Cowboy Santos: The son of rock ‘n roll
'Rock and roll is for the young. It's immediate and it's primal. You just have to attack it. No holds barred.'
By RONALD S. LIM
February 23, 2011, 11:59am
A MAN AND HIS GUITAR — Cowboy Santos takes guitar playing seriously, having been using the instrument since he was 14 years old. (Photo by JERICO MONTEMAYOR/ILLUMINATI)
MANILA, Philippines — You kind of expect someone who's the offspring of rock royalty to lead a decadent and dissolute lifestyle, but 35-year-old Cowboy Santos bucks that stereotype.
Cowboy, the son of Filipino rock and roll legend Sampaguita, has been leading anything but the rock-and-roll lifestyle. He doesn't smoke, drink, or do drugs, and even sports a short head of hair. Aside from having no vices, Cowboy also leads a healthy lifestyle, taking part in sports like skateboarding, wakeboarding, and skimboarding. He even reads self-improvement books!
But while Cowboy may not sport the superficial trappings of rock stars, he does live the rock and roll lifestyle in perhaps the most important way possible — by keeping the music playing.
"I never considered not playing music. I just loved playing music so much, I didn't think I would do anything else," he shares. "I've been here for 15 years and I've been playing for different bands — blues bands, rock bands, reggae bands."
Sheltered from the lifestyle
Of course, Cowboy's life in music began at the home. While his father, Nilo Santos, never took him to his mother's gigs, he did expose him to the music of the times.
"I was three years old when they launched Sampaguita. We weren't allowed to be part of the chaos that was the 70s rock scene," he says. "Basically, the only thing I would be exposed to was the music. There were instruments in the house; my dad had a recording studio in the house."
In fact, Cowboy was so sheltered from the rock and roll lifestyle that he thought his mom was famous for something else than being a rock star!
"I knew my mom was famous. I kind of looked up at them as superheroes because back then they used to wear these fantastic costumes, which would be out of this world for a little kid," he recalls with a laugh.
When his parents separated when he was six years old, Cowboy was taken even further away from the local music scene. At nine years old, he and his father relocated all the way to Orange County, Southern California. But even then, his love for music was constantly nurtured.
"My influences are classic rock. My dad was the one who really turned me on to the classic rock feel. He would be the one to say that I should listen to Deep Purple and Cream," he says.
However, it would be a trip to the Philippines that would really push him to become not just a listener, but be a producer of the type of music he loved.
"I visited my mom for a month over the summer when I was 14. I saw this guy who played the guitar so gracefully that I wanted to learn how to do that," he recalls. "My mom taught me a few chords, and when I came to the States, I told my dad I wanted to play guitar and he hooked me up with lessons."
Cowboy would study under legendary guitarist Doug Doppler, who himself was a student of Deep Purple lead guitarist, Joe Satriani. The training would kick off his seriousness in pursuing guitar as an instrument.
Superhero mom
When he turned 19, Cowboy would pack up his bags and return here to the country. It was on his return that he would realize just how influential his "superhero" mother had been on the Philippine music scene.
"When I came back, I realized my mom had quite an impact on the music industry and people's hearts, and in that era they left their mark," he says. "People would tell me that my mom's songs changed their life. I'm pretty proud to hear that from other people, especially after such a long time."
Cowboy would form his first band here in the country with another famous rock star offspring, Megan Aguilar.
"Megan Aguilar was my first band mate. We formed a band and we were just jamming," he says. "The next influences on me were the bars and bands like Razorback and David Aguirre. They were the ones who introduced me to Juan dela Cruz. I didn't know that there was Pinoy rock like that."
Cowboy would even get the chance to play with his own mom and even go on a concert tour!
"After a couple of years with my band, my mom decides to have a go and sing again, and it became me as her guitarist and my brother, Rocky, as her bass player. It was the kids backing up the mom!" he says. "Within that line-up we were able to tour Italy, a lot of shows here. We were able to do that for about two to three years. I was actually able to come full circle and play well enough to be able to back up my mom in international and national shows."
His own path
While growing up in the States may have "delayed" his education in the local music scene, Cowboy says that the anonymity has worked to his advantage.
"I think it was better for me to be anonymous growing up. I'm thankful that I didn't have to go through the pressures of having to try and live up to a legacy which I think stands alone fairly well," he explains. "Being the son of a rock star will always have a comparison. I don't think I would ever come close if I tried. It was their time."
What Cowboy is doing now is making his own path. Aside from being part of the band Tempestuous Jones, he is also collaborating with other musical offspring on an album they hope comes out in June.
"I am in the middle of recording an album with the sons of Jose Mari Chan, Mike and Michael Chan, Joe Chan, and the son of Celeste Legaspi, we're called The Generation," he reveals. " It's just a treat to be playing with these guys from all musical legacies. This is a special thing. We may not be able to do this later on. I think it's really great."
As for young people looking to make it in the music scene, Cowboy says there's no better place for them to be in than rock and roll.
"Rock and roll is for the young. Rock is a primal feeling, it's immediate and it's primal. You just have to attack it. No holds barred," he ends. "Just practice. It's really just practice. Get a good band, get some good people, practice. Say what you feel and just go for it."
