On Saturday, Dec. 12, a local band, Smiles Davis, eased back to playing live with an evening performance at the Coffee Slut coffee shop in Agana. They performed cover songs ranging from Maxwell, Daniel Caesar and Childish Gambino. 

The four-piece ensemble includes Vince Mesa on guitar, Martin Honor doing the main vocals and the keys, RJ Aguon on the drums and Eric Tydingco on the bass. 

According to Mesa, the band has only done four gigs so far. This recent performance is the second time they’ve played live again since the lockdown. 

Smiles Davis first formed in February earlier this year. However, each of the band members have all created music separately before the formation of the band. 

“I’ve played with a lot of groups over the years and I’ve recorded with a lot of artists,” Mesa said. “But whenever you find a good drum and bass combo, you have to hold on to that.” 

Mesa remains hopeful for gigs and bookings in the future. 

“We do what it takes [to get back],” Mesa said. 

For those interested in booking the band, contact or visit the Smiles Davis Instagram page at @smilesdavis671.

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On the second day, they distributed 350 packages in total. Each package contained dried and canned non-perishable foods.

Some of the items inside of the package included rice, pasta noodles, tomato sauce, and banana chips.

For each distribution, the staff at the Asan-Maina Mayor’s Office employed sanitization guidelines.

These measures ensured the safety of both the staff and the residents.

They had packs of gloves, masks, wipes and bottles of both hand sanitizer and alcohol ready at their station for the next exchange.

These food distributions have been going on for months since the pandemic began. This event was part of the last wave of food distributions for October in the southern villages. 

According to Marie Toves, a staff member at the Asan-Maina Mayor’s Office, these food distributions allowed for them to get to know the people in the village. 

Another staff member, Ben Untalan, adds on to how these distributions have assisted the community during these hard times. 

“Doing this is very good for the people,” Untalan said. “With the crisis going on [with] COVID-19, people need help.”

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Originally, Yatar postponed writing “Maybe” for a year. After gaining experience from a past relationship, Yatar was took advantage of the lockdown to revisit and finish the piece. 

Experience is one of the key factors in her songwriting. 

“A lot of times when I write music, I can either write a song in one day or it takes me a couple years,” Yatar said. 

As a current fourth-year student at the University of Guam, Yatar uses music to maintain some balance. 

After tearing her ACL in 2019, it gave her clarity in her priorities. Music and education are at the top of her list.

The next step for Yatar as an artist is to improve her skills. 

Before the end of the year, she plans to release her EP album. For the long-term, she strives to make her dream a reality. 

“I want my music to be played worldwide. I want to be known,” Yatar said. “It’s a dream and that’s ultimately what I want to do with my music.” 

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