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Bassist, piccolo bass player, composer, one man band & programmer.
(dee en dee ai) Dondi Ledesma : started playing the bass at the age of 12 when he bought his first electric bass guitar and joined a high school band with his friends during the early 70's in Iloilo city his home province. He later joined a local band and started working as bass player of the "Technocrats" working professionally at the age of 14. After high school, he was playing with bands in Olongapo city where there was an american naval base and later was playing with some bands in Manila. By late 1976 he went home to Iloilo and stayed there still playing the bass on and off until about 1984 where he came back to Manila again and became a full time musician. Besides playing clubs and concerts, he started his private recording projects doing his compositions all by himself playing all the instruments and overdubbing the tracks to complete the songs as if a whole band was playing the music altogether at one time. He started this activity at the age of 13 when he discovered he could overlap music by recording a track on a tape recorder and re-recording with another instrument over it while playing the previous recording on another tape recorder. This activity went on through the years as a little sideline until Dondi seriously got into recording his music on real studios in 1984 while working as a session bass player in Manila. Years and years of doing this make the DNDI tapes what they are today. The projects began to be released by 1991 until the present and all the (released) recordings were done at home. Dondi is now based in Manila still doing some more recordings as DNDI while playing with friends and doing some session work as bassist. Dondi's bass playing is generally self-taught though he started all the playing from basic guitar from friends and other musicians. The musical studies started from a few elementary piano lessons and later some jazz improvization piano lessons from a private tutor one summer. All the other instruments like drums and flute were learnt from self-study and effort. Among the bands and artists that Dondi Ledesma had played with are : Anakbayan, Asin, Juan De La Cruz, Mike Hanopol band, Joey Smith & the Airwaves, Wally Gonzales, Grace Nono & Bob Aves Group, Johnny Alegre and Jun Lopito. Dondi Ledesma (DNDI) has produced ten independent albums of his own music which he records in his personal private studio and is currently active in the internet music scene. |
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Dondi Ledesma (written)interview by Ricky Tanco [Rock and Rhythm Magazine 1993]Excerpts: DNDI - ORIGINAL SIN This artist, Rizal Dondi Ledesma, comes out of the Philippines & it's a country I'd have to say we don't hear very much music coming out of, which is not really so unusual I guess as a lot of countries from this region are only now starting to see benefits from interacting with the 'world stage' as it were. This is an interesting album, in which everything from composition to performance & recording is done by the one person, which can work both for & against you. One side benefit is not having to rely on anyone else, any mistakes are solely your own, while on the downside, an extra pair of ears can also assist, which shows in the end result here, where the vocals are set way back in the mix, at times overidden by the backing instruments, this is possibly also because it's a tape rather than CD. Fortunately this doesn't detract from the end product though "&" there are moments here that are quite impressive. While tracks like opener "Stranger Convention" & "Wind Of All Extremes" are more pop oriented, comparisons with Vangelis' musikc can also be made on a couple of interesting instrumentals like "Formal Groovy". The songwriting is pretty good, as is the execution. I'm not sure if this is the first release by this artist, but the next one should see quite an improvement. Terry Allen [ Heard Magazine (Australia) ] |
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THE LAST ELECTRIC KNIGHT DNDI is the work of bass virtuoso/composer Dondi Ledesma, who has been releasing albums since 1991 on his own label. Dondi's fifth album The Last Electric Knight, released in 1997, is quite an instrumental treat for bassists and prog fans alike. Although the music is composed from a bassist's point of view, the passages never become excuses for endless bass noodling. Instead, the compositions are a nice balance of electric bass, piccolo bass(which at times sounds like an electric guitar), and keyboards, where symphonic themes, melodies, and harmonies are the emphasis. The closest bands that I could compare this to would be Cast, Stanley Clarke, with a touch of Dream Theater. But that's just to give you an idea. ORIGINAL SIN Original Sin is DNDI newest album for 1999. And there are some changes from The Last Electric Knight. The symphonic quality from the last album has been turned up on this one, although some fusion-ish influence remain during some of the solos. Vocals have also been added, which remind me a bit of the singer from 5uu's. They have that Jon Anderson-quality, but maybe with a slight hint of Peter Gabriel/Phil Collins. 90's techno influences also make their appearance on some of the pieces. But they are done clearly from a prog fan's point of view. A perfect example would be "De-hop-hip Tocatta" where a techno-influenced breakbeat is followed by a blistering, fusion-influence, bass solo with variations almost every 10 seconds. Both albums come highly recommended. DNDI is the perfect example of high-quality progressive rock produced without the help of a label. The music is free of commercial pressure, and overflows with integrity. (Steve Hegede) |
