Created on March 22, 2012, this blog is dedicated to the rich and diverse Philippine cultures and it's people. You will find here pictures of the indigenous, music, dances, baybayin art, places in the Philippines, tattoo's, animistic beliefs, myths and legends, deities, food, martial arts, and everything that makes us Filipino, as well as our fellow Pin@y's from all over the world.
“Dapat Tama” performed by Gloc-9 and Denise Barbacena, is GMA Network’s advocacy for an informed Eleksyon 2013.
Gloc-9 has been as busy as politicos hawking promises these days.
On the week of the official start of the campaign season, the rapper unleashed two songs advocating for clean, honest elections.
The first song entitled “Dapat Tama” debuted Monday night, Feb. 11, on the GMA evening newscast “24 Oras.”
Gloc 9 performs the song with his protégé, pop singer Denise Barbacena, to serve as soundtrack to the Dapat Tama advocacy of GMA Network’s News and Public Affairs group.
Not playing the blame game
In lyrics and gestures, Gloc 9 and Denise call on the voting public to use their minds and hearts in deciding who they will vote into office. The lines go: “Kung di tayo kumbinsido wag na natin ihalal/ Dahil sa dulo bawal ang kakamot kamot.” (“If you’re not convinced, don’t vote for them/Cause at the polls, you don’t start scratching your head.”)
In an email exchange with Yahoo! Philippines OMG!, Gloc-9 says, “I can easily say that the song expresses my personal disappointment with those we elect into public office. But that would not be fair. I would rather say that ‘Dapat Tama’ is not about putting the blame on anybody.
“Remember, we vote these people into office. It would unfortunate if we start looking for somebody to blame. We might as well be pointing fingers at ourselves for allowing the kind of people we elect into office.”
Vote with minds and hearts
Instead of pointing a finger outward, Gloc 9 and Denise tap their head and the breast during the performance. The point is to encourage voters to use the mind and heart in making the right decision.
The rapper adds, “TV personality Ms. Jessica Soho suggested the title and the gestures. They drive home the point that voters should be more proactive in making their choices. My own intent in recording the song is to precisely inform the people to use their minds and hearts when they cast their ballots.”
The second song is a collaboration between Gloc 9 and Kamikazee with guest appearances by Wolfgang’s guitarist Manuel Legarda and Queso’s Biboy Garcia.
‘Kunwari’ is the flipside of ‘Dapat Tama’
Entitled “Kunwari”, it’s a hard rock number in which Gloc 9 and Kamikazee’s Jay Contreras assume the role of a candidate seeking fervently an elective post.
The twist? The aspirant has all the wrong qualifications to be elected to a public office even as he insists he’s the only one worthy of the post.
It’s a flip of “Dapat Tama.” Gloc 9 says, “Kunwari” has a sarcastic tone. We’re just having fun but we also hope to inform the people of what not to look for in a candidate.”
A mash-up of people’s feelings
“I wrote the song some years back, and me and Kamikazee have always talked about doing a song together. We enjoyed producing “Kunwari” and as always, in the company of excellent musicians, I’m happy at how it actually turned out.”
Gloc 9 adds that while the two songs have differing themes, their appeal should span all ages and sentiments.
The two songs mash up a lot of people’s feelings about elections. For Gloc 9, it’s a personal crusade as the circus rolls into town. It’s also about democracy and the challenge of real change.
And while you’re at it, our favorite rapper dances on the bones of our eroding faith in the system.
Bridget (Jett) Hermano born and raised in Seattle, WA has grown a tremendous following on Youtube. She began private voice lessons at the age of 10 from popular songwriter of the Philippines, Cecile Azarcon Inocentes. Jett started singing for college talent shows in her middle school years then began worship leading at her church at the age of 16. She began to enter national songwriting competitions winning 2 years in a row. Jett was the 1st “Asian American idol” in the Filipino-American community of Seattle and Viewer’s Choice Winner on KIRO7 Seattle’s local televised show, “Seattle’s Stars”.
She released her first album through Seattle’s local entertainment group “Batallion” in 2006 and received local radio play from Spirit 105.3 and KISS Satellite Radio. Soon after, Jett began making trips to the east coast ultimately enabling her to work and network with many credible entities and songwriters including Record and publishing company, WaterMusic (partner of Stargate), Soul Diggas, Taj Jackson, Shanell Irving of Big Drawz Music, D-Moet, Reuben Andre Mccray, Mike Warner, Jayms Madison, David Boom Pinks, Suga Jay of Fambase, Brian Neal of Infared Ink, Twice as Nice, Dana Stinson (Rockwilder), Steven Russell of the Underdogs, Sky Movement partner with Beluga Heights and worked with 2FIFTY3 as the only female writer and vocalist.
