JAGMAC, a pop sensation composed of four brothers and two sisters, is on the verge of becoming a household name in the music industry. Comprised of Jared, Angelique, Gabriel, Manjo, Alyssa, and CJ, their bond extends far beyond music, rooted in a shared upbringing within a Polish-Filipino family where music was a central element. Their journey began with a surprise performance at their father’s birthday, where CJ wrote a song and choreographed a routine, revealing the magical synergy between the six siblings.
Their path to stardom started with humble performances at various venues, including schools, churches, and even parking lots. Despite the diversity of settings, their heartfelt performances, often dedicated to charitable causes, left an indelible impact on audiences worldwide. Over time, their dedication and talent led them to tour across three continents, sharing stages with renowned artists such as Little Mix, Chainsmokers, and CNCO, while gaining recognition as Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing (NBT) in 2018.
Beyond their musical prowess, JAGMAC possesses unique skills, as all members are black belts in Tae Kwon Do and Eskrima, which they showcase in their live performances and music videos. The martial arts, rooted in their family heritage through their martial arts school, Kick Connection, in Maryland, have contributed discipline and choreographic finesse to their performances. However, their true strength lies in their harmonious vocals, creating a distinct and heavenly sound when blended together.
Their latest musical endeavors aim to fuse diverse cultural influences, striving to create positive and universally resonant songs. Committed to maintaining an uplifting message while showcasing the group’s maturity, JAGMAC seeks to transcend boundaries and connect with audiences from diverse backgrounds, symbolizing the magic that occurs through cultural fusion.
Can you tell us more about the origin of the group and how the idea of forming a band came about within the family?
Music has been present in our lives from an early age. Our mom has a background in singing and our dad is an incredible dancer. When you put those together, you get us! We grew up listening to the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, the Spice Girls, and later on, the Black Eyed Peas. But it wasn’t until a surprise birthday party for our Dad that things really came to life. CJ, who always dabbled in songwriting as a kid, thought it would be a cool idea to write a song and teach it to all of the siblings. We even had a little dance routine and matching outfits! It was at that moment, when we all sang and danced together for the first time in public, that we all knew performing as a family was something we wanted to pursue and that it would be our lifelong dream!
What is the importance of your Polish-Filipino heritage in your music and performances? How do these cultural influences manifest in your songs?
Being Polish – Filipino (or as we call it -Polipino), has played a huge part in our career. We are very proud of our heritage and it reflects in our music as well as our live performances! Our Polish grandfather introduced us to big band and swing music with an appreciation for the classics. Meanwhile in our Filipino home with our grandparents, we were constantly singing and dancing around the house. We even sang in church as a family and it’s something that brought us all together. Hearing Filipino words and being around Filipino culture allowed us to get to know our roots. We feel that these were some of the key aspects to our childhood growing up and we wanted to reflect that in our music and our shows! With songs on our album such as “Masarap” (which means delicious) and “Sayaw” (which means dance) we can implement those elements and show our fans what makes JAGMAC unique. In addition, since Arnis/Eskrima is the national sport of the Philippines, we also incorporate some of these movements into our live shows which makes for a super high-energy performance rooted in heritage.
You started with performances in very diverse venues, including schools and churches. How did these initial experiences shape the group and contribute to the development of your performances?
We feel so blessed and fortunate to have performed in so many different places around the world! From all of the venues, schools, and churches we were able to learn things about different cultures and people along the way. Sonically, it helped us create a sound that we feel is authentic to who we are and our background. From R&B to praise and worship and to pop music, we wanted to blend all these elements together to create our own sound. This translates to our live performances as well because it is very high energy and entertaining. And there are elements for all audiences to enjoy!
All members of JAGMAC are black belts in Tae Kwon Do and Eskrima. How do martial arts influence your musical performances and the group’s dynamics?
Martial arts has definitely played a key role in our development as performers! We started studying martial arts at 3 years old and have been training/ teaching ever since! We own a family business in Maryland called Kick Connection where our dad has been the Master Instructor for over 35 years! It has instilled key values in the group such as discipline, perseverance, and respect. It also has helped us in terms of breath control for singing and dancing and has made learning new movements for choreography a little easier. On another level, practicing the martial arts has helped to give us confidence at an early age. We had to be able to perform in front of people for our belt testings and demonstrations, so we just got used to performing. We love the martial arts so much that we even incorporate it into our live sets. We feel like it’s a really unique and cool element for audiences to see which also shows another side of the group.
You have shared the stage with renowned artists such as Little Mix, Chainsmokers, and CNCO. How have these touring experiences impacted your trajectory and growth as artists?
