 1967 Lipa City, Philippines |
Other names | Kiko, Francis Brew |
Career | |
Show | In the Raw |
Station | NU107 (1997–2010) |
Musical career | |
Genres | Pinoy rock, alternative rock, experimental |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, keyboards |
Member of | The Dawn |
Formerly of | Garlic, P.O.T., Afterimage, Project 1, Peso Movement, Joey Ayala, Lou Bonnevie |
Francis Florentino Saludo Reyes (born June 20, 1967, in Lipa City, Batangas) is a Filipino musician. He is best known for being the guitarist for the Filipino rock band the Dawn. He was the chief radio announcer and musical director for the rock station NU107.5 FM who used the on-air stage name Francis Brew. He was also the editor of Billboard Philippines , which was launched in 2016.
Reyes was born and raised in Lipa City, the second child of Florante Luz Reyes, a photographer, and Teresita Marquinez Saludo, a housewife. His youth was not particularly musical and his on-stage experiences were focused on oratorical contests which he regularly won. He started playing guitar at 14, helped by his elder brother Ferdinand who was a "natural" guitarist. The Reyeses were not rich, and his first proper guitar was a fake Gibson acoustic worth Php150.00 that his mother promised as a gift if he won a declamation contest during his junior high school year in De La Salle Lipa.
Although supported by his mother, Reyes' choice to pursue music or fine arts in university was not encouraged by the family so he majored in Political Science and minored in Literature at De La Salle University. Nevertheless, he continued to study music on his own, bringing an old Telecaster copy–a gift from an uncle in Canada–to school and practicing behind the university library. He formed a few bands with friends and played at school events. The school's prohibitive tuition fees plus the delicate financial status of his family at the time took their toll and he went looking for writing jobs to supplement his income. In 1987, he auditioned for an FM radio station and became a graveyard shift trainee but was eventually able to join NU107.
At around the same time he joined NU107, he became a member of Afterimage, which was then managed by Martin Galan, who also managed the Dawn. When Reyes joined the Dawn, he was juggling school, NU107, and the band. When the schedule of the Dawn began to fill up, he became somewhat negligent with the radio station and was let go amicably in 1992. He returned in 1997 to host the show "In the Raw", and has been with the station since then. He eventually was appointed its chief announcer and musical director until NU107 went its final broadcast on November 7, 2010.
Reyes met the Dawn during his tenure with Afterimage, although he had already known Jett Pangan in university during interpretative reading contests which Pangan regularly won. He became friendly with the group's guitarist/founder Teddy Diaz and they even spoke of forming a thrash metal side project with drummer JB Leonor's brother Dennis. Unfortunately, Teddy was murdered mere days after their talk. Reyes was then asked to be one of the three guitarists who were to play Teddy's parts in the tribute concert "Salamat Teddy" at the Folk Arts Theater in September 1988.
Reyes returned to Afterimage during Atsushi Matsuura's tenure with the Dawn and also became one of band's roadies. In November 1989, he was asked to replace Matsuura.
Reyes recorded three albums and played with the Dawn until January 1995 when the band decided to go on hiatus. Between then and until the band reformed, he became a session guitarist for Lou Bonnevie, Kulay, P.O.T., and Joey Ayala. He credits his experience with The Dawn and their eclectic music for being able to play in different genres comfortably.
The Dawn reformed with Atsushi Matsuura in 1999, thus expanding the line-up to a five-piece. When Matsuura parted ways with the band in 2004, Reyes became the sole guitarist.
On April 16, 2009, Francis left the band after what Jett Pangan called a "hard meeting". Pangan went on to state though that Reyes is welcome to rejoin the band. [1]
Reyes, along with bassist Carlos Balcells returned to the band on June 7, 2016, thus the band became a quintet once again.
Reyes is also currently a contractual music arranger for the Roadrunner Network. He recently contributed a piece for the compilation album Mga Gitarista under 12Stone Records. Although constantly encouraged by peers to create a guitar-oriented solo album, Reyes is not interested, preferring to focus his energies on the Dawn.
He formed the improvisation-oriented trio Garlic with Razorback bassist Louie Talan and Imago drummer Zach Lucero (also an NU107 alumnus) in 1998. Although the group garnered some critical accolades, they have yet to record an album.
He was part of Helenovela with former Orange and Lemons frontman Mcoy Fundales, now with KENYO and PESO Movement with Japs Sergio (ex-Rivermaya), drummer Kurt Floresca and former Jet Pangan Group bassist Macky Macaventa who is now with True Faith.
