Troubled Youth Guam, or TYG, is a collective that started in 2017 to bring diversity to island music. The young artists discuss the barriers and opportunities in the music community.  

What began as teenagers writing music about their struggles growing up on Guam naturally developed into a platform to turn those struggles into art. 

TYG started as high school friends who were musically gifted and wanted to make music. Their shared passion gradually grew into a collective of local young artists. 

Emann Adonay is the group’s producer and helped establish TYG. The group develops every original piece at his home studio.

“TYG uses music as an outlet for our emotions. Our troubling experiences as teenagers from Guam inspired the music, “ Adonay expressed.

After five years, Troubled Youth Guam expanded with twelve artists who bring their diverse experiences to the local music industry. 

Their talents range from rapping and songwriting to playing instruments and creating beats. They experiment with genres like reggae, hip-hop, and indie music.

As the group’s producer, Adonay agrees that TYG can be called island music. 

Each song explores the artist’s social life with references to living on Guam by weaving in the names of villages, relevant issues, and local slang.

“Even though we tap into music genres around the world and across history, I find myself bringing in what it’s like to be from Guam. Island music is music where people feel connected and relate to the island lifestyle, and I use this element in our music.”

Adonay admits that their path to musical success is not simple. 

The group’s greatest barriers are financial strains and commitment to the craft. Most members of TYG have lives outside of the group to support their families.

“We are so much more than rappers. We are also students, employees working minimum wage jobs, and islanders just trying to get by.”

Even with the countless hours and creative energy placed into one song, it takes months, even years, to visualize success. Pursuing a music career in Guam can be difficult and evoke feelings of self-doubt and impatience.

Yet, the group is committed to improving every stage of the song process until it is “undeniably good” by chasing quality over quantity and respecting each other as a family.

Troubled Youth Guam is grateful that the island supports aspiring local artists with opportunities to build the island’s music industry.

Opportunities that introduced TYG to the music community began in the group’s high school days. Their first public appearance was hosted by the radio station Power 98.

“We feature local artists hourly on our shows. We show our support by featuring their latest songs and interviewing the artists live. Listeners can request a song from their favorite local artist to be added to the day’s playlist,” Power 98 stated.  

The push to “support local” helped TYG grow from being rappers on SoundCloud to artists now playing at gigs across the island. 

Other opportunities emerged like mentorship, collaborations and promotion on social media.

TYG is currently working with Blklst Media, a local business specializing in photography and videography. They combined their skills and collaborated on several hip-hop cyphers and music videos. 

The group describes this collaboration as a “great experience working with professional, talented people who bring the music community together.” 

Both TYG and Blklst Media look forward to their future projects and supporting each other’s growth.

Over the years, TYG has received donations, performance offers and endless support from the local music community. 

The group has grown their fanbase and upgraded their studio by networking online and at their live performances.

“The dream is to make it big and show the world what Guam offers across music genres. Troubled Youth needs our island to listen, like and share our art,” Adonay shares.

Their love of music and representing the island motivates the group to be humble and create every day. 

Troubled Youth Guam hopes to inspire other artists to pursue their aspirations at any age and against all odds.

This article was written as an assignment for CO-226: Media Writing.

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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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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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Students from all over the United States participated in this program. There were a total of 33 students who represented various grade levels.

Like the other participants, the UOG students who attended had to first audition to earn placement in the seminar.

“They [the students] got to see how music works in the mainland,” Jennings said. “This seminar gave the students a small glimpse of what it’s like to be in the world of music and what it takes to be a working musician.” Jennings also taught at the seminar with Northwestern’s associate professor, Pamela Hinchman.

Del Rosario, an undergraduate UOG music major with a vocal focus, explained that although there were challenges, the students learned to over come them, and they came out with an amazing experience.

“It was a really big challenge,” Del Rosario said. “Students always had to be on their toes and produce what they trained themselves to.”

“I am a hard working individual,” Del Rosario said. As part of the training, the students had to put on an entire opera within five days as apart of the seminar.

“The program was very intimidating,” said O’Connor, a UOG undergraduate political science major, minoring in music, who participated in the seminar. “It offered mutual respect and mutual rivalry.”

