Jose Penala, a Filipino-American, started singing at the young age of seven. Over the years he would sing at family gatherings and found he had a passion for music. As a teenager growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area he put together his first singing group. Serenading the hallways of their high school, with soulful music and smooth harmonies, they became known as "Simply Smooth." The group sang together for a few years until they decided to go their separate ways. Jose realized that he enjoyed performing for audiences and that music was his life.
Jose began writing lyrics and continued to perfect his voice through the years. In 1996, he partnered with his good friend, Darrell to form the group “DnH” - short for Drop n Harmony. Friends, Jerome and Lionel, joined the group within the next three years. The four self-starters worked hard on their craft, practicing constantly to blend their voices into the perfect mix of breathtaking harmonies. This San Francisco based group, was a favorite in the Bay Area and were likened to a Filipino Boyz II Men. In 1998, they were signed by a professional label and released their self-titled debut album in 1999. DnH's first album was a hit among the Asian community but was unfortunately overlooked by mainstream media and did not receive the airplay that it deserved. Popular for their ballads, some of DnH's memorable hits include, "Anything" and "Because I Love You".
At the end of 2001, Jose began a compilation with members of other Asian-American singing groups. During this initial collaboration, the four singers: Jose, Errol, Drey, and Cyrus, realized that they shared the same passion for music and similar visions of success. This led to the creation of a new group, “6th Day”. Their debut album, "Forever Starts Today" was released to International audiences and received much success in the Philippines.
Throughout these chapters of his life, Jose has developed both personally and professionally into a mature and powerful singer. However, this is just the beginning...
The future looks bright for this shining star!
© 2006 JosePenala.com
