MANILA – Following the departure of lead vocalist TJ de Ocampo, OPM band Munimuni has introduced the newest member of the group.

The indie folk band dropped a group photo with Ben Ayes, introducing him to the public for the first time.

“Komunidad, si ben nga pala. Pinakabagong miyembro ng Munimuni,” the band said on its Facebook page.

Ayes is joining Adj Jiao, Owen Castro, Jolo Ferrer, and Josh Tumaliuan in the band that popularized songs “Bawat Piyesa,” “Sa Hindi Pag-Alala,” “Marilag” at “Sa’yo.”

In October 2020, the band went on hiatus due to the growing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Alam naman nating lahat na medyo mahirap ang panahon ngayon. Maraming problema, maraming nakakalungkot, at the same time, maraming pangangailangan. Kaya sa panahong ito, gusto sana naming ipaalam sa inyo na magpapahinga muna kami. Hiatus, ika nga nila,” the band wrote.

• Indie band Munimuni announces hiatus

Munimuni eventually returned to the music scene in June 2021 with a new song “Maligaya” and the shocking news that De Ocampo is leaving the band.

According to him, he needed to prioritize his personal and family life and, at the same time, he wanted to try new things as a solo artist.