Chito Miranda

Chito Miranda

Alfonso "Chito" Miranda, Jr. (born February 7, 1976) is a Filipino singer and songwriter who is best known as the lead singer for the band Parokya ni Edgar.

Life and career

Miranda attended high school in Ateneo de Manila University when he met Gab Chee Kee, Vinci Montaner, Jeric Estaco, and Miko Yap. They played vocalists and guitarists, respectively.

The group was known in school to be class clowns. Normally in shows they would show up in women’s clothing for victims of earthquakes and typhoons and would start to sing off-key in poetry readings.

They eventually landed as front acts for alternative rock band The Eraserheads. Buwi Meneses and Dindin Moreno were added as bassist and drummer respectively. When they graduated high school, of their original members, Jeric and Miko, decided to leave the group pursuing other interests. Shortly thereafter, Darius Semaña (lead guitar) joined to complete the sextet.

Originally, Parokya ni Edgar was called Comic Relief. However, they decided to change the name in homage to an ancient classroom joke. It revolves around the story of Noli Me Tangere, one of Miranda’s school subjects.

Miranda and the rest of Parokya ni Edgar played in Club Dredd, one of the famous clubs in Manila during that time, coming out during the height of the Filipino rock explosion, with the local rock community giving in to the influence of especially foreign grunge acts such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.

Eventually, the late managing director of Universal Records, Bella Dy Tan, signed them as contract artists after witnessing one of their performances at Club Dredd. The band garnered triple platinum for their first album Khangkhunghernitz.

Miranda dated actress Kaye Abad for a long period of time until their break-up in 2009.

Discography

With Parokya ni Edgar

• Khangkhungkherrnitz (1996)
• Buruguduystunstugudunstuy (1997)
• Gulong Itlog Gulong (1999)
• Edgar Edgar Musikahan (2002)
• Bigotilyo (2003)
• Halina Sa Parokya (2005)
• Matira Matibay: PG-13 (Singles 1994-2007) (2007)
• Solid (2007)
• Middle-Aged Juvenile Novelty Pop Rockers (2010)