October 2000 Album review "Exposę" Magazine (Prog Rock)
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DNDI - The Last Electric Knight and Original Sin Rizal Dondi Ledesma is , first and foremost , an outstanding bassist , probably the premier bassist of the Philippines, whose playing reminds me most of Stanley Clarke. He's also an accomplished keyboardist and a pretty good flute player too. On these two cassette items, he rounds things up by programming a drum machine, singing, engineering, and producing himself. He releases them under the name of DNDI (presumably a play on his middle name). Stylistically, the music ranges from a kind of prog -pop (UK or Saga) to jazzy funk with flashy bass soloing. While the music is quite impressive on the whole, I can't help thinking it would work better with a full band. DNDI manages to avoid many of the pitfalls of typical one-man projects, especially the lack of energy and overly sterile performance. Ledesma pushes the tempos enough that energy is not a problem, but more interplay between the parts would be welcome. A powerful vocalist in particular would really bring these tracks to life. I can't say if it's just the cassette medium or the actual recording quality that dulls the audio quality here, but I would love to hear DNDI on CD recorded in a well equipped professional studio. All in all, there is great promise here. --- Jon Davis(Exposę Oct.,2000) |
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The enigmatic bassist Dondi Ledesma came out with his seventh independently produced album in early 2000,
Die Black Rat, with all instruments and vocals by the Ilonggo wunderkind who, admittedly, is not so young.
The bigger news, however, has to do with the album Ledesma is currently working on in his Pasay home
studio, right behind Trader’s Hotel, with the hardy Pinoy rock and roll veteran Pepe Smith and journeyman
guitarist Jun Lopito. But more on this later.
Ledesma, who grew up in Iloilo, has become something of a legend in Manila circles, where his Ilonggo
friends push his music, his reputation spreading both by word of mouth and passed-on CDs, sounding none
the worse for wear despite several rounds in different CD players of varying makes and models.
He is well-remembered for his performance at the 1999 NU Rock Awards, where he played bass in the all-star jam finale that featured then newly inducted hall of fame drummer Edmund Fortuno in one of his last public performances before his death. As for Die Black Rat, our first exposure to Ledesma in relevant form, we get ample evidence of the bassist’s musical virtuosity, adept as he is in sundry instruments, such as flute and keyboards. And apart from the drum programs that often sound like the crash of an advancing army, Ledesma non-chalantly states in the sparse liner notes: No lead guitars. What?! Repeated though abbreviated listenings –my copy occasionally skips and hangs –would have us swear that there was a lead guitar somewhere in the mix, but no, we are assured by Ledesma’s Ilonggo agents that what we’re hearing is actually is a (4*)–string piccolo bass, an instrument seldom heard hereabouts. So there ensues a mad scramble on how to describe, or maybe vainly label, the enigmatic man’s music: fusion? new age metal? postmodern jazz? But that could be the least of Ledesma’s concerns. Listening to Die Black Rat one rainy noon, chased with some beer and smokes, would reveal the following observations: that there are similarities with the ’70s and ’80s improvisational rock groups Yes and Rush, particularly in the precision playing and the high-pitched, ethereal vocals that are like a tribute to Yes vocalist Jon Anderson. Like the best bassists before him, Ledesma is never content in staying within the parameters of a specific musical form, so that his experiments with shifting time signatures recall the bebop giants, and the blazing lead guitar lines on the piccolo bass are a manifestation of a metal temperament. That all songs are composed, arranged, performed, recorded and engineered by Ledesma himself indeed a one–man wrecking crew –all the more makes Die Black Rat impressive, and practically puts him in the league of similar virtuosos like Prince, Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones, incidentally all black men. As usual his provincemates are in a quandary how to sell his music since it is basically "un-commercial," meaning you never know if the artist will just be laying out a purely instrumental cut or just as suddenly take up the vocal chores. Maybe you can file him under "hard-to-find." Now to the worst kept secret in town: the album Ledesma is doing with Smith and Lopito. According to our Western Visayan and Pasay sources, the forthcoming CD will be one to watch out for, with all tracks composed and most instruments played by Ledesma, with Smith on vocals and Lopito on the occasional guitar. Producer is said to be "anak ni Jullie Yap-Daza." Problem is, will we ever get to hear the final finished product? The same sources said that the cuts are great, but only five have been finished in the past six months, or an average of less than one track a month. Smith’s singing is as driven and unpredictable as ever: "If you didn’t know it was Smith, you’d swear it was an American singing," said one kibitzer who has spent time in Ledesma’s studio. There are times too when Smith is said to suddenly stop in mid-verse, abruptly cutting the recording session. At the rate they’re going, it will take another six months before the album is finally through, or by mid-2001. But judging from the early rave reviews and previews, it should be well worth the sullen wait. |
