A fixture of local primetime radio for 17 years, Sam YG was the daily dose of energy we got from the airwaves to help power us through rush hour on our drive home on the weekdays. Together with his co-DJs Slick Rick and Tony Toni, Magic 89.9’s top-rating evening show Boys Night Out killed it for nearly two decades. For many, they were our generation’s Tito, Vic and Joey.
“The show was so good. It was brilliant,” he points out. “It was a good combination. You had a Canadian guy who tried to speak Tagalog, an Amboy who until today cannot speak Tagalog, and here I am, ironically the only non-Pinoy, who spoke Tagalog fluently. It just worked. It was magic."
Born Samir Varma Gogna, the 40-year-old veteran host originally had a different path in mind when he was still studying in Ateneo de Manila University, where he earned a degree in Legal Management. “Back then, I didn’t know any Indian lawyers in the Philippines. I’m not saying there aren’t any. I’m sure there are. Wala lang akong kilala,” he jests. “Parang napaka prestigious, diba? Atty. Gogna.”
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PHOTO: John Manalo
While in Ateneo, he was part of the school’s fabled Blue Babble Battalion, the university’s pep squad, where he believes he got his early training in performing in front of crowds. He was part of Babble for six years. When he wasn’t busy cheering for the Blue Eagles at UAAP games, Gogna would host school events. His plans of pursuing the law profession all changed when one of his future co-DJs invited him to try out radio in 2004.
“I used to host a lot of org events, general assemblies, and whatnot. One time I was hosting, Tony said, ‘why don’t you try out to become a Junior Jock? You speak well,’” Gogna says. “I tried it out, made it through Junior Jocks, but it was 99.5 RT that hired me first. That was my first job.” Just 19 years old and in junior year of college, Gogna balanced school with doing on-air work.
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“I did the morning show on RT for about a year and a half and then, Boys Night Out, they had an opening. Logan left,” he remembers. “I joined BNO in 2006 and stayed there for 17 years.”
The Princes of Primetime Radio
Like comic book characters, DJs have names for their alter egos, too. People often wonder where Gogna’s came from.
“When you start out on radio, you don’t really get to choose your own radio name. It’s the seniors that will kind of baptize you. You can’t pick,” he shares. “When I was on 99.5 RT, everybody used to call me ‘Sam, the Young Guy’ since I was the youngest. It then became Sam YG and it stuck until today.” I actually already heard this story years ago while listening to Gogna on their nightly radio show but see, that’s the thing with Boys Night Out. You can never tell when they’re being serious or just pulling your leg.
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“Some people still don’t know that Y is actually not a middle name,” he laughs.
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It was a guaranteed rib-tickling experience every night with the wacky trio. The chemistry was unbelievable, they were the talk of the town, and business was good.
“At one point, it got so crazy that companies had to wait three to four months just to put ads on the show,” says Gogna. “We couldn’t play a song for a whole hour. It got to its peak and we were there to enjoy it.” It was always the perfect balance of current events and nonsense that was hilariously entertaining to the audience night in and night out. The banter was always relatable and it somehow felt like you were just listening to your friends shooting the shit every time you tuned in.
“We never had scripts for 17 years,” Gogna reveals. “We talked about what we wanted to talk about. There would be an outline but that’s as far as it goes. Everything was natural. It was a team effort. Slick played his role, Tony played his role, and that’s what made the show what it (was).”
Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning’s End
Gogna surprised everyone when he said goodbye to radio last November. “Of course, it was a tough decision,” he says. “There were so many nights I'd be right here, staring at the wall, thinking, ‘tama ba tong ginagawa ko?’ I guess it goes for a lot of artists who leave the band, there’s always that fear: ‘Are you really going to make it alone?’ There’s no guarantee because you were always known as part of a group.”
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Radio was what introduced everyone to Sam YG and from this stepping stone, so many opportunities sprung. “I talked to the boys and I told them I had reached the point where nabigay ko na lahat sa radio,” he shares. “From me going to Eat Bulaga to MTV to Channel V to Studio 23, even GMA. I did the rounds of TV networks because of radio. It really did give me so much and my time with radio was such an incredible journey. I felt it was time to move forward. I said goodbye with a heavy heart but I truly believe it was the right time. At some point you have to realize if you want to grow, you have to let something go.”
A number of changes were going on in Gogna’s life at the time. For one, Covid drastically transformed the landscape of how people consumed their entertainment. Because of all the streaming platforms available today, people turn the radio on less frequently than they used to. Gogna had also just recently tied the knot, which many believed was a possible reason for him to maybe have outgrown the carefree bachelor persona he was known for on the show.
“It had nothing to do with me getting married,” he explains. “I’m blessed with finding Essa who has been so supportive with my decisions. It’s really finding that person who will support you through and through. After the pandemic, of course a lot of things happened but a part of me wanted to grow, wanted to expand, and wanted to do other things as well.”
It’s obviously never an easy decision to say goodbye to something you’ve enjoyed doing for so long especially with people you’ve enjoyed working with, but friends will always understand what’s best for you. “I miss hanging out with the boys but I’m happy for them and I’m happy where I am,” he says. “I really want to focus on hosting and elevate my game further.”
PHOTO: John Manalo
Life After Radio
Gogna is one of the most sought-after hosts in the country today. Gifted with ridiculous range, he has an innate ability to command any audience at almost any given situation, keep them engaged, and make them laugh. More than just from repetition, one gets drawn with what he does because of how effortless it seems for him to take control of any stage he sets foot on as well as in front of any crowd.
