Dilaw highlights ‘fun’ experience in its three-year journey

Dilaw, the band behind the 2023 hit song “Uhaw,” shared that their journey has been a “fun ride,” from their humble beginnings in Baguio City to their current success.

Johnvie “Vie” Dela Rosa, the band’s singer-songwriter, said their journey is marked by the simple dreams they had when the band first started.

“Kasi syempre pare-pareho kaming nangarap noong umpisa, tapos hanggang ngayon dire-diretso pa rin. Yung purpose namin nung Day 1, ganito pa rin hanggang ngayon (Of course, we all shared the same dreams from the start, and until now, we’re still going strong. The purpose we had on Day 1 is still the same today),” Vie said during “We Play Here” press conference last Friday.

Dela Rosa also emphasized that the group’s vision has remained intact despite the highs and lows they have encountered.

Originally formed by Dilaw Obrero and Vie Dela Rosa, the group has fully blossomed with the addition of En Altomonte, his brother Leon, Vie’s brother Wayne on bass and Tobi Samson on drums.

When asked how Dilaw responds to their lows, vocalist Dilaw Obrero shared that there were times when they experienced burnout.

Obrero added that while burnout is uncommon for the group, when it does happen, it’s a “full-blown” type of exhaustion.

“Hindi naman madalas pero kapag na-burnout kami, sagad (It’s not frequent, but when we do get burned out, it’s to the extreme),” he said.

Leon also shared that mutual respect and care for each other have been key factors in maintaining the band’s strong chemistry.

Earlier in the press conference, the group’s genuine bond was evident as they casually sang “Thai Freestyle” by Tu$ Brother$ and HELLMERRY, with one of the members even beatboxing.

Future collaborations

Apart from producing more songs, Dilaw shared during the interview that they are considering future collaborations with other local artists.

OPM artists like Hev Abi, Shanti Dope, Unique, Sunkissed Lola, Kamikazee and Stell are definitely on the band’s list.

With these potential collaborations, the “Uhaw” hitmakers said they’re open to exploring other genres.

“Oo naman. Hinahanap lang namin yung trip namin na tunog. Sa fans namin, expect niyo na marami pa kaming music na gagawin. Mag-eenjoy kami together with the fans sa journey na ito (Of course. We’re just looking for the sound that vibes with us. To our fans, you can expect that we’ll be making a lot more music. We’ll enjoy this journey together with you),” Dela Rosa said.

The group recently released “Nilalang,” a song inspired by “genuine love.”

Dilaw, along with other acts like Griff, Sugarcane, Paul Pablo, Letters From June, Stell and Kahel, performed last Friday night at the “We Play Here” event in UP Diliman.