Maki: Alternative pop superstar

Maki: Alternative pop superstar | Daily Tribune

Now that Tarsier Records artist Maki is being hailed as the new pop superstar due to his songs accumulating viewers and plays in millions, some have begun to search his background through Google.

Well, they might have found out that the Internet entries about him as Maki began only in 2021 when he was signed by Tarsier Records, a brand under ABS-CBN, the former network forced to turn into being a content supplier. (The House of Representatives, the country’s primary legislative body did not renew the broadcast behemoth’s franchise.)

We persisted in our digital search for Maki’s background and found out that his real name is Ralph William Datoon. He also used to sign in social media as Ralph Datoon. It must be Tarsier Records that made him use Maki as showbiz monicker. Neither Maki himself nor any Tarsier executive (including Jonathan Manalo and Rox Liquigan) had bothered to explain why Ralph William Datoon was re-”baptized” as Maki, which seems to be a genderless (androgynous) Japanese name.

Maki, we learned through our digital search, is somewhat popular in Japan both as first name and surname. There are singer-songwriters, actors in anime productions, professionals (including a world-re-knowned architect) whose first name or last name is Maki. Those who go for Japanese food are familiar with California maki. The singer-songwriter once quipped in an interview with Rappler that it was he himself who decided to use Maki as his showbiz name.

On the other hand, the surname “Datoon” is pronounced as three syllables as the guy Ralph William is very Pinoy, after all. He was born and raised in Quezon City and completed a bachelor’s in Communications at the New Era University.

We didn’t see interviews with him in which he says he is a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) congregation and we are well aware that the NEU accepts enrollees of any religion. Kindly allow us to add that NEU is a bigtime school. It even has a College of Music that offers degrees in classical singing. Very few universities have music degree programs.

Actually, Maki still posts his Tarsier hit songs in his social media accounts as Ralph William Datoon, particularly in wynks.in, a seemingly less known video-sharing platform.

He really doesn’t have much postings as Datoon, though we found in his LinkIn website postings that he worked initially as graphic designer and later on social media manager of the show Letters & Music on Net 25, a network identified with the INC. Datoon also announced in his LinkIn account that he once put up a digital marketing company. He did not mention if he ever had clients and what companies those were. He seems to have not become famous as a digital marketer.

Maki has been writing songs of the R&B type since his high school days and auditioning on his own in various recording companies. He recalled in a media interview that in one audition, when he was just 15 years old, he was traumatized by how he was treated during the interview.

He was belittled by the interviewer. He seemed to have been (sexually) propositioned, too. He went home quietly crying on the jeepney on the way home. He couldn’t tell his parents and any of his siblings about his experience as he had been hiding from them his ambition to become a singer-songwriter.

Had he been signed up by any group or company in his last year in high school, he would have delayed going to college. The trauma he got from that audition made him decide to give up going to those cattle calls and go to college instead.

We learned about his high school trauma in recent short interviews with ABS-CBN News and other ABS-CBN websites.

Maki easily tears up these days when talking about the rejections he got while still in his teens. He had one tearful interview with ABS-CBN’s MJ Felipe in On Cue, a special feature on ABS-CBN News. He almost cried in another interview with tandem hosts that included Nhiko Sabiniano the producer of the video promos for Maki’s EP of three songs released in 2023 and quickly became viral.

Those three songs are collectively known in the EP as “Tanong,” and these musings and rants are titled “Siguro?”, “Saan?”, and “ Bakit?” Although they are mainly about unrequitted love, Maki manages to include introspections about his personality and capabilities. He wrote much of “Siguro” in his high school years and later worked with Sabiniano in some parts of the song when the latter produced the video of the song for Tarsier. Sabiniano is credited as co-composer in some of Maki’s songs.

“Saan?” had over 61 million streams on the digital platform Spotify. Maki was eventually invited to perform “Saan?” live on the Wish Bus, a promo vehicle (a recording studio in a literal bus) for the radio station Wish 107.5 FM.

