Jungee Marcelo, the main producer and A&R of the label responsible for SAMBAHAN, describes the project as a product of the KONEKOLAB "worship" endeavor. “SAMBAHAN is a compilation of original Tagalog worship songs written and composed via the KONEKOLAB Worship fellowship of Church-based songwriters, and interpreted by worship leaders.”

“The concept was developed within the KONEKOLAB ‘worship’ endeavor —- a convening of like-minded music artists who ‘connect and collaborate’ in an unconventional lab setting,” Jungee added.

SAMBAHAN is not only a celebration of music but also a celebration of the power of faith and community. It's a reminder that no matter our backgrounds or beliefs, we can come together to create something beautiful and inspiring. With its uplifting lyrics and dynamic arrangements, SAMBAHAN is a must-listen for fans of Christian music and beyond.

According to Marcelo, the songs were pitched to WATERWALK Records, and eventually got the greenlight of the executives. He considers the project a blessing as it is created for the sole purpose of glorifying the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He reveals, “The plan is to release one song every week in a compilation aptly entitled SAMBAHAN. Initially, it was dubbed as ‘Worship’ but Sony Music Philippines head Roslyn Pineda thought it was better to come up with a project title in Filipino since all the songs are in the local lingo. We ended up with the nomenclature ‘SAMBAHAN’ which in essence has three distinct context definitions: a. act of worship, b. communal worship, liturgy, c. a place of worship.”

Marcelo, who also happens to be the founder of KONEKOLAB, narrates that SAMBAHAN initially started when he posted an invitation to a group of grassroots, Church-based songwriters back in December 2022 for a collaborative take on a worship song. What was initially a one-time endeavor grew into more work being submitted by participants in the pool, with Marcelo having to filter the choices down to forty participants. The Lord, as Marcelo recounts, provisionally led him to selecting 40 potential songwriters and divide them into 10 teams, 4 per team.

“The late evenings and early mornings of December were invested in daily online songwriting collab-turned-mentoring sessions, a team at a time, rotating in shifts,” he shares enthusiastically. “By the end of December, the songs were finally completed --- praise God for His wisdom and enabling.”

Containing music styles that naturally complement each individual and communal preferences, SAMBAHAN features themes that adhere to the overall concept of worship. The songs were produced by Jungee Marcelo himself, and were arranged with each musician providing personal inputs to enhance the overall sound texture of the material, resulting into a wonderfully crafted piece of worship offering.

Check out the SAMBAHAN Tracklist:

1. “MANLILIKHARI” by Gianne Hinolan
2.  “O AMING DAKILA” by James Reyes
3.  “KARANGALAN NAMIN” by Poleane Carmen & Keyl Mizpah
4.  “MAMAMALAGI” by VENTT
5.  “YAHWEH TANGGULAN” by Dana Algabre
6.  “SUMASALANGIT” by Judah Vibar
7.  “SAMO” by Nicole & Carlo
8.  “SA ‘YONG SAMYO” by Sheena Lee
9.  “UNANG NAGMAHAL” by Louie Anne Culala
10. “PAGDULOG” by Cherise Katriel
11. “SAMBAHAN” by Lee Simon Brown
“SAMBAHAN” is out now on all digital music platforms via WATERWALK RECORDS.

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