Reyes was also a part of the supergroup, Project 1.
In 2016, Reyes became the editor-in-chief of Billboard Philippines , a brand dedicated to music news, charts and other related services. He later abolished it in January 2018, but the brand was relaunched in October 2023 under a new management where he became the editor-at-large.
Reyes credits Ritchie Blackmore's solo on the intro to Deep Purple's "Speed King" as the moment when he decided he wanted to be a guitarist, although he was an obsessive Queen/Brian May fan as well. His early heroes included Eddie Van Halen and Gary Moore, and actually put electrical tape on his Telecaster copy à la Van Halen. His current influences are Pat Metheny, Eric Johnson, Robert Fripp, Allan Holdsworth, David Torn, Adrian Belew, Matthew Bellamy, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Nels Cline, and Jimi Hendrix.
Reyes used to be an endorser for Hamer Guitars. He used the Hamer Standard XT and Vector XT models.
His other guitars used to include a Squier Standard Telecaster, a Gretsch 5235T Pro Jet, a Dame Mind 505, and a pre-lawsuit Yamaha Lord Player which he all sold. Now he mainly uses guitars from Lyric Music Stores which he is also a part of. He has been playing Tokai Guitars, a Yamaha Revstar and a PRS Tremonti Custom SE of late.
He also still has the Casio PG380 guitar synthesizer used during his first two years with the Dawn.
Reyes also has a Vietnamese dan tranh, a Xaphoon pocket sax, and assorted small instruments such as a kalimba and tin whistle, all subtly used in the Dawn's recordings.
Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | 1st NU Rock Awards | Himself / Performer (with The Dawn) | [2] | ||
1997 | SOP | Himself / Guest Performer (with The Dawn) | GMA Network | [3] | |
2007 | The ARAW Values Advertising Awards | ||||
2012 | Pinoy Rock MYX | Himself / Host | MYX | ||
2016 | It's Showtime | Himself / Guest Performer (with The Dawn) | ABS-CBN | [4] | |
2019 | Studio 7 | GMA Network | |||
It's Showtime | Himself / Guest Performer (with The Dawn and guest drummer Kurt Floresca) | ABS-CBN | [5] | ||
2022 | Family Feud | Himself / Guest Player (with The Dawn and Carlos Orosa) | GMA Network | (credited as Kiko Reyes) | [6] |
It's Showtime | Himself / Guest Performer | Kapamilya Channel | (for Magpasikat 2022) | [7] [8] | |
2023 | Himself / Guest Performer (with The Dawn) | [9] | |||
2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup: Opening Ceremony | One Sports | [10] | |||
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | Mama's Boys 2 (Let's Go Na!) | Himself | [11] | |
2006 | Tulad ng Dati | [12] | ||
Year | Title | Role | Station | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997–2010 | In the Raw | Himself / Host | NU107 | ||
The Dawn is a Filipino rock band which first achieved commercial success during the late 1980s in the Philippines. The band broke up in 1995 with lead vocalist Jett Pangan forming another band, the Jett Pangan Group. The Dawn reunited in late 1999. The Dawn is considered the "longest-lived and most prolific rock band in the Philippines".
Reginald Jose Pangan, better known as Jett Pangan, is a Filipino actor, singer and guitarist best known for fronting the Filipino rock bands the Dawn, and the now defunct, the Jett Pangan Group. He is also an actor, appearing in several theater plays, TV, and films, most notably his role in Tulad ng Dati and his lead role in the musical production of Sweeney Todd and he played as the Beast in Beauty and the Beast.
The Itchyworms is a Filipino rock band. The band is composed of Jazz Nicolas on lead vocals, drums and piano, Jugs Jugueta on co-lead vocals, keys and guitars, Kelvin Yu on bass guitars, Chino Singson on lead guitars, Weckl Mercado on guitars, and Mikey Amistoso on guitars and keys. The group made their name in the OPM scene in 2006 with their second album, Noontime Show, with songs such as "Akin Ka Na Lang" and "Beer".
Teddy Corpuz is a Filipino singer, television presenter, actor and comedian. He is the lead vocalist of the rock band Rocksteddy. He is a regular host and judge on ABS-CBN's noontime variety show It's Showtime.
