Spotlight: Kalye Juan43
Written by DJ Tulisan on May 15, 2020
KALYE JUAN43 is an indie band from Portland, Oregon, that has stepped into the Pinoy rock arena bringing years of experience in a multitude of genres to fuel their entry into the musical atmosphere. Relatively new to the scene, Kalye Juan43 is made up of Reulle Bautista on vocals, Reygie Dela Vega on guitars, RX Estrada on bass, Prince Mangondato on drums, and the band’s main songwriter Marvin Rivera on guitars. The members’ diverse interests and genre preferences amalgamate into a mix of styles that are brought together to produce their own unique sound.
Formed in 2019, the band started out as a group of close friends who all enjoyed music, and like all young people who know how to handle an instrument, they wanted to jam in each other’s homes, basking in the fun of playing music collectively. While their common interest eventually led them to form a band and make original tunes, it did not diminish their desire to just play music, no matter who played it first, no matter the genre.
Kalye Juan43 plays the whole gamut – from classic rock to 80s love songs, early alternative of the 90s to the pop alternative of the 2000s, and even reggae – all laced with OPM (Original Pinoy Music) sensibilities. As a band with diverse backgrounds, the members are not pigeonholed to one type of music but are instead open to playing anything that strikes their fancy at any given time.
THE HISTORY
The band started as just a group of family-oriented Filipinos who love music and wanted to spend their days playing their instruments together at a randomly chosen place – which is always in one of their own homes. Even though they were all heavily influenced by OPM, living in Portland allowed them to bask in diverse West Coast musical styles. The desire to play together on common ground led them to fuse their styles together and form the foundation of their signature style. And as the style was created, so was the band.
Kalye Juan43 got its name from the street where they always congregated to play music – 143rd Avenue in Portland – and from there they started to make their own music in 2019. Originally comprised of Marvin Rivera, Reygie Dela Vega, RX Estrada and Prince Mangondato, they also had OJ Vitug and Lance Dulay in the mix. Vitug and Dulay eventually left the band, and vocalist Reulle Bautista came in to complete the present lineup, as the band forged ahead to create their own songs.
As with all new bands that create new material, most of their songs are unreleased, with some not even performed in public, yet. But the band is now in the process of recording those songs in preparation for their first full album.
Their first single, “Para Lang Sa’yo,” released in April 10, 2020 not only showcases their musical chops, but also features Bigat10, an up-and-coming Filipino rapper residing in Long Beach, California. The combination of rock and rap further proves that Kalye Juan43 is not afraid to experiment, and is willing to combine genres to achieve the best version of their craft.
THE BAND
Reulle Bautista (Lead Vocals)
Born in Tondo, Manila, Reulle has been playing drums since he was six years old, but started singing when he turned twelve, and had been concentrating on vocals since high school.
Reygie Dela Vega (Guitars)
Born in Quezon City, Reygie had been playing guitars since he was twelve, but also performed bass duties for a couple bands in high school.
RX Estrada (Bass Guitars)
Born in Tarlac City, RX had also been playing guitar since he was twelve.
Prince Mangondato (Drums)
Born in Pampanga, Prince got his start as a drummer for a marching band in elementary school.
Marvin Rivera (Guitars & Main Songwriter)
Born in Lubao, Pampanga and raised in Orani, Bataan, Marvin learned to play the guitar in sixth grade via “songhits” chordbooks and friends. He also played snare drum in a marching band, and was once the guitarist in their church band.
THE MUSIC
Para Lang Sa’yo feat. Bigat10 (Single) – Spotify
INFORMATION
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kalyejuan43
Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCTHbGuttNtwzg_f60eLMaVQ
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/423vJccJrV0kxOkr3UfhDi
Pinoy Rock USA would like to thank Marvin, Reuelle, RX, Reygie and Prince of Kalye Juan43 for allowing us to feature them in this site. More power to you all! Rakenrol!
DJ Tulisan
DJ Tulisan has been in the L.A. rock scene since 2008. But even though he has rubbed elbows and played alongside rockstars, he still can't score VIP tickets...
