Smokey Mountain was a Filipino singing group formed by musical director, composer, and National Artist for Music Maestro Ryan Cayabyab and executive producer Judd Berlin. The original group was based in Manila, Philippines, and had James Coronel, Geneva Cruz, Jeffrey Hidalgo, and Tony Lambino as its original members while Jayson Angangan, Chedi Vergara, and Zhar Santos joined James Coronel for the second lineup after Geneva Cruz, Jeffrey Hidalgo, and Tony Lambino left the group. Eventually, James Coronel left to pursue a solo career and Anna Fegi replaced Shar Santos during the 1994 tour in Japan. First batch The first batch was discovered and developed by songwriter, arranger, and musical director Ryan Cayabyab. The group was named after the Smokey Mountain garbage dump in Manila. The concept for their debut album cover came from the idea that they had to be dressed in ragged clothes to depict the then-dire situation of the scavengers living on the Smokey Mountain garbage dump. In 1989, the group released its first self-titled pop album that consisted of songs revolving around social, environmental, and patriotic themes. The group's first hit, Kailan (When), was number one on national airwaves for eight straight weeks and the album hit gold, platinum, and double-platinum status within months of its release. In late 1990, the group went on the "Better World" tour, performing at the United Nations World Summit for Children in New York and representing the Philippines at the 5th ASEAN Song Festival in Surabaya, Indonesia. In 1991, Smokey Mountain became only the second Filipino act (after Gary Valenciano) to participate on NHK's Kōhaku Uta Gassen. In 1992, the band performed in Paris. Second batch Having to choose between formal schooling and a two-year, two-album contract for release in Europe and the U.S., Tony Lambino and Jeffrey Hidalgo left the group, while Geneva Cruz pursued a solo career & released her first solo album "I Like You". The popularity of the group already reached its peak at the time of the departure of the group's 3 members, however, Ryan Cayabyab held auditions to find new members to fill in the void of the 3 founding members who left the group. Ryan Cayabyab then reformed the group with remaining original member James Coronel and three new members Shar Santos, Chedi Vergara, and Jayson Angangan. This second batch also had successful hits, such as Da Coconut Nut (about the benefits of the