ALAMAT has never sounded particularly interested in playing it safe. Five years into their journey, Taneo, Mo, Jao, Tomas, R-Ji, and Alas continue to make music that moves between languages, regional stories, traditional instruments, and contemporary P-Pop. But ask them what keeps the group working, and it comes down to something more personal: knowing when to let each other take the lead.

“I think a big part of this is letting people lead where their strengths are at,” Taneo says. For him, ALAMAT works because everyone gets to bring something different to the table. “We get to utilize everyone in the whole team, and every piece just hits together as one whole team.”

Taneo describes R-Ji as having “very kuya vibes,” particularly when he needs guidance as the 6inoos’ leader, while Tomas brings years of experience in the entertainment industry and a deeper understanding of showbiz culture. That same openness carries into how ALAMAT sees itself as an idol group.

“We want to promote authenticity,” Tomas says. Rather than building an untouchable image, they want Magiliws to see the people behind the performances. 

“Gusto namin ma-feel ng tao na parang tao lang din kami,” The goal is to be admired not simply because  bthey’re idols or celebrities, but because they’re good at their craft. 

Their authenticity becomes even more deliberate when the group works with Filipino culture. ALAMAT doesn’t simply pick a traditional instrument, language, or story and drop it into a song. The members talk about researching their material, consulting people from the communities they draw from, and making sure they understand what they’re representing.

“Kailangan namin i-ask ‘yun from doon sa lugar… kailangan talagang aaralin talaga nang mabuti so we can represent them well.” Tomas shares.

It’s a process that has found its way into their music. From the tracks “Maharani,” that means a “great queen” or the wife of a maharaja, “Dong-Dong-Ay,” a modern rendition or interpretation of a traditional folk song from Kalinga, “Day & Night” draws from the Magindara, a mermaid figure in Bicolano mythology, while “Kasmala” and “Dagundong” explore other facets of Philippine history and culture.

For Alas, the challenge is making those elements work within music that still feels current. As one of the group’s producers, he incorporates ethnic instruments into contemporary arrangements while keeping his own musical style intact. More than simply using them, he wants listeners to understand how those sounds can belong in modern music.

“Gusto ko makita nila na ganito ‘yung proseso and ma-inspire din sila,” Alas says.

An idea arose throughout ZEEN’s conversation that some of the members ultimately agreed on: The more regional you are, the more universal you can become. 

For Jao, ALAMAT’s regional identity isn’t something that limits where their music can go. It gives them something distinct to bring to a wider audience. He points to Korea as an example of how artists can bring their own language and culture to a global audience without having to abandon what makes them distinct.

“We don’t have to mostly get influences from foreign countries,” Jao says. “We just have to stay true to ourselves.”

For ALAMAT, staying true also means giving listeners a reason to look closer. Tomas hopes someone eventually hears one of their songs and thinks, “Nalaman ko ‘yung kwento nito dahil sa Alamat.” He also hopes their music can help keep regional languages, including Bicolano, within reach of younger generations.

Taneo sees that impact on a larger scale. If ALAMAT can make Filipino stories and sounds part of mainstream pop, he hopes it can chip away at the idea that local culture is somehow inferior to what comes from abroad.

Then there’s Magiliws, who have turned listening into its own form of participation. R-Ji says the group especially appreciates seeing fans learn the meanings behind lyrics written in languages they don’t speak.

“Sobrang na-appreciate namin ‘yun,” he says. “’Yung goal namin doon is nakikita na namin ‘yung parang nasasabayan nila kahit ‘di nila naiintindihan ‘yung mismong lyrics.” For a song to travel to people who don’t even speak the language is its own kind of connection. And for all the weight behind their work, ALAMAT still can’t resist being ALAMAT. 

Asked to describe their current standing as an artist in three words, R-Ji says, “I’m, still, learning.”

Taneo goes with “Growth, journey, learnings.”

Tomas chooses “Knowledge, love, and respect.”

Jao, naturally, takes a different route with “delicious, nutritious, and supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

Mo keeps his answer simple. “Gusto ko pa. Gusto ko pa. I want more.”

Their idea of a legacy follows the same mix of sincerity and humor. R-Ji initially jokes that he wants the group to be remembered for “’yung kaldag ng Alamat,” before landing on the answer that matters most: “Pero siguro, ’yung music talaga namin.”

For Mo, it’s about respect, roots, and knowing where you came from. For Taneo, it’s about changing how Filipino culture is valued. For Tomas, it’s about leaving people with knowledge they can carry forward. None of them talk about culture as something that belongs behind glass.

‘They want it moving in songs, in languages, in beats, and eventually in the hands of the next generation. Five years in, ALAMAT is still learning how to make all of that fit. “Gusto ko pa,” Mo says. So does ALAMAT.