Being able to work alongside such talented artists has definitely impacted our growth as a music group. We see the hard work and dedication that goes into putting on a great show and it has been inspiring to see. But above and beyond the artists, we also know that it takes a lot of hard work from a lot of people to put on a great show. The contributions from the entire team of managers, sound and lighting technicians, dancers, hair & make-up artists, stage hands, craft services, and so many more jobs are all crucial to an amazing performance. But what’s equally important are the fans. And we are so thankful to our fans, who we call “JAGMAC Fam”, for always showing up and supporting us.
In our travels and performances, we have learned so much and have made many incredible memories. One of our favorite memories would definitely be performing two back to back sold-out shows at the London O2 Arena!!! To see that many people all cheering for us and singing our songs was surreal, and it makes us want to work even harder so that we can keep making those kinds of memories. We truly feel honored to have shared the stage with so many incredible artists and we look forward to meeting and working with even more along the way!
Radio Disney named you the ‘Next Big Thing’ in 2018. How did this achievement affect JAGMAC’s career and recognition in the music industry?
After being named radio Disney’s ‘Next Big Thing’ we felt we could take the entire music industry by storm! It was such an honor to receive that achievement and recognition, especially since we had been listening to Radio Disney since we were kids. To be in the company of Shawn Mendez, Alessia Cara, Fifth Harmony, and other former “NBT’s” was beyond exciting!!! From that point, we were given a huge boost, both in our confidence and in the opportunities that we received. As “NBT’s” we received tremendous exposure and performed for numerous Radio Disney sponsored events all over the country, such as a professional surfing competition in San Diego, California, Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game in Cleveland, Ohio, LA’s Walk & Play Fundraiser in Los Angeles, and Disney World’s Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida two years in a row. Radio Disney was also a sponsor for our nationwide tour with boyband, In Real Life. At the culmination of the tour, we even had our very own sold out concert in our hometown – Baltimore, Maryland.
Your songs carry a positive and uplifting message. What motivates you to maintain this approach in your compositions, and how important is it to the group?
It is very important to us that we remain true to ourselves as artists. Perhaps our Catholic roots and martial arts training have taught us to have faith and to never stop trying or believing. There is so much negativity in the world. We want our music to be different – to be fun, but uplifting, and always with a message of hope. We have received so many letters and messages from fans who have said that our music has made such a difference in their lives. Some stopped harming themselves, some who considered suicide changed their minds. Others just felt empowered to set goals and achieve them, while still more felt comforted in a time when they were struggling. Hearing that helps us to know that our music has a greater purpose and that we are making a difference in the world.
How do you balance different cultural and musical influences when creating new songs? Can you share an example of a song where this fusion particularly stands out?
We always try to be our most authentic selves while creating music, especially in our lyrics. However, the production is where we really love to explore sounds from different backgrounds and cultures! A good example of this would be our song, “Motivation”, which talks about the ups and downs of being an artist. In that song, you hear lots of Latin influences in the production! And on our album “Ends of the Earth” we incorporate sounds from all over the world including Africa, South America, India, Asia, etc…
What are some of the challenges and rewards of working in a group composed of family members? How do you handle creative or personal conflicts?
Working together as siblings has probably been one of the greatest blessings. Since we all know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, it makes everything so much easier when it comes to knowing how to divide the song parts, dance moves, etc… Of course we argue and disagree about a lot of things, just like any other family. It can also be difficult at times because after being together so often, we sometimes feel like we don’t have enough personal space. But at the end of the day, it’s an incredible feeling to be able to share your lifelong passion on stage with some of the people you love the most – your brothers and sisters! Lots of other bands and groups have split up, but since we’re family, we’re kind of stuck with each other… in a good way! And when it comes to conflicts, whether creative or personal, we try to be respectful of where the other person is coming from and what they are experiencing in their life at any given time. We all have our moments, so sometimes it’s important to just take a step back and try to understand how the other person is feeling and look for a way to resolve the problem with love and compassion.
What are the next steps for JAGMAC? Can you give us a glimpse of future projects or collaborations that you are planning?
The next step for our group is to get as much exposure as possible. We released our first full length studio album entitled “Ends of the Earth” this past January, so we are promoting it everywhere we can. We want the whole world to know about JAGMAC! Another exciting piece of news is that we recently relocated to the Philippines to further our music career. So you’ll be seeing tons of upcoming shows, appearances, and hopefully even some new collaborations with other Filipino and Southeast Asian artists. The stars are all aligning, so please be sure to follow us @jagmacmusic for all of the latest news!
Follow JAGMAC on Instagram