Dakila

Dakila were an American Latin-rock band from San Francisco that released a self-titled album on Epic in 1972.

Members: David Bustamante (guitar), Bert Ancheta (guitar), Fred Ancheta (bass), Frank Magtota (drums), Romeo Bustamante (organ), Carlos Badia (congas), Michael Gopal (timbales)

Dakila were assembled in the early 1970s by a group of Filipino-American cousins and brothers in the Bay Area. The band released their singular album on Epic in 1972. It features six originals, including “Persiguiendo,” “Gozala,” “Make Me a Man,” the epic medley “Akibaka/Ikalat,” and the 7″ a-side “El Dubi.”

The tracks were laid at Pacific Recording Studios and produced by the team of Bruce Good and Jeffrey Cohen (Pointer Sisters, Patti LaBelle, V.S.O.P.) and engineered by Jeremy Zatkin (Herbie Hancock, Malo, Frankie Miller). On the back-cover liner-notes, Good describes the music as “a taste more jungle than you’re used to,” and identifies Tagalog (an Austronesian language) as Dakila’s “subtle spice” and “new flavor” in the Latin-rock stew.

Bassist Fred Ancheta (aka Freddy Mabuhay) issued a hard-rock/psych album as Golden Dragon on a namesake self-press in 1981.

Discography:

• Dakila (1972)

Sources:

• Discogs: Dakila