“Being a host, I’ve trained myself that I’m able to adapt whether it’s a corporate event, an awards night, a pageant, Eat Bulaga, Boys Night Out, or a wedding. I’m able to adjust,” he shares. “That’s the first rule of hosting: Pivot to the audience. Being able to adapt and knowing who you’re talking to. Magta-Tagalog ka ba or English? What jokes are you going to use or are you even going to crack jokes?” In hindsight, Gogna thinks radio would probably provide the best training for anyone who would want to get into hosting. “It really trains you to think on your toes. Even if hindi mo ako bigyan ng script, laban.”
Some of the best events he has hosted have been in stadiums packed to the rafters while others he has enjoyed just as much have been more intimate gatherings. “You can’t beat energy like that. MOA Arena with 25,000 people screaming all together. That’s pretty intense,” he recalls. “I’ve also hosted weddings in Europe and in the U.S.. Out-of-town weddings are super fun but the pressure is, ikaw ang maglalabas ng fun. Ikaw ang magdadala ng energy ng crowd.”
Come to think of it, the task does seem rather daunting. Imagine the pressure of knowing you could make or break someone’s wedding night, a once-in-a-lifetime event for the couple who hired you, but that’s where all of Gogna’s preparation comes into play.
Behind the Scenes
Having more time on his hands now that he’s stepped away from radio, Gogna gets to be more immersed in the intricacies of each booking he closes with his clients. “For weddings, I’m already part of the production process. When I meet with couples, I run through the program myself or I suggest this or that because the energy and flow of the program really matters a lot,” he explains. “I’ve been doing that quite a lot now, which I could not do so much before. Now, I’m really part of the process because I want it to be special for every event.”
Gogna also gives sound wedding advice largely due to the fact that he’s hosted so many. You’ve probably been to at least one wedding where Gogna was on the mic. Does that risk making his hosting a bit routine for audiences who have already seen him before? “I think the secret is to always reinvent,” he says. “Even if that joke might be coming at you, the set up would be different so you won’t see it coming. Eventually, there’s going to be a crowd that will see you again, so I shuffle up the games, I come up with new ideas, and sometimes there is that certain joke that I feel really works with any crowd so I’ll probably use it again, but the intro or the appetizer, so to speak, will be different from the main course.”
Gogna says it’s also very important for him to stay updated. How the current generation speaks is one example.
"You have to try and get yourself into their culture or else you’ll get left behind,” he says. “To stay in the game, I need to know what’s going on. ”It also really is a very different time. As much as there are many topics that people can now openly talk about, there also are some that might probably get you canceled.
“How we were able to crack jokes on radio before where lahat pinagtitripan namin, ngayon meron nang mga off-limits,” he adds. “I’m going to admit, it’s harder to be funny these days.” Did it take the fun out of it? Definitely not. It just challenged him to be more creative.
“When I got married, everybody was saying ‘nako, wala na yan. Hindi na nakakatawa si Sam kasi magpapakasal na. Hindi na majojoke yan.’ But then I actually found another avenue to include my wife in the way I do my comedy,” he shares. “It’s really how you manage things and how creative you can be. It’s up to you to navigate through it and it shouldn’t be a reason to stop you.”
Based on his experience, older crowds tend to be easier to manage while the younger ones are more of a challenge since most of them are perpetually glued to their mobile phones.
“Of course, there are still barriers that you have to cross to further understand generations especially if the crowd’s older or younger. That’s where the homework comes in. You do your homework to know how you can relate with your audience,” he says. As for bad days and tough crowds, Gogna has had his fair share of those, too. “Sometimes, you really bust out all your jokes but it’s just not their cup of tea. You have your good days and bad days but you bounce back. I’ve had some tough clients and run-ins, as well. Seventeen to 18 years in the industry, you’ve seen it all. I think that’s what I’m also blessed to have witnessed.”
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Reflections
Twenty years ago, Gogna never would have expected his path would eventually lead him to where he is today but he’s definitely glad it’s the one he chose to take. “I can’t think of any regrets. At least career-wise, everything fell into place at the right time. Even me saying goodbye to Boys Night Out, it was really the right time for me to do it,” he reflects. “The fulfillment you get especially when you’re so tired, there are times you do three or four events in a day, but you go home, pagod ka pero masaya. Nothing beats that feeling.”
Gogna’s schedule is always the busiest around the end of the year but he can’t complain. He’s arguably everyone’s top of mind in his chosen industry but that’s not something he’s dwelling too much on. Blame it on his Jesuit upbringing; Gogna is obsessed with constantly improving his craft and being the best he can be in his chosen industry. Striving for Magis, if you will.
“I still want to improve and come up with new stuff,” he says. “I’ve been doing it for so long but to be on top of your game, you still have to do your homework, put in new material, hindi ka pwedeng ‘okay na ako.’” But things are more in perspective for him now. Dedicated to his work as he is, Gogna is well aware of why he’s doing all this in the first place.
“It’s a lot of work, actually. I still do a lot of pre-prod. I still write a lot of material but I make sure I spend two days a week taking the night off and just enjoying my time with Essa. It feels a lot healthier that it’s not all work. Sometimes you get sucked in and you forget why you’re working to begin with.”
It’s been a remarkable ride for Gogna thus far and he’s not about to stop anytime soon. “I love what I do. This is my passion,” he says. “Nothing ever replaces the feeling of making people happy.”
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