Draft:Major Chords

In 1972, the Temato Social Clan was formed for Ateneo de Zamboanga college students and graduates interested in singing. The group initially sang songs from The Lettermen, APO Hiking Society, and American folk songs, but gained popularity when they began singing Chavacano songs.^[5][6] They performed for various programs in Ateneo and weddings around the city.^[3] The group started recruiting new members and was later renamed the "Temato Choral Society" in 1973, performing in venues such as the Zamboanga Plaza Hotel. In 1975, Temato was invited to perform at different events outside the city, such as in Bayview Plaza, Manila, and later changed back to their original name "Temato Social Clan" in the same year.^[6]

The original group members, alumni and non-students at the time, decided to disband the Temato Social Clan in the early weeks of December 1978. Before this, some members of the group still studying at Ateneo decided to form their own musical group, and on November 27, 1978,^[7] the Major Chords was formed.^[8] The name was proposed by Bobit Navarro, one of the main composers of the group.^[3]

Several songfests held in Ateneo de Zamboanga were sponsored by the group in the late 1970s, a role that was previously fulfilled by the Temato Social Clan.^[9] The group performed their first tour outside the city in Isabela, Basilan, on December 22, 1979, with a concert sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.^[6] They continued to host concerts in Ateneo through the 1980s, collaborating with different choral groups on campus.^[10] The group did another tour in 1991 at the Philippine International Convention Center, where they featured their Chavacano songs, representing Region IX in an event sponsored by the Department of Tourism.^[3]

On July 27, 2000, the Major Chords released its only album, "Paseo de Amigos ...despues de todo." The album launch took place at the Marcian Garden Convention Center,^[11][7][12] with subsequent performances at Ateneo de Zamboanga on July 28 and at the Western Mindanao State University on July 29 together with the WMSU Grand Chorale.^[3][13][14] Local sources have noted the album's role in the preservation of the Chavacano language and credited the group with reviving traditional Chavacano folk songs for a contemporary audience.^[15][16] After the album's release, they continue to perform Chavacano music locally nationally, often invited by the Department of Tourism to represent the culture of Zamboanga Peninsula.^[4][17]