Jett will be performing and competing in next week’s Sudden Death round that will announce the Top 20 contestants of this year’s American Idol. As a singer she mostly sings pop and r&b songs so we will see what she performs next week.
Here is a link to one of her original songs, “Wake Up Call”. [x]
You can find her other original songs and covers on her Youtube channel as well.
I’m more excited for all of you to witness and absorb this beautiful piece than I am to think up any decent commentary to compliment it.
Sous Chef Dan and I sometimes talk about how it bothers us when Filipinos think of things like eating SPAM and singing Karaoke as “so Filipino.” Well, maybe that’s a part of it. But it’s important to understand where these cultural habits evolved from in order to understand ourselves better. Then it starts to make sense why the modern North American Filipino would get so involved in certain art forms and social behaviour.
R&B singing groups in the nineties? Filipinos BEEN choral. B-boying? Filipinos BEEN dancing in organized groups. Slam Poetry? Filipinos BEEN chanting epic poetry. But to be honest, I watch something like this and feel considerably less Filipino, because up until 5 years ago I hardly knew anything of this side of our culture. And these are the very roots of Filipino-ness.
This is one video in a series of the most stunning footage of Philippine indigenous culture I’ve ever seen. I’ll post the one and you may seek the others on your own, rather than me flooding your timeline.
Camille Pilar, Therese Jamora-Garceau, Mark Laccay, Gaspar Claus, Eric Gonzalez, Trina Penaflorida, Marie Berst, Douglas Mak, Andrew Bembridge, Dona Inthaxoum, Karine Vouillamoz, Tahlia Rose, Maria Vittoria Cattozzo, Olivier Peyronnard, Kellie Sutherland, Derrick Belcham, Maud Guillaume, David Corel, Kate Torralba, Lucas Morlot, Rosie Hays, Colin Solal Cardo, Krystelle Harvey, Lyn Thibault, Brady Moss, Laura Tomanin Vescovacci, Johannes Klein, Aniza Santo, Celine Lazorthes, Kat Estacio, Mara Coson
A song written by Ruby Ibarra on her identity of being a proud Filipino and the colonization and struggles throughout Filipino/Filipino-American history.
Lyrics/Vocals: Ruby Ibarra Instrumental: Cormega - The Saga (Remix) Intro of the song contains samples from Francis Magalona - Mga Kababayan Ko and Apo Hiking Society - American Junk
Lyrics: Kailangan na tayoy gumising, ating damdamin isipin at itong hangin linisin, puede na natin baguhin bakit ba ganyan? naka posa ang ating kamay mga preso ng secreto at mali sa saysay so not myself as i should be - less a self, more selfishly the press say i should sell myself to shelves but theres discrepancy: identity thats meant to be and colonized mind in me lying in our eyes till we find ourself as enemy taught to use papaya soap like whiteness is the antidote caught in colonized approach cant fight this, like im at the throat question it? you start to choke, unless you lessen half your soul pressin close this flattened nose, its told its best if I’m ‘Cano best if i erase the brown, color of the country’s ground color of the roots found beneath the lands of Mindanao people power sequel cuz this be the peoples hour so we need to see it now or we cant seek whats really ours
colonized mind, blind folded, so im hypnotized compromised pride, bind hands, never reach the skies modified eyes, cry truth, fail to recognize the disguised lies write views planted in our minds callin me a dogeater prayin on some chicken bones nation known for sex tours, order brides mailed to homes all of that is nonsense, they’ve never felt the misery they’ve never seen my province or know my country’s history the blistered feet, pollution, greed, Spain and U.S. Colony planted all this fallacy, corruption in mentality Marcos with regime and so no privacy for families people power used to heed the government monopoly the poverty that never sees improvement from economy kayumangi, no equality, cuz white is what you oughta be the native tongue i try to speak is silenced by the mastery of English that I’m forced keep to take the FOB outside of me
like Bulosan said, Americas in the heart but my blood is Philippines that keeps it pumpin in the dark So people wake up so we can learn about the issues Those we never learned in school, and missed in news Those we never find in books, so its a missed tool Never learned to hold up a fist, our minds the pistol defined by a line in my mind called the hyphen So over time, I’m, tryna find the right height when tryna reach the sky but I fight from being boxed in Wanna bridge the gap but my color is the toxin cultures counteract, keep me back as a caution of history and facts from my path so I’m tossed in stuck between America and Philippines, though so i know that Im both, so I struggle with this rope If I’m Filipino now with a flat nose makes me Filipino then, but with my eyes closed
Loonie feat. Quest - Tao Lang Filipino Artists & Music ~
Artist: Loonie feat. Quest Song: Tao Lang Album: I Am Normal Lyrics:
Parinig naman ng rap mo! sample naman d’yan Ang ganda naman ng cap mo! arbor nalang yan Ang yabang mo naman! wala ka bang kanta na bago? Bakit wala kang battle? Takot ka bang matalo? Ha? Paulit-ulit ang tanong ng mga tao Wag sanang apurado, anong magagawa ko? Wala akong maisip, masyado pang mainit Akala mo tuloy mukhang suplado pag tahimik Pagod lang talaga, galing gig Tuguegarao Walong oras sa van, tatlong oras sa kalabaw Tapos pag uwi ko pa para bang hindi ko malaman kung bakit ang buhay ko ay para bang naging pelikula Laging puyat! Nagkalat ang papel na nilamukos Andame ng kapeng ipinautos Tinta ng aking bolpen, malapit ng maubos Isang patak na lang pero aking ibubuhos.
