Sa'less: An Underground Haven

What started out as a small karinderia in a street surrounded by banks, coffee shops and just a few blocks away from Sta. Ana Church is now considered, if not the only, one of Davao’s most visited music bars. After Moonstamp in Matina and Durian Bar in Quirino, (which music enthusiasts considered “the music bar” of the early 2000’s) both shut down for business and Taboan in Matina Town Square now usually showcasing show bands, Sales Bar is considered the place where musicians with their fan boys and fan girls all get together to bond over beer and music.

Sa'less crowd on the brink of a mosh pit.

Sa'less Diner and Moozika opened for business in around mid of 2010. Located in Sales Street just near Chimes, Sales Bar Tekanplor once was a small time eatery by day and an improvised music bar by night just to be found beside the present Sales Bar building. Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Moshe Papica, their cousin Paolo Papica and RJ Tan, Sales Bar was only visited by people looking for budget-friendly everyday food during daylight. As the sun goes down the eatery turns into an improvised music bar with instruments for the owners Moshe’s and Paolo’s band mates and friends.“Syempre, mga music lovers kami, and so we started to form our own band. Since we already have our own place, so why not play in our own place diba? So karinderya sya by day, and inuman slash music bar by night.” Since then, Sa'less evolved from being a mere eatery to a chill hangout where various artists have been invited over the place to play and freely expose their craft.