6cyclemind is a Filipino rock band composed of Tito Fortunato "Tutti" Caringal II on vocals, Ryan "Rye" Sarmiento on rhythm and lead guitars and backing vocals, Roberto "Bob" Cañamo on bass guitar and backing vocals, Herbert Hernandez on lead guitars, Vic Aquino on drums and behind-the-scene 6th member/songwriter/manager, Darwin Hernandez.
Atsushi Matsuura is a Japanese guitarist born in Shiojiri, Nagano, Japan. He currently resides in the Philippines.
Teodoro "Teddy" de Villa Diaz was a Filipino musician and composer, best known as the founder and original guitarist of The Dawn.
Beyond the Bend is the third studio album by the Filipino rock the Dawn, released on June 4, 1989, by OctoArts International, Inc. in the Philippines. The lead single and the first track on the album "Salamat" became their well-known hit in the Philippines. It is Atsushi Matsuura's first album with the band. Matsuura composed the song "Puno't Dulo", while Teddy Diaz composed "Hey, Isabel" and co-wrote "Salamat" with the other members.
"Salamat" is a song released by the Filipino rock band the Dawn in 1989. It was the lead single on their third album Beyond the Bend. It was written by Teddy Diaz, JB Leonor, Jett Pangan and Carlos Balcells. In its instrumental break, the guitar solo was played by Diaz.
I Stand with You is the second studio album by the Dawn, released in 1988.
Heart's Thunder is the fourth studio album by the Dawn, released in 1990. It is the album on which guitarist Francis Reyes first played.
Puno't Dulo is the sixth studio album by The Dawn, released on July 28, 1994 and the last album the band released when they went hiatus. the band reunited in 2000.
Harapin is the eighth studio album by The Dawn, released in 2004. and the last album to feature guitarist Atsushi Matsuura who left the band a month before the album release. and the only album to feature Bassist Mon Legaspi who left a year later and eventually returned in 2016.
Domingo Leonor III, better known as JB Leonor or Junboy Leonor, is a Filipino drummer and songwriter, best known as the co-founder of the Filipino rock/new wave band The Dawn. Leonor formed the band along with guitarist Teddy Diaz in 1986. As a songwriter, he wrote "I Stand With You" and co-wrote "Give Me the Night" with Jett Pangan.
Tulad ng Dati is a Philippine independent film released in 2006. Director Mike Sandejas, calls the film "an alternate reality musical drama". The film's plot revolves around the Filipino rock band the Dawn, and the film itself is part-documentary, part-fiction; an inadvertent tribute to the Dawn founding member and guitarist Teddy Diaz, who was murdered in 1988, shortly after the band achieved commercial success.
"Enveloped Ideas" is the debut single by Filipino rock/new wave band the Dawn, from their 1987 eponymous debut album. The song was written by guitarist Teddy Diaz and C. Fineza, and produced by Jose Mari Gonzales. It was engineered by Oscar Mallari, and mixed by Joseph Roxas and Bob Guzman.
Magpasikat is the annual talent competition segment of the Philippine television variety show It's Showtime, where the hosts and other cast members compete against each other. A week-long anniversary special, it is usually held either a week before the show's anniversary date, October 24, or during the week itself.
Virgilio Viernes Hilario Jr., known professionally as Jhong Hilario, is a Filipino actor, dancer, television host, and politician. He is part of the Filipino dance group Streetboys. He is currently serving as a councilor of Makati from its 1st district since 2016. He is widely known for his antagonist roles in television; as Gary David in the 2010 remake of Mara Clara, and as Homer "Alakdan" Adlawan in FPJ's Ang Probinsyano. He currently appears as a regular host on ABS-CBN's noontime variety show It's Showtime.
Michael Maximino C. Elgar, more commonly known as Mike Elgar, is a Filipino musician currently performing as a guitarist and one of the lead vocalists for the band Rivermaya. He has been the band's longest serving guitarist ever since he joined in May 2001, and the second overall longest serving member next to Mark Escueta. As of 2024, he is currently performing under the moniker Greenman Six, his side solo project.
"Simpleng Tulad Mo" is a Filipino song recorded by actor and singer Daniel Padilla as the interpreter for the Philippines' Himig Handog: P-Pop Love Songs songwriting competition (2014). The song was included in the compilation album title, Himig Handog Ppop Love Song (2014) released on August 15, 2014, and was later included on his third studio album I Feel Good. The song was written and composed by Meljohn Magno.