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Dondi Ledesma a.k.a. DNDI. Renowned bass guitarist. Computer musician. Dondi tells us how the computer and the Internet is helping him continue what he loves to do, making music and reaping the rewards. Musiko: Music has been your career for a long time now. What keeps you busy nowadays? Are you venturing into anything new? Dndi: I'm into another DNDI album. This will be album number nine. I have moved to another apartment and this time I have a new studio environment and configuration which is the new "S'cuse Me While I Kiss the Sky" --- All PC powered, no more tapes and hopeeffully a better sound. I still have my trusty DAT but I'll be mastering direct to CD. I am also doing some session work with friends. Musiko: You are very active on the Internet. You have several websites that feature you and your music. Your songs can be downloaded from websites such as www.mp3.com. What made you decide to use the Internet? Dndi: There was a time when I put a lot of my songs on the Internet. A lot of music websites accepted my songs and I thought this was good because my old songs are not useless anymore and anyone on earth could listen to them just by clicking on them. I have sites for my bass guitars, my lyrics, my own record label, and my music and info. The Internet is so open to everyone and anything interesting for anyone to look into on this earth --- maybe someday we can be able to accesss other things on other worlds or planets or maybe we already do. Some cultures like ours are not really interested in some things like double-edged screws, bass guitars and other non-everyday things. I found out through the Internet that what I do is being respected on other parts of the world and that there are others like me. Now I don't have to have a hard time trying to convince others that I'm not impossible anymore. I'll just have to go forward in improving and expressing myself. Communicating and making friends with other musicians like me made me realize I'll have to be playing for the next millennium and not for a bunch of ambitious music executives. Musiko: How did you start making music using the computer? Aside from learning the required software what other challenges did you have to face? Dndi: I started getting to computer recording at around 1997. A friend of mine gave me a copy of "Cakewalk 3.0" and I started learning by myself from there since there were many things to be learned concerning digital recording. Besides learning the software I had to know things about hardware and memory so that things would work. I also had to adjust on some of the ways I recorded my music so that my personal habits would fit in on the tapeless system of things. Musiko: You recently won a couple of awards from a well-known music website. What awards were these? What were the prizes they given? Dndi: Recently, my song "Party Action" won a top ten most downloaded rock song award in www.mpulse.com. I also won a contest on the worldwide web sponsored by Sonic Foundry and Ernie Ball. I won best in two categories namely the "best heavy metal bass player" and "best funk bass player" in the worldwide web. The Sonic Foundry company sent me a box of recording software and sound loops CDs. I have just received the two custom "Musicman" basses from the Ernie Ball company as prizes for the two categories. I am quite grateful. Musiko: After having won those awards and also being featured in the April 2001 issue of The Bass Player magazine, how does it feel to be (probably) the first Filipino Bass Player to gain international fame on the Internet? Dndi: It feels great to see my efforts not wasted but I think it's only a beginning as I have to make my stand as the bass player that I really want to be now that a portal seems to be open up ahead. Nothing is easy but nothing is done unless it's done. Musiko: Is it difficult to follow what you've done? Dndi: I don't want to track my actions till here but if I did I would be crazy. I have looked up to my heroes and kept going and going. I am thankful I have recorded the music for eternity but after all people will be listening to what they will hear and I still don't know what comes after that. Some may like it and some may not. Cool for me (that) what has been done is done so off to other adventures up ahead. Difficult? Would you believe I made eight albums worth of mistakes? When will I ever get it right................ Musiko: What advice would you give to people who would like to follow in your footsteps in promoting themselves and their music via the Internet? Dndi: Feel free to surf as much as you can. The world is full of wondrous mysteries and music. Make sure a friend can lend you a password for unlimited Internet time. A friend of mine once did and I went places. If you can afford everything it would be great. Sometimes media around you might seem to have no more truth but somewhere out there --- other worlds beyond are bigger than the piece of earth you stand on and the truth will somehow take it's place. Musiko: What will be the next move for "Dondi"? What else are you planning to do? Dndi: "Dondi" will have better sound. "Dondi" will make better music. "Dondi" will be better bass player. "Dondi" will be better... blah blah blah... I hope he does fine. Musiko: How many bass guitars do you have now? What are the colors? Why that many? Dndi: For now I have 16 basses. Not much but they are in playing condition. I have a black Jazz Bass, a red fireglo "Rick", White Epiphone, a blue doubleneck, a dark green marble, several shades of wood, a dark green one, one with funny marks,a metallic one, piccolo basses, active / passive basses and fretless ones actually to keep away from lingering monotonous bass sounds but sometimes and hopefully to match the color of my shirt or pants. |
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======== Török Attila (Eclectic : Hungary) |
| DNDI - "Die Black Rat" (Flagg Music 7 2000) I last heard from Philippines bass maestro Dondi Ledesma with a couple of cassettes a few years ago. At the time, I remarked that his skills on a wide vareity of instruments were impressive, but the programmed drums and the lack of group interplay made the music a bit sterile. Moving up to the present, this CD presents a refinement of the old DNDI, with Ledesma playing all the instruments with great facility, and programming the drums. That's the bad news. The good news is that the overall quality is a substantial improvement over the earlier work. Virtually all of the 17 tracks here feature formidable technical prowess, and the recording quality is crisp and uncluttered. The drums are still programmed, but they are done better, and while I still think the music would benefit from a live drummer, the parts are more integrated much more cohesively. The lack of guitar, however is no big deal, as Ledesma's piccolo bass fills that role quite handily. Keyboard parts also display flashy technique, though the sampled saxophone is one exception. I find it a bit annoying on the otherwise outstanding track "Leg River." The style once again ranges from kick-butt fusion to complex anthemic prog. Around half the tracks feature singing, and Ledesma's voice is much improved (or maybe just better recorded), sometimes having a sort of Wyatt-like quaver. I recommend this highly to fans of monster bass playing; you can get over the programmed drums, I promise. - Jon Davis (Exposę magazine April 2002) CA |
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In Die Black Rat and the later released Nova, both solo albums by Ledesma in the strictest sense of the word, he plays all instruments (mostly bass and its variants) and writes all songs, and does the vocals as well. One might easily conclude that the guy is a studio monster: laying each track painstakingly on one instrument, then overdubbing other parts and endless curing and post-production polishing afterwards............................. And the scales on the piccolo bass (look, ma, no lead guitars!), hark back to the Arabic a la Blackmore, as well Schenker and Howe and other names both droppable and undroppable because they hovered between light and heavy, scales like babusta coffee beans or Johnson yata yan. ............................. The only misgiving, aside from the aforementioned drums, is that we can never get to hear DNDI play this live, which is a pity because imagining it can really exercise the eardrums. |
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Rizal Dondi Ledesma will change your perspective Music is well said to be the speech of angels.-Thomas Carlyle NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE! Music - an expression of joy, sorrow, desire, solidarity, community, humanity....or even of just any thought that comes to mind... Without thinking about it, you will enter into this universe of pure romantism wich will cast you into another dimension. Music through all its expressions, whether we are talking about new age, folk, rock"&"roll, alternative"&"rock, electronica"&"dance or rap"&"hip-hop, latin, industrial, reggae, soul and R"&"B, is the only thing that transforms our souls and minds. If you want to change your perspective about life, relax and transform yourself and your world together with Rizal Dondi Ledesma What? You didn't understand what's about? Just 4 u, let's repeat it in grey... Music - an expression of joy, sorrow, desire, solidarity, community, humanity....or even of just any thought that comes to mind... Without sensing it, you will feel this world of the sublime wich will cast you into the fairytales. Music through all its expressions, whether we are talking about romantic, new age, rock"&"roll, acoustic contemporary or soul, middle eastern, reggae, latin, electronica, children's music, is the only thing that can adorn the reality. If you want to challenge your imagination, dream on and remember the voice and come along with Rizal Dondi Ledesma http://www.wonderful-people.com/Music/Artists/MArtistsL/index3/Lea10025.htm |
from AcidGuitar.com ( Once upon a time )
CITIZEN REVIEWS
way cool
FILP TWIST, 6/5/2000 8:06:03 PM
I forgot that theres more to a song then just guitar .....way
to go .........ROCK ON.......
