VST & Co. (Filipino Group)

VST & Company (commonly abbreviated as VST & Co. or simply VST) was a Filipino disco band formed in Manila, Philippines, by Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Spanky Rigor. The band was one of the most successful Filipino bands of the late 1970s and is widely recognized as an early proponent of Original Pilipino Music (OPM), gaining mainstream success with its debut hit disco B-side single "Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko" in 1978, which played a pivotal role in the rise of disco culture in the Philippines and initiated "VST Mania", a period of widespread acclaim in the late 1970s that swiftly established the band as national icons. The primary studio members included Lorie Illustre (keyboards), Jun Regalado (drums), Roger Herrera Jr. (bass), Celso Llarina (guitars), Vic Sotto (vocals), and Spanky Rigor (vocals), while the performing lineup featured Roger Rigor, Male Rigor, Monet Gaskell, Val Sotto, and Jun Medina. The band released five albums featuring notable hits such as "Rock Baby Rock", "Swing It Baby", "Disco Fever", "Magsayawan", "Kiss Kiss", "Magnifica", and "Step No, Step Yes". The band also starred in three feature films—Disco Fever (1978), Swing It, Baby (1979), and Rock Baby, Rock (1979)—which highlighted their significance and influence within contemporary Philippine pop music. Alongside groups such as Boyfriends, Hotdog, and Cinderella, VST & Company were instrumental in pioneering the Manila sound genre. In a 2019 ABS-CBN YouTube interview for ASAP featuring Manila Sound music, Monett Gaskell said that 1970s Philippine radio stations were required to play at least one Filipino song per hour, helping Original Pilipino Music (OPM) surpass foreign LP sales and gain wider popularity. Fellow member Male Rigor recalled that Tito Sotto, then with Vicor Music, recognized the potential for a new local group after hearing a waitress hum a song by The Boyfriends, who were signed under OctoArts. This prompted him to consider forming a rival band. The concept materialized with the formation of VST & Company. According to arranger Lorrie Ilustre, Tito Sotto, then A&R manager at Vicor Music Corporation, requested an urgent recording to compete with a rival release. Ilustre worked with Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon on "Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko" (1978), with de Leon writing the lyrics and Sotto composing the melody. He arranged the track with session musicians Jun Regalado (drums), Roger Herrera Jr. (bass), and Celso Llarina (guitars), completing the orchestration in Davao before finalizing the horn, string sections, and production in Manila. The single was initially released with "Ikaw ang Aking Mahal" as the A-side, but radio stations favored the B-side, "Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko", which became a major hit and propelled VST & Company to prominence in the late 1970s OPM and Manila Sound scene. Tito Sotto noted that despite its success, television promotion remained necessary. He and his brother Vic were hesitant to take on major on-screen roles, as Joey de Leon was already established as part of TVJ. To address this, a television lineup was formed featuring Vic Sotto, Spanky Rigor, and Celso Llarina, with additional members recruited to lip-sync during appearances. Rigor selected his brothers Roger and Male, while Val Sotto, Monett Gaskell, and Jun Medina completed the group. These members performed on television, while the original studio musicians handled live performances. Upon the release of their debut album VST in 1978, the record quickly achieved gold certification. The album helped spark the rise of Philippine disco culture, leading to a period known as "VST Mania", during which the group rapidly gained nationwide popularity. Their first major concert at Cebu Coliseum in Cebu City, was themed "Galactica"; meant to celebrate the box office popularity of the sci-fi epic, Star Wars: A New Hope. The band's primary members wore Darth Vader masks and matching black capes. The aftermath of the highly successful concert reflected band's immediate impact on Philippine pop culture. As the disco decade came to a close, VST & Company's last performance and public appearance as a band, would be during the nationwide Coca-Cola "Coke Litro" Tour. The promotional concert tour lasted an entire year, from 1982 to 1983. At the time the band quietly exited the entertainment industry, they had already completed five full-length albums filled with double platinum hits, and made three feature films. In an interview with Chinkee Tan on his YouTube channel in August 2024, Tito Sotto recalled having difficulty choosing a name for the group after recording "Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko" and "Ikaw ang Aking Mahal". Inspired by MFSB, whose name was based on initials, he used "VST" from his own name, Vicente Sotto the Third, during his time with Vicor Music. To avoid implying sole ownership, he added the initials of Vic Sotto and Spanky Rigor, collaborators on the recordings. He explained that in "VST & Company", "Company" referred to the rhythm section involved in the original studio sessions. Ballet Philippines (2016) For its 2016 holiday season presentation, the Cultural Center of the Philippines premiered "Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko" on December 2, 2016. The dance musical, a collaboration between Ballet Philippines and ABS-CBN with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gerard Salonga, celebrated the music of VST & Company. The libretto was written by Bibeth Orteza, with choreography by Carissa Adea, James Laforteza, and PJ Rebullida, and direction by Ballet Philippines artistic director Paul Alexander Morales. The production featured Karylle, Michael Pangilinan, Markki Stroem, Kyle Echarri, Cooky Chua, Sandino Martin, Jef Flores, and Noel Comia Jr. Awit Award honors (2017) VST & Company's contributions to Philippine music were recognized when they received the "Dangal ng Musikang Pilipino" award at the 30th Awit Awards, presented by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry on November 26, 2017. Millennials Embrace the Music (2017) In December 2017, the Adamson University Pep Squad won the UAAP Cheerdance Competition with a routine set to the music of VST & Company at the Mall of Asia Arena. Male Rigor later joined the celebration at the Adamson University campus in Manila, performing "Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko" during the victory bonfire. ASAP Natin 'To Celebrates 40 Years of VST & Company To celebrate VST & Company's 40th anniversary, ABS-CBN's longest-running Sunday noontime show, ASAP Natin 'To, opened their February 16, 2020, episode with a full musical tribute to VST & Company. The variety show's stars performed rearranged renditions VST hits: Gary Valenciano opened the show with "Magsayawan", followed by Zsa Zsa Padilla performing "Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko", along with Elha Nympha, Zephanie and Janine Berdin. Ogie Alcasid performed "Step No, Step Yes", Martin Nievera and Billy Crawford did "Rock Baby, Rock". And for the finale, the entire cast closed with "Magsayawan". TVJ, Eat Bulaga! "Dabarkads" (2015) August 2015, Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon performed "Kiss Kiss", "Ipagpatawad mo", and "Rock Baby Rock" on Eat Bulaga!. Disco Manila (2016) August 13, 2016: Spanky and Roger Rigor, along with Jet Montelibano of Music and Magic and the Sounds of Manila band, headlined "Disco Manila", as part of the Grand Performances Outdoor Summer Series in Downton Los Angeles; curated by DJ and host Joel Quizon, nephew of comedian Dolphy. NYU Abu Dhabi (2016) In October 2016, Spanky and Roger Rigor performed in New York University Abu Dhabi with the members of "Disco Manila". The university extended an Artist-in-Residence invitation to the two US-based members of VST & Company. Stanford University (2018) In April 2018, Spanky and Roger Rigor performed at Stanford University's Stanford Live performance series at the renowned Bing Concert Hall. Accompanied by the Union Band, the show was a first for a Filipino act at the famed venue. Ernst Community Cultural Center,