Upclose with Drip
Hailing from the Philippines, Drip is a trip-hop band that specializes in experimental electronic fusion. Cyril Leung chats with female vocalist Beng Calma-Alcazaren ahead of the band’s HK Live! show.
HK Magazine: What brings you guys to HK Live?
BC: We’ve always wanted to take our music out of the Philippines and bring it to a global audience; we were really encouraged by how well our performance in Kuala Lumpur was received last August. Then, our manager hooked us up with Claudio of Violent Jokes (also perfoming at HK Live!) through Myspace, who introduced us to the event.
HK: Are you ready for your Hong Kong debut?
BC: I’ve just come back from taking five months off to have a baby, so HK Live! is a perfect opportunity for us to start performing and making music again.
HK: As a singer, do you prefer working on studio albums or performing live?
BC: Performing live is amazing because there is so much energy, and the enthusiasm of the crowd is everything to a singer. It heightens the pressure, the atmosphere, the adrenaline and the gratification. Everything is just louder!
HK: What are Drip’s plans for 2009?
BC: We’re releasing our third album, which will be our first album in Spanish. We received a grant from the Spanish Embassy and Instituto Cervantes, and we’ve used the works of the famous Spanish writer Miguel Hernandez as lyrics. I was taught a little Spanish at school, but my friend who is fluent in Spanish was kind enough to coach me and go through the lyrics with me line-by-line. A grueling effort!
HK: Does Drip have a message it wants to share with its audience?
BC: I guess I’m speaking on behalf of the other band members, but the message we want to share is that it’s important to work hard for your dreams. If you have a talent, put it to good use. We like creating and singing hope-filled songs, and we always look on the positive side.