JP Sunga - Rice Noodle #1
Rice. It is a staple in the diet of many cultures. It comes in many varieties and is a source of nourishment for the hungry.
Rice Junkie Collective. A mainstay in Toronto’s Asian music scene specializing in soulful, funky, acid-jazz styled music. This group is a source of nourishment for the ears and for the soul. Of these varieties, you may find a Rice Flower, Sweet Rice, Long Grain Rice, Baked Rice, Fly Rice and in particular, Rice Noodle. Rice Noodle you say? Yes, Rice Noodle. It’s the moniker adopted by JP Sunga as the keyboardist for this talented crew of established vocalists and musicians. But let’s not limit JP with this role alone.
JP’s credentials as a singer and songwriter are well documented, and if anything will continue to grow. In 2000, jP contributed the song "Heavenly" to the CD Dreamscapes - a compilation CD of Filipino-Canadian artists. Since that time, jP has thickened his portfolio with original compositions and live performances. In 2002, alongside several other Asian-Canadian talents, he participated in a café crawl tour. He most recently participated and performed in the 2003 edition of the tour sponsored by Asian-Canadian clothing company Yellow Fellow. The final date of this tour had JP reuniting with his fellow Rice Junkies for a closing set of songs.
This fall, JP will be performing live at several venues in the Toronto area to once again share his gift of music. Alternating between keyboards and guitar, JP engages his audience with music that celebrates life, the joys and the pain that accompanies it.
Ricebitz recently had the opportunity to speak to JP about what he’s been up to, his work and what we can expect to see from him in the future.
A: Well, I've actually been struggling to find balance between the 9-5 and the passion for the musak, ya know? There's also a bit more polishing-up of songs and less writing of new ones as of late. I've been doing a lot of smaller, cafe-like shows. My vibe seems to really manifest itself best in more intimate settings.
Q: When did you start playing the piano? When did you start performing?
A: Officially? Piano lessons kicked in kinda late, at around 10 (yrs old) I think. I picked up a bit on my own before that though. In terms of performing, I've been doing it since I could remember. My earliest memory of the stage was playing bear #3 in a kindergarten production of Goldilocks and Three Bears. Yup, I slipped on a blanket, fell flat on my arse, everyone laughed and worst of all, the girl ate my porridge. Good times.
Q: How many instruments do you play?
A: Depends, how many do I play well? None, really. How many do I attempt to play? Ooh, lots. Piano I've played the longest. There's also the guitar and the trombone, which I played throughout highschool. Oh, and the recorder.. does that count?
Q: If someone was to ask you to define your style of music, how would you define it?
A: After years of trying to answer this question, I find that all roads eventually lead back to this: POP/ROCK/SOUL.
Q: You did a "Living Room" show tour last year. I remember you mentioned the tradition behind these smaller, more intimate shows. Can you explain the concept it?
Q: It seems that you favour the intimacy of doing shows at smaller venues. Any truth to this statement?
Q: Explain the process that goes into your songwriting... is there a specific formula you work by?
A: No specific process or formula. More often that not, it happens to be music first, lyrics second though. The one rule would be to have NO rules or restrictions (in terms of genre, subject, etc.) when writing.
Q: In regards to the songwriting, how painstaking can it be as far as turning out a product/lyrics that you are satisfied with ?
A: Well, let's just say I didn't write a single song this past year (yet) in fear of turning in some forced crap. That would be a total disappointment, especially after a string of defining (and self-satisfying) work that came out of 2002. I find that the more my music matures, the more picky I am in terms of which ideas stay and which are flushed.
Q: As a Filipino-Canadian, do you find yourself having a harder time trying to promote your music?
A: Yes and no. Enough to realize I don't really fit comfortably into any pre-determined category for people to easily identify me by. But not as much as I know I would face if I were pushing towards the big leagues. It's definitely a realistic (and unfortunate) view to acknowledge the problems associated with marketing minorities in popular culture.
Q: Do you think North America is ready to see more Asian artists in the popular music scene?
A: I hope one day the answer to this will be, "yes". We'll leave it at that.
Q: Do you write songs with other vocalists in mind? Which artists have performed your song?
A: I used to hear other vocalists when composing much of my earlier work. I've worked with a handful of artists, including Jennifer N. Uy, Belinda Munro, Keith Javier, Lana Carillo, and groups like 604 (formerly Sounds of Sweetness), Raine/Unspoken, and One Night Stand. But my more recent work leans more towards my own voice, so hearing other voices isn't as frequent anymore.
Q: What is the next milestone for you in your musical career?
A: Probably the inevitable... dare I say it... the first "full-length" album.
Q: How long will it be before we see jP with a full-length CD of material?
A: Hard to say. But there's a big possibility of an EP album seeing the light of day before any full-length does. There, I think I've said too much now! haha
Q: jP Sunga - Upcoming Events?
A: Ooh, it's plug time kids! Let's see... monthly gigs at The Renaissance Cafe: Aug 20th, Sept 19th, and Oct 17th. A couple living room shows in August, including one in Baltimore, MD. More dates in between these and after, all of which you can find conveniently posted on my website (everyone, say it with me now!) "jpsunga.com".
Q: Rice Junkies - Upcoming Events?
A: Well, umm.. ok. funny you ask, because there's a possibility of a very brief and rare on-stage reunion that might take place in early Sept. That's all I can really say. Any news would be posted at (here comes another one!) "ricejunkies.8m.com".
Q: JP thanks for sharing your time with us.
A: Thank you!
Articles:
by Gerry Villapando
Q: What has JP been up to as of late? (RE: music/performances)
For more information on JP Sunga and upcoming concert events, please visit his personal website at http://www.jpsunga.com.
A: I'm not sure exactly what the history is. Apparently, living rooms shows were inspired by folk artists who, back in the day, would go house to house to share stories and music. It's a very simple and beautiful concept.
A: Much truth, actually. I'd take a crowd of 10 that will listen over a crowd of thousands that won't... any day.
[article courtesy of RICEBITZ.COM]