Fast, percussive and hip
Charles Rathmann from Union Grove, WI, 6/5/2000 6:49:34 PM
Man -- your playing hits me right in the f###in' face. It's
very percussive and on-the-beat -- like Steve Morse playing
bass. I agree with other reviews posted below that some type
of ending would have been nice. But what the heck -- this
playing is good enough that before too long, many of us will
have to learn how to pronounce your name.
You're a machine man!!
Zed 31 from Downey, CA, 5/31/2000 3:56:07 AM
Wow this was great! The finger work made me head spin..great
job..Glad I'm not in your category!! You really shred!
Nothing like a little lead bass!
Joe Thompson from , MD, 5/31/2000 2:37:14 AM
I like the flailing fingers riffs. Clean and articulate. Not
much of a song, but a good showcase for you're talent.
Rocking at Top Speed
Richie Miller from Joshua Tree, CA, 5/31/2000 2:22:32 AM
Nice fast lead bass and some nice melodic picking towards the
middle. Fast and clean, with personality. Varied riffs and
great energy with an ending that drops you off a cliff flaling
and kicking and screaming for a seditave. Rock on!
Great Showcase
Aidan Browne from Manchester, 5/27/2000 2:27:55 PM
Stanley Clarke, eat your heart out, Dondi's here.
Brilliant!!!! A fade out would have been nice though.
CITIZEN REVIEWS
Impressive bass Rizal!!!
Adele Phillips from London, 6/9/2000 1:30:14 PM
This was such a great bass workout, Drooool. ;)
dude that's cool!!
Dave Bates from reseda, CA, 6/9/2000 4:38:59 AM
man what a bass player! hell of a chops.
I've caught the bloody thing ;)
Aidan Browne from Manchester, 6/7/2000 4:34:20 PM
This just has to be Stanley Clarke on his day off. This
display of virtuosity would be impressive on a puny six
string. (guitar that is) Listen and review.
CITIZEN REVIEWS
woah...
Dennis Chang from Montreal, QC, 6/11/2000 5:19:19 PM
bass work is awesome
He's changed his name,,,
Aidan Browne from Manchester, 6/10/2000 6:42:04 AM
...to Rizal Dondi Ledesma, and entered this competition.
Stanley, I mean Rizal, must fancy a new bass. Listen and
review.
Wow
Dick Petersson from Gothenburg, 6/9/2000 6:24:34 PM
Very Stanley Clarkish. What is he doing these days. Nice
Showcase, Good Song, Is it U playing the guitar ? Worth
Listening 2.
Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JAG-X-PRESS from Baskerville, VA, 6/23/2000 8:41:31 PM
Real sweet, I am heading to my instrument now!
Wheee!
Jason V from Madison, WI, 6/21/2000 11:05:06 AM
This is fun stuff. I've been waiting for some more interesting
virtuoso entries than 'lead-on-clean-arpeggios'. Even has nice
arrangement and harmonies.
CITIZEN REVIEWS
My synapes are blown out by this one ...
Charles Rathmann from Union Grove, WI, 7/4/2000 10:42:46 PM
The first thing that hit me with this is the sheer variety of sound in here is startling.
This means you're doing a great job of manipulating the instrument to produce
different sounds -- and I think it goes beyond the effects you're using. It reminds me
of seeing Narcisso Yepes getting sounds like a tambourine out of this 10-string.
This is some of the hippest stuff I've heard in a long time.
Brilliant display of Bass mastery!
scott minchk from Hollywood, CA, 7/9/2000 3:57:49 AM
This is one of the coolest songs I have ever heard on the Bass. Great changes,
awesome solos!!! Give us some more!
Very Cool.
Robert Deming, 7/8/2000 8:44:21 PM
Nice work.
You win!
Rick McCarthy from Hanson, MA, 7/9/2000 10:44:05 PM
You've got some great technique and sense of direction with this one. Very inventive.
You must've played guitar at one time, hmmmm?
er what ?
Tom Pickles from Kew, 7/11/2000 1:41:20 PM
Talented yes i aggree thats why i gave 2 stars, dull boring and overkill on fx thats
why i gave 2 stars. I guess this competition has become a "let's show off how much
effects units we can cram into a song" competition which sucks.
in my opinion effects dosen't make a decent tune, a decent tune will be
good no matter what equipment is used.
