Darius Gerard Laluna Semaña (born June 30, 1973) is a Filipino musician. He is the
lead guitarist
Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featured ...
of the band
Parokya ni Edgar and is the oldest member of the group.
Biography
Semaña grew up in
Mataasnakahoy, Batangas
Mataasnakahoy, officially the Municipality of Mataasnakahoy (), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 30,621 peopl ...
and attended Fine Arts in the
University of the Philippines Diliman
The University of the Philippines Diliman (also called UPD; ), also referred to as UP Diliman, is a State university and college (Philippines), public, coeducational, Research university, research university located in Diliman, Quezon City, Ph ...
in
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
. He, along with
Vinci Montaner
Francis Vincent Rosales Montaner (born November 27, 1976) is a Filipino singer best known for his work with the band Parokya ni Edgar where he served as a backup vocalist and one of its founding members. He left Parokya ni Edgar in late 2012 ...
, are the only members of Parokya ni Edgar who have earned a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
. It is also publicly known that he is one of two band members who did not attend
Ateneo de Manila University, the other member being bassist
Buwi Meneses
Buhawi "Buwi" Francia Meneses (born June 4, 1976) is a Filipino bassist for the band Parokya ni Edgar, and formerly for Franco.
Biography
Meneses is the second of four children and only son of breast cancer activist Danny Valenzuela Meneses a ...
who is lesser known as a non-Atenean graduate and is a childhood friend of
Chito Miranda
Alfonso "Chito" Yanga Miranda Jr. (born February 7, 1976) is a Filipino singer and songwriter, best known as one of the founding members and lead singer for the band Parokya ni Edgar.
Early life and career
Miranda attended grade school and h ...
instead. Semaña and Meneses were former bandmates before joining Parokya ni Edgar. Semaña is a high school alumnus of Ateneo's rival school,
De La Salle (Lipa City, Batangas branch), which serves as material for many of the band's running jokes in their songs.
Semaña is mostly seen playing a
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of double- cutaway electric guitar designed between 1952 and 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corpora ...
. He is a member of the
Tau Gamma Phi fraternity in the Philippines along with bandmate Buwi Meneses.
Semaña is married to a make-up artist and they have a son.
Discography
With Parokya ni Edgar
* ''
Khangkhungkherrnitz
''Khangkhungkherrnitz'' is the debut studio album by Filipino alternative rock band Parokya ni Edgar, released in 1996 under Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group o ...
'' (1996)
* ''
Buruguduystunstugudunstuy
''Buruguduystunstugudunstuy'' is the second studio album by the Filipino alternative rock band Parokya Ni Edgar, released in 1997 under Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal ...
'' (1997)
* ''
Jingle Balls Silent Night Holy Cow
A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meanings that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...
'' (1998)
* ''
Gulong Itlog Gulong
''Gulong Itlog Gulong'' ( English translation: Roll Egg Roll) is the third studio album and fourth overall album of the Filipino alternative rock band Parokya ni Edgar, released in 1999 by Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (oft ...
'' (1999)
* ''
Edgar Edgar Musikahan
''Edgar Edgar Musikahan'' ( English translation: Edgar Edgar Musical Show) is the fourth studio album and fifth overall album by the Filipino alternative rock band Parokya ni Edgar, released in 2002 by Universal Records
Universal Music ...
'' (2002)
* ''
Bigotilyo
''Bigotilyo'' is the fifth studio album and sixth overall album of the Filipino alternative rock band Parokya ni Edgar, released in 2003 by Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Unive ...
'' (2003)
* ''
Halina Sa Parokya
''Halina Sa Parokya'' is the sixth studio album and seventh overall album of the Filipino alternative rock band Parokya ni Edgar, released in May 26, 2005 by Universal Records. The album contains the singles "Para Sa 'Yo", "Gitara", "Papa Co ...
'' (2005)
* ''
Solid
Solid is a state of matter where molecules are closely packed and can not slide past each other. Solids resist compression, expansion, or external forces that would alter its shape, with the degree to which they are resisted dependent upon the ...
'' (2007)
* ''
Middle-Aged Juvenile Novelty Pop Rockers
''Middle-Aged Juvenile Novelty Pop Rockers'' is the ninth studio album of the Filipino alternative rock band Parokya ni Edgar, released in 2010 by Universal Records. This was Vinci Montaner's final album as a permanent member; he left the band in ...
'' (2010)
* ''
Pogi Years Old
''Pogi Years Old'' is the tenth studio album by Filipino rock band Parokya ni Edgar. The album was released on October 17, 2016 nationwide and on digital format through Universal Records. Long-time member and backup vocalist Vinci Montaner appea ...
'' (2016)
* ''Borbolen'' (2021)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Semana, Darius
1973 births
University of the Philippines Diliman alumni
Musicians from Manila
Musicians from Batangas
Lead guitarists
Living people
20th-century guitarists
20th-century Filipino musicians
21st-century Filipino musicians
20th-century Filipino male musicians
21st-century Filipino male musicians
Filipino rock guitarists
21st-century Filipino guitarists