The Philippine metal-rap scene lost a great pillar when Slapshock frontman Jamir Garcia passed away in November last year.
To celebrate his life, music, and career on what would have been his 43rd birthday, Jamir’s family and friends have worked together to release “Paraiso,” the first single from an entire solo album he was able to record before his death.
Jamir’s loved ones also came together to share some heartwarming tales and little-known facts about him they wished his fans to know.
The heavy-metal musikero may have spent the years touring the country and played for thousands of people, but the Pinoy rockstar never forgot his humble beginnings.
As his brother, renowned tattoo artist Chris Garcia, recalled, he was once just a fan himself, saving up his concert money and came far via public transportation just to see his favorite bands.
“Sasakay kami ng bus, manonood kami ng Razorback tapos lagi niyang kinukwento sa ‘kin na kinukwento niya daw ‘yon kila Kevin, kila Tirso,” he shared, referring to the band’s guitarists David Aguirre and Tirso Ripoll.
[“We’ll take the bus to watch Razorback and he would always tell me that he told Kevin and Tirso about it.”]
“S’yempre naging kaibigan na sila, kinukwento niya daw ‘yun, ‘Uy pinapanuod ko kayo dito sa Kalye, fan na fan n’yo ako non,’ tapos hindi daw siya pinaniniwalaan.”
[“When they became friends, he told them, ‘Hey, I was watching you here in Kalye, I was a super fan of yours back then,’ and they wouldn’t believe him.”]
A few years later after playing one of his own shows, Jamir saw fans waiting by the road and, for some reason, rolled down the window and offered them a ride.
“Putik-putik sila pero wala siyang pakialam [they were muddy but he didn’t care],” his other brother and confidante Sonboy Garcia said.
“Nagulat din ako eh. [Sabi ko] ha? Pero that’s him,” he said. “He knew what it was to be on the other side of the stage.”
According to Sonboy, Jamir had always been the sweetest person who was very different from his badass persona onstage.
Sonboy shared how he once came home to the Philippines and wished to stay longer, so Jamir got him a gift: a new plane ticket.
He asked Jamir why he didn’t tell him about it sooner, especially after witnessing him have a very stressful packing session.
Jamir, however, had a plan.
“He said, ‘No, cause I want you to feel that. So, next time, you really have to go home,” Sonboy recalled during a virtual listening session press last week.
“So I ended up staying in the Philippines for three months, I think. But that’s his character—he’s just very, very, very sweet and you see him on stage, very intimidating, you know like very impressive with the music, but he’s the sweetest guy lagi,” he added.
Jamir’s eldest brother, Kenneth, also recalled a funny moment when Jamir got “proof” that he truly made it as a musician.
One of their uncles in the United States, who was a huge fan of The Dawn, said he would only believe he was famous back in the Philippines if he would get a photo with the vocalist Jett Pangan—and so, he did.
“One time nakita niya si Jett. Sabi niya, ‘Jett, ayaw maniwala ng uncle ko na sikat na ‘ko sa Pilipinas, kasi maniniwala lang siya if I get a picture with you. Tawa nang tawa daw si Jett,” Kenneth said.
[“One time he saw Jett. He said, ‘Jett, my uncle wouldn’t believe that I’m famous in the Philippines, he would only believe it if I get a picture with you.’ He said Jett was laughing hard.”]
Raymund Punzalan, Jamir’s longtime associate, said he paid Jamir a visit one day in Malolos, and the rockstar went out of his way to get a whole feast together.
“Ganon ka (thoughtful) si Jamir eh,” Raymund said. “Kung gaano nga ka bigat ‘yung tugtog nina Jamir sa stage, napakakengkoy ni Jamir when it comes to real life talaga… isa sa mga pinakamasayang tao na maraming joke pag nagkita kami.”
[“That’s how thoughtful Jamir was. Even though he played heavy metal on stage, he was a jolly person in real life. He’s one of the most cheerful people who had a lot of jokes every time we met.”]
Even his long-time friend and kapwa-musikero Rico Blanco, can agree.
“You see his onstage persona, and it’s so badass right? It’s so badass… but you cannot stress enough how sweet and cheerful and kind a person Jamir was,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
On what would have been Jamir’s 43rd birthday on September 5, a never-before-heard track unearthed from his studio archives entitled “Paraiso” was released under Blanco’s label Balcony Entertainment.
It is the first single to be released from an entire solo album the musician was able to record before he passed away last November 26, 2020.
Happy birthday in Paraiso, Jamir. Peace, love, and music.
—MGP, GMA News
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