IDOL!!!!!!
Ardie Sarao from Winnipeg, MB, 7/8/2000 11:23:31 PM
WOW ANG GALENG! PATAY NA NGA SILANG LAHAT...
Brilliant display of Bass mastery!
scott minchk from Hollywood, CA, 7/9/2000 3:57:49 AM
This is one of the coolest songs I have ever heard on the Bass. Great changes, awesome solos!!!
Give us some more!
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Written Interview (by mail) by Blesela Garachico for 'La Puztizo' Zine [The Last Electric Kinght]:1997 1) When did you start formally as a musician and what gave you the interest to play ? I started formally playing 6 nights a week when I was in high school. I became bass player of the "Technocrats" when I was 14 and we played in a disco club in Kahirup Hotel (Guanco St.) We played mostly heavy songs like Led Zep and Black Sabbath. People were dancing to those things then.My parents couldn't do anything about me playing nightly because I really wanted to play and I was proud to be already working when I was in high school. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) Why bass as the major instrument ? I chose the bass because I thought it was cool and it had a lot of responsibility on it. I was a very shy person so I figured I'd be better off with this instrument. I later messed with it and realized I could do things others could not do and I think it all started from there. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) How do you handle playing all the instruments in the album ? These days I do all my recordings on my own time with no schedules or pressures. I usually start with a few tracks (instrument tracks )or a few bars of a song and come back to it later when I really feel like or have a nice idea but I'm very strict on the cleanliness and precision of my work these days than before. I overdub the instruments one by one on a multi-track tape recorder until I complete a favorable minus-one sort of basis then I sing or do a solo of my bass or piccolo bass on top of the accompaniment. When I was doing my experiments on commercial studios during the 80's, I had to do all those things on a very short time span of about 5 hours because it was very expensive and I could not do clean work because of the pressure. Nowadays I kind of go like-" OK I'll finish the bass solo after I go shopping."or something like that. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) Past bands "&" has your musical taste changed / evolved from one band to another ? It's a sad thing to know that no bands really stick together in our country. Maybe because of the economy. I always dreamed about joining a real super-duper band but I really haven't had the chance of doing real great music with others. Learning by experience is better than any school could teach and being able to be exposed to a wide variety of musical styles gave me a lot of space to improvise but most of all those things gave me a lot of understanding of what is possible and not possible musically. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) Why did you go to Manila, Why not perform in Iloilo ? I got myself based in Manila about 12 years ago because I went to work as a full time musician and I did. I played in a hotel, I became a session bass player and got to movie soundtrack recording and did some work as a minus-one bass player. The shopping, the technology,and the jobs are here but I like performing in Iloilo because the real heavy stuff is appreciated down there. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) Do you play gigs ? If no, why not ? Before 1996 I was always out playing gigs with the pinoy rock guys and even when I was doing my projects I still kept on doing live sessions with my friends.One of the reasons I stopped till now was that it was difficult for me to use my own personal bass system because I love playing loud and most of the prepackaged festivals they organize have bass systems lower than my hips and when I bring my own, engineers would usually be pissed. When I was starting out in Iloilo I already had been using speakers stacked taller than me. My present personal bass system is 1,800 watts rms and I wanna use it. Another reason for my long vacation is that I want to have a little rest from the foul things I know that's happening in showbiz. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) How do you manage to sell your albums despite lack of publicity ? I sell only very little of my tapes mostly through my friends and also from a little company that distributes my tapes only in Luzon. It's like sort of a cottage industry thing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) Why haven't you succumbed to temptations of major labels ? My music is hard to promote and I think very few appreciate what I do and it's hard to sell.Companies want what they could sell easily and once you sign up, all the music automatically belongs to the company. That's what's happening here and copyright laws are not being respected and implemented as you would imagine other richer countries do. I couldn't imagine doing my own thing under a boss. If a particular person buys me a bmw or a jet for doing my music,I'd be a rock star but I'm into other things besides all this. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) Tell the pipol of Iloilo about your past albums. Well, theres DNDI 1, DNDI 2, Shadow of the Sun, and MEDICINE. If they could find some it would be nice. The sound of the earlier ones are not really excellent but the music is all there and I don't do other people's music and I don't use any 6-string guitars. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) What do you do as of now ? I'm preparing for the release of my fifth album which is a double album and the sound is much more better. I am also doing improvements on my private studiobecause I'm going into digital music and I'm having my computer souped up and configured to be synced with my sequencer and all the other refinements in order to deliver better and clearer sound in the future. