Jonard Yanzon

17:28 was a boy band in the Philippines active during the early 2000s decade. Though known as a boy band, they considered themselves more of a vocal group. The group had four members: Gian Magdangal, Jonard Yanzon, Chino Alfonso and Joaquin "Wackie" Valdes.

Career

1997–2002: Formation and Jam ''Himig'' contest

The group was formed when all four members were in their college days, such as that of Gian being from La Salle, Chino being from Ateneo, and Wackie being an alumnus of UP Diliman. They had performed together in the Christian theater group ''Trumpets''. Jonard and Wackie were the first members brought together as they had been performing together in the ''Trumpets'' production of The Chronicles of Narnia. They then heard Gian in their production of The Little Mermaid, and asked him to audition with them. The three of them had also known each other since childhood. The trio then held auditions for one more member, and Chino was the last member to join the group. Most of them had experience in the entertainment industry, with Joaquin being a singer and theater actor since he was six years old, and Jonard winning the first Metro Pop Young Singers Competition in 1998.

After the band was formed, producer Vic Del Rosario discovered them while they were performing in a live bar gig. Since then, the group adopted the name 17:28 as a reference to verse 17:28 of the Biblical Book of Acts of the Apostles, ''For in him, we live, move and have our being. And as some of your own poets have said, we are His offspring''. They chose the name since all of the members were devout Roman Catholics as they agreed on that decision.

17:28 joined the Jam ''Himig'' songwriting contest, with their reinterpretation of "Last Love Song" by Ron Solis. In the finals of the Jam ''Himig'' contest, they interpreted "Network I" by Paul Amercin which became popular. Although they lost, that song won at the 8th Katha Music Awards and guaranteed them an album with Star Records. Their version of "Last Love Song" also got an official music video directed by Mae Cruz. 17:28 then auditioned for Star Records and were accpeted.

In 2002, though yet without an album, the boys continued performing in various bars and made opening-act guest appearances in concerts of famous Filipino artists.

2002: ''17:28'' and Valdes' departure

Finally late in 2002, the band released their self-titled debut album, ''17:28'' with 18-tracks from Star Music. The album featured tracks such as "Sukob Na" (which became the 2002 rainy season Station ID of ABS-CBN 2), "Come Breathe Me", and "Natutulog Ba Ang Diyos?". They were also associate producers in their debut album, with Valdes composing "Come Breathe Me" and Gian composing "Sabi Nila". They then went on a promotional tour of the album, starting at Greenbelt Makati. They also got to perform songs from their album in "ASAP". Later that year, Wackie Valdes left the band citing his priorities in his studies (he was studying architecture at UP). Thus, only three members remained.

2004: ''Cozy'' and split

In early 2004, 17:28 signed with Viva Records. Later that year, they released their second album titled ''Cozy'', a 12-track CD composed of pop ballads and RnB tunes. It featured carrier singles including "S.H.B.G.", "Sana Muli", and "Close Your Eyes", which were mostly written by the band members themselves.

Before 2005, the band publicly announced their split. Members of the defunct band have encountered different paths in life soon after: Jonard Yanzon migrated to the U.S., and Chino Alfonso became a working professional, while Gian Magdangal is pursuing a comeback to the entertainment business as he joined talent contest Philippine Idol and reached the Top 3 grand finals. He's also performed at Hong Kong Disneyland, and had a role in the action series ''Ang Probinsyano''. He also did several Philippine theatre plays. Joaquin Pedro Valdes has also returned to his musical theatre roots, starring in '' Heathers: The Musical'' and the world premiere of '' Death Note: The Musical''.

Self Titled played one more concert in their hometown, before breaking up again and permanently on February 2, 2007. In 2020, they reunited to record a new version of "Sukob Na", with the new version uploaded on Valdes' YouTube channel.

Artiststry and influences

The band specialized in Pop, RnB, and even Gospel music which highlighted their vocal harmony as a group. They also experimented with hip hop, soul, and jazz. They consider Brian McKnight, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Boyz II Men as their inspirations. Valdes listened to Eric Benét, while Alfonso looks up to OPM greats such as Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera, Jaya, and Kyla. Yanzon was inspired by the song "Bluer Than Blue".

Awards and nominations

Discography

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:1728
Filipino boy bands
Musical groups disestablished in 2004
Musical groups established in 2001
Filipino contemporary R&B musical groups
2001 establishments in the Philippines
Musical groups from Metro Manila
2007 disestablishments in the Philippines
Musical groups disestablished in 2007