Maki’s music is categorized as “alternative pop,” and the Gen Z’s lap up his compositions and his singing of his emotional lyrics written in plain, art-less, unpoetic language. His melodies are also basic, uncomplicated, and they mostly sound the same in all the songs he has so far recorded. They are about a dozen already and Tarsier Records seem to have initially hesitated to release them. His vocal range is limited. He has never made it in any singing contest on TV.

Maki was signed up in 2021 but his recordings were not heavily promoted until 2023 and in blitzkrieg in early 2024. That must be the reason why up till 2022, Maki, as Ralph William Datoon, was still quietly working off-camera at Net 25. He would later bare on that tearful TV interview that his not being asked to record a single song immediately by Tarsier upon his signing cast him once more into insecurities about himself.

The first time we had a chance to watch Maki live was as part of intermission numbers years ago in an ABS-CBN school promotion for its Knowledge Channel programs. He was paired with Angela Ken, who is also a Tarsier artist. Maki was somehow impressive as he was tall, smooth and fair-skinned, and articulate even in English. He sang foreign hits. He hasn’t assumed the K-pop idol looks that he has now, though he does it in knee-length shorts, brightly colored shirts, with a body-crossing bag for high school kids.

He performed in that K-pop idol look at the recent Wish Date concert at the Araneta Coliseum where he sang his current hit “Dilaw.” The young crowd loved him and sang allow with him in “Dilaw.”

For a guy who is already 24, he can remarkably look and move like he is just 18.

In an interview posted on YouTube recently, he mildly complained about being overfatigued and lacking sleep. All because he came back a few days ago from a long chain of gigs in various cities of the country. He had to do it to earn.

Despite millions of plays and views in the digital platforms, singers and composers don’t earn much from them. This is the reason why Jose Mari Chan has stopped recording albums. It is also why Martin Nievera insists to VIcor Records that his new albums should be sold in the old vinyl format.

Maki’s first and only EP so far, “Tanong” was well promoted digitally. A short film of the three songs in the EP was produced by Sabiniano for Tarsier Records. Maki appeared in the film, teamed up with ABS-CBN actor Karina Bautista.

Mikee Quintos and her ‘Senyales’

“Senyales” is Quintos second single under GMA Playlist. Although she is relatively a newcomer to the music industry, she admits that the new single is a step closer to the fulfillment she seeks in her music. “I feel more comfortable and relaxed with this song and this genre.”

Quintos notes many factors in her songs, such as getting her message across and if she is being heard. As a music-lover, she hopes her listeners can connect with her songs the same way she does when she listens to other songs.

“Senyales” resonates with people who struggle to express their overwhelming feelings. “Yung hindi nila malabas kaso pumuputok na yung feelings nila with love. Ito yun. This is that song (The feeling that cannot be revealed but are deeply felt).”

“Senyales” explores the uncertainties of a blossoming relationship, drawing inspiration from the singer-actress’ real-life romance with boyfriend Paul Salas, also a Sparkle Star. The song’s cover art is based on a real photo of them before they officially became a couple.

Quintos dedicates the song to him, especially the titular lyric “Ilang senyales pa ba?” as she recalls how long it took Paul to realize that the feelings were mutual.

“Minsan kasi ayaw natin sabihin ng diretso, gusto natin mauna sila umamin (Sometimes we don’t want to admit being in love, we want the guy to admit it first)” she explains with how girls tend to opt for roundabout confessions of love. “Medyo ang tagal din ng senyales ko kay Paul bago niya makuha na gusto ko na rin siya (With Paul it took long for him to realized that I liked him, too).”

The singer-actor also hopes to bring back the easy sing-along songs from the 90s and 2000s with the relaxing vibes of “Senyales.” “It’s pop, but not like upbeat pop. It’s relaxed pop. I imagine people listening to it when they drive.” She confides that she misses songs anyone can sing from start to end, which she wants to achieve with her new single.

“Senyales” was released on all digital platforms on 26 July.