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) What can we expect from the fifth album. The fifth album has 21 songs and some of them are remakes of the songs I have recorded in several studios here in Manila. I rerecorded and updated them here in my own studio (S'cuse Me While I Kiss The Sky Private Fascility ) because I was not content of the clarity and quality. All the music is already done and I'm thankful I was able to have the sound as if I were with a hundred piece orchestra with a good horn section. I played more flute here than in any of my albums. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) What else do you do besides playing ? I like to mess with wires and audio. I also like buiding and flying model airplanes but they're very expensive now so I'm into computer stuff because there are other things besides music on it and I'm beginning to get to video and maybe I'll be into doing my own Mtvs. Besides my private life I want to be a good citizen and keep away from trouble. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) What helps you stimulate your mind to create music ? The music comes when it comes and I don't anticipate it. Things usually happen when I fiddle around with the bass or any instrument I happen to be playing with but there's nothing of any pre-arranged premeditation or any of that mystical or OA stuff. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) What local bands / artists do you like ( if any ) ? I like listening to local bands who do their own thing without minding what's going on around them. Many bands try to sound like successful mainstream bands before them and many begin to sound alike. Most of the music I listen to these days are of those who do superhuman things with their instruments and the like but I don't buy tapes as much as I did before. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) How does it feel to be a solo artist ( you dont have commitments to a band ) ? Considering the freedom and unlimitedness of the extent of creativity it is a lot freer but a little lonely. In my case I don't have to worry about musical limitations and problems on communication and differences and I am thankful I am given the gift and opportunity to do what I can do. I find a way to jam with my musician friends once in a while so I won't get weird. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) Does being a performer, producer, arranger, et al of your own albums have greater advantages over being just a performer alone ? Yes because there are no problems such as hiring people and having quarrels with those whom I disagree with but the hard part is when it comes to the selling and advertising because it requires a lot of money and effort. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17) When did you put up your own studio "&" it's current status( Do you let other bands record there)? I really started messing around with tape recorders since I was about 12 and I was doing things by myself since then in my idle times but I started to get serious with recording alone during the 80's recording my own music in recording studios , learning the craft, and finally buying my own equipment little by little until today. It has become sort of a hobby and I managed to have a decent set of equipment for recording my own music.I now have the finest equipment I could lay my hands on but it's only good for one person because it is a midi studio comprised mostly of machines and modules unlike the common commercial studios bands could record on. I could describe the whole thing like as if it were a small space station laboratory. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18) Describe your music ( coz we cant find the appropriate words for it.) ? I think I could describe it as Progressive hybrid classical rock jazz but it might change depending on what I could get into next since I like to explore different areas and styles in technique "&" composition. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- end of 18 out of 20 answered questions |
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Dondi is one of the best filipino bassists that ever walked the earth.
At Juan De La Cruz's first reunion concert in '98, Dondi played fretless bass
on "Langit" and he made that damn instrument sing,weep,lament, and wax lyrical.
In another gig, he displayed spidery fingers by doing staccato runs on a
piccolo bass. (Igan D'Bayan : Phil. Star 12/05) Dondi did an amazing solo on Red House — with bends, staccato fills, chords, harmonics, all the tricks in the book and beyond. Not even Satan could play the bass that well. |
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So there ensues a mad scramble on how to describe, or maybe vainly label, the
enigmatic man’s music: fusion? new age metal? postmodern jazz?......................As for Die Black Rat, our first exposure to Ledesma in relevant form, we get ample evidence of the bassist’s musical virtuosity, adept as he is in sundry instruments, such as flute and keyboards...........................
And apart from the drum programs that often sound like the crash of an advancing army, Ledesma non-chalantly states in the sparse liner notes: No lead guitars......................
Like the best bassists before him, Ledesma is never content in staying within the parameters of a specific musical form, so that his experiments with shifting time signatures recall the bebop giants, and the blazing lead guitar lines on the piccolo bass are a manifestation of a metal temperament. (excerpts: 'Waiting for Dondi Ledesma' - PLAYBACK by Juaniyo Arcellana
Entertainment News [The Philippine Star] ) "My goals are to explore as much uncharted musical waters as I can, perhaps earn something from it, and then retire and be remembered." (excerpts: [ Down Low And Online, BASS PLAYER MAGAZINE ] april 2001) |