Punk rock frontman Dong Abay is set to revisit a cornerstone of Filipino punk and alternative rock on September 21 by performing the entirety of Yano’s self-titled debut album at 19 East, Parañaque. The one-night-only event will coincides with mass protests at Luneta Park, Ermita, that same day; it also marks the record’s 31st anniversary, and 53 years since former president Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. proclaimed martial law in the Philippines.
Abay announced the show through his Facebook page, Dong Abay Music Organization, where he hinted at recording the performance with a cassette tape machine and possibly pressing copies afterward. “Plano namin magdala ng cassette tape recorder, baka mapasama ang boses ninyo, tapos pagawa tayo ng maraming cassette tapes para masaya,” he wrote.
The Impact of ‘Yano’
Released in 1994, Yano remains one of the most scathing and impactful albums in Filipino music. Providing the music at the time of recording were guitarist Eric Gancio, bassist Oni Badiang, and drummer Nowie Favila. Tracks like “Trapo,” “Tsinelas,” “Banal na Aso, Santong Kabayo,” and “Iskolar ng Bayan” fused biting political commentary with raw immediacy and grit. Its sound stood apart from its contemporaries, helping define a watershed year that also saw landmark releases like the Eraserheads’ Circus, Rivermaya’s debut self-titled, and The Youth’s Album na Walang Pamagat.
The songs on the debut album openly criticized corruption, hypocrisy, and everyday struggles, echoing frustrations that remain relevant three decades later. That legacy has influenced generations of Filipino bands who followed Yano’s blueprint of combining rebellion with humor and a sense of urgency.
In the Rolling Stone Philippines State of Affairs issue last July, Abay reflected on what drives him as both artist and cultural worker.
“Kung tayo lang [ang pag-uusapan], komportable naman tayo e. May aircon, may electric fan, nakakapag-Netflix, alam mo ‘yon?” he said. “Pero paglabas mo ng bahay mo, nandiyan, e. Assault talaga ‘yong lipunan mo.”
