Ang Pambansang Banda ng Pilipinas

Parokya ni Edgar is a bunch of guys, six to be exact, who unexpectedly find themselves in a proper band, with a proper recording contract with a proper record company (Universal Records), which gives them a proper "recording career". Parokya ni Edgar is Chito Miranda and Vinci Montaner on vocals, Darius Semaña and Gabriel CheeKee on guitars, Buhawi Meneses on bass and Dindin Moreno on drums. But beneath the silly gags and the punchlines, the Parokya Band has matured musically. Chief lyricist and frontman Chito Miranda once declared: "Nagti-trip lang talaga kami, eh." But by jokester/slacker standards, this band is already an overachievers: six albums with an endless string of hit singles (including one that inspired a movie), loads of music awards, and a fan base that extends all the way from Aparri to Tawi-Tawi. What could be a greater feat than have the whole country chanting: "Hoy-hoy-hoy-hoy-hoy-hoy!"?

"Our music is happy Filipino chop suey music. Our musical influences are modern world music."

Countless Gold and Platinum Record Sales Awards, MTV Awards and Awit Awards trophies later, PnE is showing no signs of slowing down with their latest release Halina Sa Parokya . Like any other Parokya album; comic skits, spoofs and heaps of classic Parokya humor abound in Halina Sa Parokya. The idea for their album artwork was inspired partly by the Department of Tourism thrust to promote various tourist destinations and local festivities via their Wow Philippines campaign (if you can recall the TV advertisement which featured Regine Velasquez). The album was also inspired by both the popular children's TV show Sesame Street and its local counterpart Batibot . Taking aloook at the album cover alone, you will laugh at the colorful characters Chito, Buwi, Vinci, Gab, Darious and Dindin portray!

And surely, too, it will be more obvious to tell why Parokya ni Edgar has been dubbed as "Pambansang Banda ng Pilipinas."