Buddy Zabala

Buddy Zabala
Background information
Birth name	Hector Avanceña Zabala
Also known as	Buddy The Baker Boy
Born	November 13, 1971 Zamboanga City, Philippines
Genres	Alternative rock Experimental rock Pinoy rock
Instruments	Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Drums, Percussions
Years active	1989–present
Associated acts	Eraserheads Cambio Hilera The Dawn Sun Valley Crew Twisted Halo Rico Blanco

Hector "Buddy" Avanceña Zabala (born November 13, 1971) is a Filipino musician and producer. He is currently the bassist of Filipino punk rock band Hilera, Indie band Cambio, and widely known as the member of the formerly disbanded and now reunited alternative rock band, Eraserheads. He is also the former bassist of Filipino rock band, The Dawn. ^[1]

Eraserheads bassist (1989–2003)

Zabala only began writing and singing songs as an Eraserhead starting with the band's 1996 Christmas album, Fruitcake. The album contains "The Fabulous Baker Boy" and "Fruit Fairy." Buddy later also sang and wrote "Tama Ka" and "Kahit Ano" in the 1999 album, Natin99.

Buddy's bass-playing is prominently featured in the drum & bass opening track of the Natin99 album, "Sinturong Pangkaligtasan". In Aloha Milkyway (the band's first international release), the songs were heavy with his bass work.

Post-Eraserheads (2003–present)

A few years after the dissolution of the Eraserheads, Buddy Zabala continues to be a prolific musician. He plays bass for The Dawn and, of course, the renamed Eheads, Cambio. Intervening bands in which he was played were the Sun Valley Crew (together with fellow Eraserhead, Raimund Marasigan) and Twisted Halo (with Vin Dancel, Jason Caballa, Joey Odulio, and Mon Lopez.).

For his bass work for Cambio (Derby Light) and Twisted Halo (In Loving Memory of the Fearless Exploits of the Bolo Brigade), Zabala was awarded by the NU Rock Awards as 2004 "Bassist of the Year".

Aside from playing with his bands and doing session work, he focuses his energy in helping younger generation of Pinoy rock bands by way of producing their albums. Some of these are Boldstar's "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Something/What Are You, Really?", Itchyworms' "Little Monsters Under your Bed" (with Romel Sanchez), 6 Cycle Mind's "Panorama", Moonstar 88's "Todo Combo", and Imago's "Blush".

He also works as co-producer with his Eraserheads and Cambio colleague, Raimund Marasigan; such as on Itchyworms' "Noon Time Show," Twisted Halo's "Twisted Halo EP", Fatal Posporos' "Paper View," Sugarfree's "Dramachine," Cambio's "Derby Light," and Imago's "Take 2." He was also involved for Marasigan's recent "Five on the Floor" album for Sandwich's.

Zabala had also scored a number of movies, TV commercials, documentary shorts and stage plays.

In late 2015, Zabala replaced Hilera's bassist, Ivan Garcia who left the band due to personal reasons. A year later, Zabala left The Dawn due to unknown reasons and was replaced by the returning Carlos Balcells.

Filmography

Movies

• Run Barbi Run as himself (Eraserheads)
• Tulad Ng Dati as himself (The Dawn)

References

1. "Established rockers form new group". Manilla Bulletin Publishing Corporation. January 11, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2010.