When I first heard Glaiza de Castro, Rhian Ramos, Arci Munoz, Matt Lozano and Rayver Cruz sing the official soundtrack of ‘Sinagtala,’ titled ‘Laho,’ I really thought the overall sound of their music sounded like a real band.
The film, releasing in local cinemas on April 2, is directed by Mike Sandejas who also directed the 2006 Cinemalaya movie ‘Tulad ng Dati’ featuring the band The Dawn.
During the media conference, Glaiza shared how difficult it was for the production to put together its actors, especially most of them have other projects they need to commit to. So, how was the casting like for the movie ‘Sinagtala’?
“The story, I was developing it before the pandemic. I was supposed to do this with another company, hindi lang natuloy kasi tumama ‘yung pandemic. I was developing this with Rhian (Ramos). We were working on this project already before the pandemic. With regards to the others, the one that we can give credit to the rest of the cast is Mmaa Rose (Conde), our line producer,” shares writer and director Mike Sandejas during the Sinagtala media conference.
“We had a dinner party looking for Sparkle talents, musical talents. So, dinala ni Tracy (Garcia from Sparkle) madaming singers but I was saying I need somebody who can play the guitar. So, nangyari nag-CR ako. Habang nandun ako sa CR, may narinig akong kumakanta. Sabi ko, sino ‘yun? Galing ah. Paglabas ko, si Matt Lozano. Uwian na, may nanalo na. I wasn’t sure if he was gonna be on board. Technically, Matt was the first one casted.”
“Then, Glaiza, we found out about Glaiza. She said no first, then she said yes, then when she was shooting her scenes, without knowing who will play June, Karla and Reggie. Si Karla pala, alam na naming si Arci (Munoz). Ang tanda ko kay Arci, pumunta ako ng Cornerstone. Sabi sa akin ni Mama Rose, i-pitch mo kay Arci. So, pagdating ko dun, siyempre pitch galore ako, kailangan ko ma-convice si Arci. Nung natapos ko ‘yung pitch ko, sabi ni Arci, ‘okay na direk. Tinanggap ko na ‘to.’ Ayun naman pala, nag-pitch pa ako.”
“Then I found out Rhian was on board. I was so happy. Then, I met Rayver on the set already because Mama Rose ang nag-cast sa kanya. These kids are my Avengers. This is how it feels to make the Avengers pala. Wonderful cast. But honestly, some of you know me from the indie scene. This is my first mainstream movie, this is my first mediacon. Wala naman ganito sa indie, so medyo kinakabahan ako. Having worked with this wonderful cast, I feel close to them. I told them, 20 years from now, let’s do a reunion because this is a very special film. It’s kind of like the sound of music na every so often you see each other, remember what you did. And of course, I don’t know if it’s a spoiler, I’m gonna be planning part two,” direk Mike shares.
The Sinagtala Band – A Symphony of Broken Souls Once a rising star in the local music scene, Sinagtala was more than just a band—it was a family, a promise, and a dream. Their music was the soundtrack of their youth, a beacon of hope in the chaos of their lives. But as the years passed, reality chipped away at their dreams, scattering them into separate struggles, leaving behind only echoes of what they once were. Despite their fractures, the bond between them was never truly severed. Each member carries the weight of the past, their unspoken regrets forming invisible ties that refuse to let them move on. And at the heart of it all was Paola, the leader who refused to let the music die, even in the face of death itself.
‘Sinagtala’ opens in cinemas on April 2.