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‘Maka-Pinoy’ Japanese band Uchusentai:NOIZ are rocking for a cause
OPM-loving Japanese band Uchusentai:Noiz at their most recent performance in Metro Manila. Photos by Riz Pulumbarit
They’re hot, sexy, and have amazing, powerful voices. Plus they have a big heart for Filipinos, especially for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda. What’s not to love about the Japanese visual kei rock band Uchusentai:NOIZ?
The band, known for its high-energy music and cosplay-like outfits, was in the Philippines last week for a concert in Manila and Davao for the Best of Anime Summer 2014.
“Uchusentai” is a Japanese word that means “space warriors” and the fans of the band are called “Space Babies.” The band members claim to have come from outer space and have landed on the earth to protect peace through music.
Formed in 1999, the band is composed of Angel Taka (vocals), Kotaro (guitar), Kyo (bass), Masato (guitar/vocals), and Yamato (drums).
Uchusentai:NOIZ has done covers of Filipino songs such as “Liwanag sa Dilim” by Rivermaya, “Superhero” by Rocksteddy, and just last month, “Pinoy Ako” by Orange and Lemons.
In an interview with the media and the fans at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City on May 2, lead vocalist Angel Taka said the band became interested in Filipino culture and music because Filipinos are “very kind” and the girls are “very cute,” drawing wild cheers from the crowd.
The meet-and-greet came a day after Uchusentai:NOIZ’s concert at the Metrowalk Plaza in Ortigas, Pasig City, where the band members mixed it up with the crowd, diving into them, running around them, and shaking their hands. Fans asked them a range of interesting questions, such as, “If you were a real superhero, what superpower would you like to have?”
The band members gave funny answers such as “the power to eat durian,” “the power not to be shy,” and “the power to stay awake, needing only a minute of sleep.”
Asked what other instrument they’d like to play, Angel said flute, Masato said drums, while Kyo said he’d like to be a part of the crowd.
Then, when a fan asked the band to name a weird habit that their fellow members had, the talk heated up.
The band members began to laugh and tease one another. The band’s interpreter told the crowd, “They said, ‘Yamato is green’ but he doesn’t eat greens [vegetables].”
Then the interpreter said Kyo is "always thinking of erotic stuff." Actually, the other members also admitted they were into such stuff.
Then a fan asked what makes them happy, pointing out that the band members always seem positive and full of energy.
While most of them gave serious answers like “the fans make me happy,” or “thinking about the future makes me happy,” Masato quipped that “Angel Taka” makes him happy, eliciting laughter from the crowd.
‘Pinoy Ako’
The band has been quietly helping indigent Filipino communities for years, even sponsoring scholarships for students from grade school to college level, according to Carla Mortel, the Filipina who manages a blog site dedicated to the band and their fans.
Last year, the band members were among the first international celebrities to come to the aid of Yolanda victims, holding a concert in Japan to raise funds for them.
Mortel told GMA News Online that the band has a “genuine concern for the plight of survivors of typhoon Yolanda still struggling in Tacloban.”
She explained that Uchusentai’s covers of Filipino songs are an expression of support for the survivors because “they know Filipinos love music and listen to music as part of our culture.”
Angel personally went to Tacloban City in January this year to deliver the donations collected by the band.
In one of the videos, Angel said he had been aware of the situation in Tacloban based on the news, but that the reality was worse than he imagined.
The footage showed the devastation in the city: ruined houses, a car swept up by the storm surge up onto the roof of a house, piles of garbage and debris.
Angel said the situation was terrible, reminding him of the devastation in Japan wrought by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which killed nearly 16,000 people.
In its latest OPM video, “Pinoy Ako,” the band sends this message: “Ikaw ang Liwanag sa Dilim. Ikaw ang Superhero. Ikaw ang Pinoy. Kailangan pa rin ng Tacloban ang iyong tulong.”
Thank you for supporting Filipinos, Uchusentai:NOIZ. Arigato! — BM, GMA News
The band, known for its high-energy music and cosplay-like outfits, was in the Philippines last week for a concert in Manila and Davao for the Best of Anime Summer 2014.
“Uchusentai” is a Japanese word that means “space warriors” and the fans of the band are called “Space Babies.” The band members claim to have come from outer space and have landed on the earth to protect peace through music.
Formed in 1999, the band is composed of Angel Taka (vocals), Kotaro (guitar), Kyo (bass), Masato (guitar/vocals), and Yamato (drums).
Uchusentai:NOIZ has done covers of Filipino songs such as “Liwanag sa Dilim” by Rivermaya, “Superhero” by Rocksteddy, and just last month, “Pinoy Ako” by Orange and Lemons.
In an interview with the media and the fans at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City on May 2, lead vocalist Angel Taka said the band became interested in Filipino culture and music because Filipinos are “very kind” and the girls are “very cute,” drawing wild cheers from the crowd.
The meet-and-greet came a day after Uchusentai:NOIZ’s concert at the Metrowalk Plaza in Ortigas, Pasig City, where the band members mixed it up with the crowd, diving into them, running around them, and shaking their hands. Fans asked them a range of interesting questions, such as, “If you were a real superhero, what superpower would you like to have?”
The band members gave funny answers such as “the power to eat durian,” “the power not to be shy,” and “the power to stay awake, needing only a minute of sleep.”
The kindness of Pinoys sparked Uchusenta:NOIZ's interest in the Philippines, said frontman Angel Taka.
Then, when a fan asked the band to name a weird habit that their fellow members had, the talk heated up.
The band members began to laugh and tease one another. The band’s interpreter told the crowd, “They said, ‘Yamato is green’ but he doesn’t eat greens [vegetables].”
Then the interpreter said Kyo is "always thinking of erotic stuff." Actually, the other members also admitted they were into such stuff.
Then a fan asked what makes them happy, pointing out that the band members always seem positive and full of energy.
While most of them gave serious answers like “the fans make me happy,” or “thinking about the future makes me happy,” Masato quipped that “Angel Taka” makes him happy, eliciting laughter from the crowd.
‘Pinoy Ako’
The band has been quietly helping indigent Filipino communities for years, even sponsoring scholarships for students from grade school to college level, according to Carla Mortel, the Filipina who manages a blog site dedicated to the band and their fans.
Last year, the band members were among the first international celebrities to come to the aid of Yolanda victims, holding a concert in Japan to raise funds for them.
Mortel told GMA News Online that the band has a “genuine concern for the plight of survivors of typhoon Yolanda still struggling in Tacloban.”
She explained that Uchusentai’s covers of Filipino songs are an expression of support for the survivors because “they know Filipinos love music and listen to music as part of our culture.”
Angel personally went to Tacloban City in January this year to deliver the donations collected by the band.
In one of the videos, Angel said he had been aware of the situation in Tacloban based on the news, but that the reality was worse than he imagined.
The footage showed the devastation in the city: ruined houses, a car swept up by the storm surge up onto the roof of a house, piles of garbage and debris.
Angel said the situation was terrible, reminding him of the devastation in Japan wrought by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which killed nearly 16,000 people.
In its latest OPM video, “Pinoy Ako,” the band sends this message: “Ikaw ang Liwanag sa Dilim. Ikaw ang Superhero. Ikaw ang Pinoy. Kailangan pa rin ng Tacloban ang iyong tulong.”
Thank you for supporting Filipinos, Uchusentai:NOIZ. Arigato! — BM, GMA News