O’Connor has had experience in different school plays and programs like University Singers and has been in the play “Seasons of Love,” which was produced by the University of Guam. The students hope to experience something similar to this event in the future. “It was nice to have access to facilities and resources that you don’t really get access to on Guam,” O’Connor said.

They felt the pressure but overall felt that it was a memorable experience. Although this was not a University of Guam sponsored event, the students were proud to represent the University of Guam’s music department in a positive light. or seminars offered here on Guam that are similar to what they experienced at Northwestern University.

Del Rosario stated, “Talent only gets a musician so far. You have to take the time to become educated in the craft in order to excel. There are things you learn when taking university courses that help you use your instrument, which is your voice to its fullest potential.” The UOG music department provided them with a base of education that helped them progress in the seminar. Jennings, who is in her third year of teaching at UOG, is from the state of Missouri. At UOG, she offers courses in Voice Lessons, Intro to Music, Class Voice, and Acting 1. She also teaches applied music (voice lessons).

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Aguon’s band has been around the music scene for about 20 years, and the amount of recognition that the band has received could be inspiring for other local musicians. Aguon attributes the success of her band to the rest members’ mutual love of music and practice they put in for their great chemistry and the years they have been together despite other bands breaking up over periods of time.

“I think the band has been together for so long because of the mutual respect that we have for each other,” Aguon said. “Gigging and rehearsals are never a chore.”

The amount of years that the band has been together has definitely made them a family. Aguon explained, “We all have very different personalities, but when the music starts playing is magical. Chemistry is good both on and off the stage.

We are like a family. We’ve been together long enough to understand each other’s mood swings and quirks.”

As a seasoned musician she says that you always have to work on your craft and study not only your material, but each other’s material to get that chemistry going and understanding the timing of the song. She says that being away from each other for too long can be like not seeing a family member for a while and when they all get together after a certain amount of time from being apart, they all catch up and it becomes a family reunion.

With the amount of hard work that they put into rehearsal and the knowledge that they have gained throughout performing, the band has surpassed their credibility as one of the best cover bands on Guam. Prominence has taken over many events, giving great performances and has gotten the crowd on their feet almost every time.

“Nobody has changed,” Aguon said. “We have managed to remain humble. I wouldn’t call the people ‘fans’, but our friends. I have seen people who have been there with us from the very beginning. It’s the type of appreciation that we get from our friends that keep us grounded.”

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Chemistry is good both on and off the stage. We are like a family. We’ve been together long enough to understand each other’s mood swings and quirks.” As a seasoned musician she says that you always have to work on your craft and study not only your material, but each other’s material to get that chemistry going and understanding the timing of the song. She says that being away from each other for too long can be like not seeing a family member for a while and when they all get together after a certain amount of time from being apart, they all catch up and it becomes a family reunion. With the amount of hard work that they put into rehearsal and the knowledge that they have gained throughout performing, the band has surpassed their credibility as one of the best cover bands on Guam. Prominence has taken over many events, giving great performances and has gotten the crowd on their feet almost every time. “Nobody has changed,” Aguon said,- We have managed to remain humble. I wouldn’t call the people ‘fans’, but our friends. I have seen people who have been there with us from the very beginning. It’s the type of appreciation that we get from our friends that keep us grounded.”

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   This will be Latte Tones President’s Andrew Gumataotao, second time participating in the Musicale Festival.

  Latte Tones public relations officer Marcel Jardeleza estimates that the overall cost is $3,000 per participant.

   “I gained a lot of confidence from these tours. I think it shows in the way I perform,” says Gumataotao.

   Latte Tones members often find a deeper friendship once off-island.

   The diverse members of the group became a family and are excited to share an experience that will not only help them benefit educationally, but morally as well.

    “Not only are we diverse ethnically, but personality wise as well,” Jardeleza shares. “We’re a family.”

Latte Tones practices for three to four hours three times a week and sometimes more especially since their show “An evening of pop and all that jazz” is on March 18 and 19. All proceeds will be shared amongst the 16 members.

  Donna Faye, a member of Latte Tones, says, “Not only do we learn about the diversity of music and style on these trips, but we submerge ourselves into another culture, we take that experience and apply it to our own lives, it’s a life changing moment for all of us.”

   “Dr. Johnson plans this for 16 people and we’re so thankful for him”, says Gumataotao.

