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Born Armando Capito, and nicknamed 'Bombay' as a child because of his part-Indian ancestry inherited from his maternal grandfather, a name that by his teenage years had evolved into 'Bambie', this talented Philippines performer set out to share his talents and his love of music with the world beyond his native Manila. Working Japan, China and America, he built a reputation as a natural 'live' artist in a diverse range of venues from cruise liners to bars, clubs and concert halls, covering the music that inspired both him and his audience across the generations. Arriving in Hong Kong during 1985, Bambie rapidly became one of the best known and appreciated 'live' musicians in its vibrant music scene, performing solo and with bands, and crossing the musical boundaries from contemporary American folk to blues to pop and rock with ease.
His recovery from a serious illness in the early 90s strengthened his belief that God had great plans for him as a musician.
"It was a worrying time for me." Bambie remembers. "But something inside me felt that better days lay ahead. I had a strange feeling that there was a musical reason for my survival beyond what I'd already been doing. With the love of my friends, fans, and family, and by the grace of God, I came through the crisis. " Returning to his 'live' performance career with renewed energy, Bambie widened his venues list to include regular performances at the well-established monthly folk show in Hong Kong's unique arts centre, The Fringe Club. This decision was a fortuitous one, as in early 1999 the Managing Director of the UK independent record label Springboard saw Bambie perform there for the first time.
Realising that in Bambie there was a potential recording artist, Springboard continued to quietly observe Bambie's other performances in a variety of venues and with different line-ups across all musical styles. His performance and musical ability were never in doubt, but what Springboard were looking for was the ability to write good original material. Bambie remembers that period well.
"By early summer," he recalls, "Something was happening with my music, but I didn't know why. I was inspired to write songs for the first time, enabling me to add my own songs to the 'covers' performances. They were well received, and more songs just flowed out of me. I had no idea at the time that I was performing original material to someone who had been waiting to hear exactly that. The man I had come to know as a fan and a friend never told me who he really was. "
That disclosure came in November. Bambie delivered a memorable acoustic performance at the prestigious Hong Kong Folk Festival, quickly followed by a powerful rock and pop set with his band at the Discovery Bay Festival. Both shows included a variety of Bambie's own songs, prompting Springboard to offer a full recording and promotion contract as the festival ended.
Springboard's Marketing and Studio Production directors visited Hong Kong over the following months, meeting Bambie, watching him perform, discussing the planned recording, and organising demo takes for the studio crew. Availability issues regarding the top UK session musicians that Springboard wanted on Bambie's debut album were resolved by mid-2000, and Bambie flew to England in October, completing the 13-track all original "Be Home Soon" CD in just two weeks of studio time.
Released into Hong Kong's Canto-pop dominated CD sales market via HMV retail and via performance sales from April, the CD has continued to sell, supported by airplay across three radio networks. The album has attracted early phase promotion response from Europe, the U.S.A, from Taiwan, and from Japan where Bambie spent the summer of 2001 performing.
Springboard are supporting Bambie's return to the Philippines to live and work from early 2002, securing the services of a Manila based artist performance management company, and a PR handler, both of whom will liaise with the Springboard representative based in Cebu, seen as an important location for showcasing Bambie's talents to its international visitors.
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