Local Ground (1990-1995)
Between the late 80’s and the dawning of the 90’s, the music scene was dominated by cover bands left and right. It was Cesar Ditan (a.k.a. Johnny Kawa), then station manager of Y101, who bravely initiated the airplay of local materials by homegrown talents. Kawa’s work was similar to John Peel’s reinvention of the sound radio in the late 60’s in London, England that served a new platform for then relatively unknown bands, to include The Doors, The Beatles, and The Cure, including his introduction of reggae and punk rock, two music genres that were unacceptable in his time.
Kawa, with his tasteful programming and a voice with an alluring accent, influenced the listeners and local music fans alike with local hits like “What I say” (40 The Band), “Stay Close To Me” (ETU), “Eyes Above” (The Ire), and “With You” (BTU) to name a few. In support of its cause, Y101 coined the popular slogan “LOCAL, VOCAL, LOUD AND PROUD” and eventually rouse massive demand on creative musical pursuits among local bands across the first half of the 90’s.
Dennis Cañete, a visionary in his own right, partnered with entrepreneur Alan Dino and produced a concert showcasing the top-ranking artist in Kawa’s program. This framework created the benchmark of the early tripod of Cebu’s music playground. Whether they all knew about the immense potential of supporting original music or not was not the question. The important fact to note here is that this triad’s independent decision, when combined, launched a phenomenal success that later became the springboard for local indie aspirants years after. In 1990, Local Ground was born.
The Local CBGB’s
The lucrative Local Ground milestone was short lived. In 1995, as the hype slowly faded, a new platform literally emerged. Morissey and Artist’s Dais Music Gallery, two of the most popular venues in town and Cebu’s version of New York’s legendary CBGB, were in business. These minute clubs were actually music galleries, unlike in the pre-Local Ground days where gigs were held in pizza parlors, hotels, and disco pubs.
The concept of a mini concert catering to a minimum of 50 persons fast became popular. It’s small, more intimate, and perhaps, less intimidating. Restaurants became aware of this trend and took a shot at it. Many failed. But sometime mid-1996, Local Ground was reprised.
Every Friday at 7PM, the crew would pace up to the interior of a neat bistro in Lahug called Rib-O’s, renovating it into a darker, less lit, and seemingly sinful ambiance for the night shindig. Rib-O’s Party Central was the new talk of the town, and the time for rock newbies Frank!, Hard Candy, and Sheila and the Insects to shine.
(more of this at Bite Magazine, August 2008 edition, titled "THE BANDORAMIC PERSPECTIVE" by Ian Zafra)
a little history of cebu music... by Ian Zafra
check his multiply... midweeksessions.multiply.com 
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