Not Your Ordinary Band: Sefyla

With the dominance of male in the reggae scene, who wouldn't notice the "almost" all-girl band from the reggae capital of the Philippines? Sefyla - derived from a female cult in Africa that was believed to be led by a godedss, stood out from the reggae scene with a unique taste of rock and ska. Now composed of Yapi Taneo (vocals), Tara Uy (guitars), Vonay Sanchez (bass), and Rey Mart Taneo (drums), the band is set to conquer the realm of reggae enthusiasts with Yapi's powerful voice and mind enlightening songs.

The band started out as an all-girl band in 2003 to participate in a high school band competition. After winning the competition with cover songs from Save Ferris and No Doubt, the band decided to play music in various occasions. The band loved to play ska – a product of their common interests, which was dominant over the song “Hang Over”. It was included in a compilation album “Doobie Nights” that was played all over the metro but never publicly released in Cebu – quite ironic. They years passed by for the all-girl band until members pursued their personal careers. It was the band keyboardist Teri Paller who oraganized the defunct band back together with a new guitarist to play in local music bars until 2005.

To bring back the band’s spirit, they joined a local band competition Itzamatch: Rock to Fame in the late 2008 with their new vocalist Yapi Taneo of University of the Philippines. They didn’t win the competition, buy they definitely earned a place inside the hearts of the audiences who witnessed their performance. Time passed by for the band to mature as reggae artists that’ll be known throughout the country. With a solid foundation on reggae and ska, they were able to come up with songs with a mix of heavy metal, rock, blues, and jazz. The socio-cultural awareness embeds in the lyrics allowed a heavier context that people can relate to.

In 2009, the band was ready to release their first original repertoire – stories of war, hearts and minds, a collage of undying passion for freedom in the modern age. A feeling of liberation is the effect of hearing Sefyla’s songs – the band calls it music activism. It was also the time for Rey Mart Taneo – the only thorn among the roses, to join the lineup. With the collaboration of ideals, talents, and influences, the band was able to come up with a slight twist in the standard genre of reggae.

Sefyla is definitely one unique band you can come across these days. In the band’s 8th year, they continue to spread messages of hope and freedom. Watch out for their new album that’ll be released this year.

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