   Please visit their Facebook like page University Of Guam Latte Tones and can donate at https://www.gofundme.com/gkm5tkm4. If you have any questions, please email Marcel Jardeleza at uoglattetones@gmail.com.

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Managing their everyday lives and being in a band that requires frequent rehearsals to get the sound just right seems difficult, but all the group members find ways to make sure they stay committed to the cause.

Ten till 2 also believes in the foundation of community and the members look for ways to spread awareness on certain topics they find important.

Nia Lim of Agat is one of the bands singers. Lim is a labeled artist of the Philippines who started her career in the early 2000’s. She has released albums and garnered record deals in the peak of her career.

“I believe in music the way some people believe in fairytales,” says Lim.
Lim believes in the influential power of music. She shared as a child, her family would always take the extra effort to promote her talents to the public.

Her father would stay with her while she waited in long lines for the opportunity to be in the show that changed her life.

With the growing popularity of her work, Lim was able to record her passion in music to be shared with the world.

Charlie Catbagan is another singer of the band and is also a local radio host also known as Mama Char. Catbagan gained his well-known status on island when he participated on the voice Philippines.

Its not very often that someone from Guam does something like that and in a matter of episodes, Catbagan managed to rally the entire island behind him as he tried to take the gold in the show.

For a couple of weeks during the competition, the entire island was constantly checking in on Catbagan’s status on the show.

The island waited to see if someone from Guam could win an esteemed competition such as the voice. Although he did not win, Catbagan shared that the experience was enough.

“The island was super supportive. Guam is hardly on the map like that and I would like to think that we are going somewhere with our talent,” said Catbagan.

Joseph Chargualaf is another singer of the band. Chargualaf is a high school teacher by day and band star by night. He is also taking classes to earn his Masters degree in education. Chargualaf believes that music is very important to children’s development, even for high school students.

The band recently participated in the Red Ribbon campaign at the Micronesian Mall. The Red Ribbon campaign is an alcohol, tobacco and other drug awareness campaign. The band believes in the importance of this topic and was more than happy to assist with the events that took place.

During December, the band will also participate in Ring the Bells to be held on the tentative date of Dec. 16, 2015. The band seeks to help hectic shoppers feel a little more at ease with their music as the public tries to get their shopping needs done. The event is to raise money for local charities for families who need help this Christmas.

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By John Mugol/Triton’s Call Staff

On Aug. 20, reggae pop fusion band, MAGIC! performed to a jam-packed event at the Leo Palace Resort Belvedere Hotel ballroom.

“Planning took two months, unfortunately, with the storm prior to the concert the venue had to be relocated,” said Tiffany Tam McCarroll, the media director at Tropical Productions Inc.

Because the venue was in a smaller setting, McCarroll said it gave the audience a close and intimate proximity.

“We want concert-goers to have a safe and enjoyable setting, closer to the stars,” added McCarroll.

With the change of venue, the ticket sales sold out fast.

Christopher Lizama, a former University of Guam student attended the concert. With a sold out concert and a smaller venue, Lizama said the concert was crowded.

“Over on social media, people were upset tickets were sold, but the concert was amazing,” said the 23-year-old.

As for the music, the band played hits from their recent album, “Don’t Kill The Magic.” Songs such as “Let Your Hair Down,” “No Way No,” and the popular hit song, “Rude,” to close the show. They also played covers songs and gave the audience a preview of their new song, “Sunday Funday.”

Lizama felt that turnout was good, however, he felt that the opening acts were longer than MAGIC! itself.

“The opening acts were good too, but it took a while for MAGIC! to actually play,” said Lizama.

The songs played are related to the audience. It was infused with pop and reggae. They were influenced by English rock band, The Police.

Social media influenced the hype and excitement of the band. Announcements appearing in social media reported the band was coming to play on Guam in the summer.

McCarroll feels that social media were a big help with ticket sales among the college audience.

“We spread the word out to college students, with the use of social media, we draw big events targeted towards them,” said McCarroll.

The members of MAGIC! are from Toronto, Canada in just a few days they were acculturated with Guam – from trying local foods and visiting Guam’s beaches.

McCarroll said they had a good time here on Guam, although it was a short stay. “They went bowling and swimming.”

As for future events, Tropical Productions Inc. has more events for us in store. “We produce concerts, comedy shows, and festivals,” said McCaroll.

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