Pinoy alternative rock band Sandiwa releases new song 'Hawak Mo Na'
MANILA -- Alternative rock band Sandiwa has released its latest single "Hawak Mo Na," which talks about finding "the one."
The single, produced and distributed by Ivory Music & Video, is now available on all streaming platforms.
The 5-piece band said that "Hawak Mo Na" is about a person who will love you, will always be true to you and will treat you as his/her world. During tough times, he/she will hold on to you, never let you go and become your source of strength.
“The band joined a songwriting contest and we wrote 'Hawak Mo Na' for the competition. Even though we did not emerge as champions in that contest, we won first runner-up. The organizer still used our song in a youth camp; we’re very grateful for that,” Samuel Dice, Sandiwa’s keyboardist, said.
Sandiwa's members Yeoj Rivera (vocals), John Rale Soriso (bass), Harold Tabuno (drums), Jeremiah Torda (guitar) and Dice became friends after meeting at a youth camp and their passion for music and composing led them to form a band.
Rivera said their group's name was given by his friend.
“My friend got the word from a Filipino dictionary. 'Sandiwa' (isang diwa) means 'one mind' and since our one passion is music, all the band members agreed with the name," Rivera said.
Asked about their influences and the type of music they offer, Soriso said: “We are heavily influenced by OPM bands especially those that emerged in the '90s and 2000s. Our music is a fusion of alternative rock and pop but we love exploring other genres too.”
The lockdowns brought about by the pandemic became a challenge for them but their passion for composing songs did not waver.
“We’re thankful that we were still able to collaborate from our respective homes with the use of technology. We post music ideas for lyrics or tracks on the band’s group chat and that’s where we get to form the songs,” Tabuna recalled.
"Tulong" is one of the songs that Sandiwa created in the midst of pandemic, wherein they collaborated with OPM legend, Gloc-9.
If given a chance, the band wish to work with other OPM legends like Ely Buendia, Rico Blanco and Bamboo.
“It would be an honor for us to collaborate with our idols on one of our songs since they really are the inspirations for the band,” Torda said.
Sandiwa, known for their originals songs such as “Gunita,” “Paraya,” and “Awit sa Salamin,” is being managed by Asintada Management headed by Thea Pollisco, who also manages Gloc-9 and Shanti Dope.