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It's been a long and bumpy road, but these four young ladies have proven that dedication and perseverance are going to pay off ... real soon. From the rapidly growing town of Antioch, California, comes May, Theresa, Ava, and Rhica - otherwise known as Epic Voices. For more than five years, these talented women have graced many stages all across the Bay Area and beyond. They've spread their name throughout the Asian-American community, been invited to perform in other cultural celebrations, and paid tribute to the land of the free by singing the National Anthem at San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors, and San Jose Lasers games. Now its time to spread their talent and their name even further. It all started with a contest. "We all sang individually. Me, Rhica, and Theresa went to school together, and we knew May from church. Then Rhica received a phone call about Himig Ng Kabataan, the contest. And it just went from there," says the lovely Ava. With only two weeks of practice, they set forth to try and win the contest. Unfortunately, they received last place. But that didn't dismay them from doing what they loved - performing. They kept the group, got a new manager, and decided to try and win the same contest the next year against three male groups. Again, they received last place but won praise for their performance. Rhica, the most cheerful member, mentions, "We had choreography and roses and everything, it was a tight set!". This pushed them even harder. They were determined not to let anybody tell them they weren't good enough. |
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| Two and a
half years into their amateur careers, they get what they think is the opportunity that
will launch their careers into stardom. They are invited to meet with Terry T. and Dwayne
Wiggins at their House of Music studio and production company in Oakland. This is the
studio that signed the sensational r&b group Destiny's Child to Columbia Records. The
girls are ecstatic! But five months into their development, the deal falters. "Things
happen for a reason," says their manager Ed Gonzales. "Better things just keep
coming our way." Almost three years of singing cover-tunes, they were given the chance to create their own song. Their first release was on a compilation CD called Serenade Vol. 1 put out by independent label Classified Records. "Come Back Home", written by the sassiest and youngest member, Theresa, was produced by two talented Bay Area producers - Armando Visperas and Darwin Seegmiller. "It's just something that I felt deep in my heart," sighs Theresa. And that something was felt deep within each listeners hearts as well. The ladies realize how much more potential they have inside themselves and start writing. Some time later producer Paul Blanco steps into the picture. He works with the girls for a year, giving them their own material, and creates the independent label Urban Music Groupe along with Gonzales. "The girls work really hard and know what they want," remarks Blanco. They were even given an award at the first annual Filipinos and Asians in Music Entertainment (F.A.I.M.E.) Awards June 1999 in Sacramento for being such good role models for the community. |
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Filipino Festival |
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| In August
1999, they met up with artist and producer Keith Martin ("It's Long Overdue",
Roughhouse Columbia) at the annual Filipino-American Street Jams celebration in San Jose.
He tells Gonzales he wants to work with them. "We've been given the opportunity to
work with two more talented producers who see the real potential in us," says May,
the eldest and so-called 'mother' of the group. In two months, they write and record 12
songs for their debut album. "They just needed the right kind of music, the right
kind of producers, and everything clicked," claims Gonzales. "They've given up a
lot of their time for this project. It's amazing what they've come up with in only two
months!" Producers Tre Winston and Keith Martin have gathered a mix of r&b,
hip-hop, funk, soul, old-school, and pop into the long-awaited album. Each member
showcases their talent beautifully and brings along a few surprises. "The girls have
grown so much in the past five years that I thought I saw it all. I was wrong," notes
Gonzales. "People will definitely be pleased," he adds on. Fans have waited
anxiously for their material to come out. "Some people just don't realize how much
hard work goes into doing something like this. Things happen, delays happen. We've been
from happy to disappointed and back again in our career. We just really appreciate the
fans being so understanding and patient about this whole thing," comments May.
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