The return of Chris Cantada

"I am rather unconventional for a rocker," former Sponge Cola drummer Chris Cantada attests. "I collect toys, I do yoga, and I don’t drink or smoke. The only thing that’s cliché about me is the tattoos, but not even those are conventional because they’re mostly 'Star Wars'-themed."    

Chris is one of the biggest "Star Wars" geeks I've ever met, and believe me, I've met many. He demonstrates his love for the popular science fiction franchise not only through his tattoos (one of them is the work of "NY Ink" star Tommy Montoya) but also through his sizable toy collection, travel destination choices, and even his music. In fact, one of the tracks in his solo album, "Heartbeat," which was released in October 2011, is about a nephew who he shares his love of the franchise with.  

 

"I broke the notes of the 'Star Wars' main theme and rearranged it for the intro to 'A Crow’s Game.' And there's even a Mandalorian word there—nervod—which means brother in Clone lingo. Very geeky talaga," he says with a self-effacing chuckle.  

 

Episode I:  Every journey has a first step

 

Unlike the Skywalkers, no hokey religion, ancient weapon, or mystical energy field played a part in Chris' career. He has always been musically-inclined, performing as lead singer in a band since he was in 7th grade. But when he saw the film "That Thing You Do," he had an epiphany: "When I saw that movie, I knew  

I wanted to be a drummer."

 

On his own initiative, he took a few formal lessons to learn the basics, and then studied the rest on his own by watching bands perform, listening to a lot of music, and watching instructional videos on YouTube.  

 

He eventually met Sponge Cola frontman Yael Yuzon when he was in high school. "Yael and I were part of this theater group," he recalls. "I was in another band at the time, but I loved his voice so much. I knew that if I were in a band with him we'd really go somewhere. He was looking for a more stable drummer, so I joined them."

 

Episode II:  The not-quite-Phantom Menace

 

Chris was with Sponge Cola for 7 years, riding the band explosion wave of the last decade through three albums and one EP. Playing two to three gigs a night almost every night, though—something that studies say is as physically taxing as playing soccer—took a toll on him. He was in no shape for something like a full-time stint with the Philippine Azkals.

 

"It's very physical. I started getting sick and feeling the fatigue," he says. "I didn't want to leave; why would you leave something as big as that? But I guess my mind isn’t in that place anymore. I couldn’t handle the stress."

 

Chris left the band and found work somewhere less physical but no less stressful: advertising. He also worked as an audio engineer. But just as he was settling in to his new career, he contracted a  

heart ailment called tuberculosis pericarditis, where the pericardium or the membrane surrounding the heart gets filled with fluid and infected, making it hard for the heart to pump blood. 

 

"I got it about a year after leaving the band. The doctors don’t know how I got it. I had to undergo surgery because they had to drain liquid from my heart," he reveals. "It was scary; I really thought there was a big possibility that I was going to die."

 

Episode III:  Revenge of the Geek 

 

Like most people who got a little too close to the brink of death, Chris wanted to live life to the fullest after his recovery. "In my head, I wanted to do so many things. I wanted to relax and enjoy, so the first thing I decided to do was attend 'Star Wars' Celebration V' in Orlando, Florida in August 2010."

 

For "Star Wars" geeks, the "Star Wars" Celebration convention is one of the top fan destinations this side of the galaxy, and it was there that Chris met George Lucas himself.  

 

"I had a special badge for members of the 501st Legion, so I got to enter the venue early. I just saw him there, and I walked up to him. I don’t remember what I said," he admits sheepishly. "Man, I wish I had a picture, but his bodyguard wouldn’t allow it. I also got to meet Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill." 

 

Chris is a member of the 501st  Legion, a "Star Wars" costuming community with garrisons and outposts all over the world, including the Philippines. So if you see Stormtroopers in an event around the metro, he might just be under one of those white helmets.

 

Episode IV:  Going (Han) Solo

 

With his geek dream fulfilled, Chris contemplated getting back into the music industry more seriously. He was hesitant to return to Sponge Cola and potentially upset the band's already stable lineup, so Yael suggested that he release his own album. 

 

"I didn't think he was serious, so I said 'fine, whatever.' Then he called me a few weeks later and said Universal Records was interested. Na-shock ako. Solo? Mahirap 'yun. There's no drum set or lead singer to hide behind, it’s gonna be all me. But I thought it would be fun and challenging," Chris says.

 

He wrote nine of the songs that were eventually included in "Heartbeat," all but one inspired by love and his longtime girlfriend; "Daytrip" is the sole track that he didn’t write.   

 

"'Daytrip' is an old Sponge Cola song that we used to play a lot in college but never placed in an album. They gave it to me. It's the only Tagalog song there because I’m not really good at writing in Tagalog."  

 

He describes the overall sound of the album as alternative pop rock, reminiscent of Gin Blossoms and The Foo Fighters. "It’s all very relaxed, easy listening."

 

Chris had a bar tour late last year to promote the album, and he's grateful to the friends and old Sponge Cola fans who came out to support him. He also gained new admirers in people who didn't know who he was, but who happened to be there during one of his performances and eventually visited his Facebook fan page to tell him that they liked his songs.

 

Episode V:  New Hope

Three years after leaving Sponge Cola, Chris is finally back to doing what he really loves, and he is committed to following wherever this current path will take him.  

 

"I'm happy now because I’m back doing my music," he says. "I'm always looking forward to what may come, even if I have no idea what's going to happen."

 

Well, the Force wouldn’t help me see if Chris will fulfill his dreams of performing with The Foo Fighters, collaborating with Sugarfree's Ebe Dancel, or maybe opening for a Hanson concert, but he is definitely going to shoot a new music video for his second single, "Scarred," and he will release a few more songs in the coming months.  

 

The Force isn't clear on how many albums Chris will sell either, but I don't need it to tell me that a talented musician who is humble, persevering, and true to his artistic identity is sure to leave a mark in the industry.

 

"I want people to remember me as someone who fought my way back to be able to do what I really love despite everything that I went through, and I want people to remember my music as songs that originated from the heart…literally," Chris says.

 

That's easy enough; we won't need any Jedi mind tricks for that.  –KG, GMA News

 

For more about Chris Cantada, including performance schedules, visit his Facebook page (facebook.com/ChrisCantadaForce) or follow him on Twitter (@TK2342). "Heartbeat" is available in music stores nationwide, released by Universal Records.