Hook: Mali ba na magkamali ang ‘sang tulad ko Ako ay tao lang din naman na tulad mo Ano ba ang dapat na gawin Dapat bang kamuhian o dapat ba na tularan ang ‘sang tulad ko na tao lang.
Pasensya na, tao lang
Sapul sa pagkabata, sablay nung tumanda Lumakad humakbang hanggang sa madapa Wag kang mawawalan ng pag-asa, wag kang madadala Kung wala ka pang mali wala ka pang nagagawa Madadapa ka muna bago ka matutong lumakad Ang buhay ay utang, hulugan ang bayad Kaya wag kang matakot magkamali Pero alalay lang wag kang masyadong magmadali Yan ang sabi sa akin ng aking itay Na pinapaalala palagi sakin ni inay na kadalasan ay hindi nasusunod Ayoko ng sumali, gusto kong manuod Minsan wala ng gana, ayoko ng magrap Kase akala ko dati, alam ko na lahat Yun pala kulang pa ang kaalaman kong labis Ngayon alam ko na kung ba’t may pambura ang lapis.
Hook
Pasensya na, tao lang
Pero di ba tao ka lang din, hindi mo ba napansin? Kahit anong taas mo na, titingala ka pa rin Kahit planuhin mong mabuti, bakit ganun pa din? Di maiwasan na magkamali kahit anong gawin Kadalasan, nangyayari ay ang kabaliktaran Marami kang detalye na makakaligtaan Mamamali ka ng daan lalo kung wala kang g’anong alam Ano magagawa mo? Tao ka lang Napapagod, natatakot, naiinip Natatawa, nagtataka, naiinggit Nangangawit, nagagalit, nabibigla Nalulungkot, nauutot, nahihiya Natutukso, nakukonsensya, nauubusan din ng pasensya Nasasaktan, nagmumura pero nagmamahal pa rin kahit natuto na.
Hook
Pasensya na, tao lang
Pasensya na, sorry naman Kung pwede lang sanang isoli na lang Pasensya na.
The Music Video by ABS-CBN for the SEA (Southeast Asian) Games 2011 displaying a really good look at the Filipino culture. Who is looking forward to this years video for the SEA Games 2013 in Myanmar?
Filipino music is idiosyncratic inside Asia by its deep Hispanization and Western features. However, pre-Hispanic indigenous music remains manifest in oral traditions connecting it with Southeast Asian personality. Muslims in the Philippines (Moros) preserve this realm, being the Kulintang the most notorious instrument. After a contemporary process to recover the indigenous traditions as part of the Philippine Civilization, a historiography dealing with different aspect of the Kulintang has been developed. The standard kulintang nowadays is composed by eight gongs, from biggest to smaller, from lowest to highest. These gongs are disposed in a row over a wooden construction, suspended on strings as braces. Each gong has a protuberance (“boss”), in which the performer plays with a pair of sticks made of soft wood.
Grace Nono ~ Traditional Folk Musicians from the Philippines
Born and raised in the river valley of Agusan, in Northeastern Mindanao, Southern Philippines, Grace Nono is a Philippine music performing artist, Philippine studies researcher/author, and cultural worker/administrator.
A product of the University of the Philippines where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Humanities and master’s degree in Philippine Studies, Grace is currently pursuing her doctoral studies in Ethnomusicology. She also received training from the Asia-Pacific Performance Exchange residency,1the Asian Cultural Council residency,2the Asian Institute of Management Arts Management Program, and the Asia-Pacific Cultural Center for UNESCO’s training on Intangible Cultural Heritage.3
For the past fifteen years, Grace studied sung oral traditions from Philippine elders, infusing these with her own contemporary voice and spirit to advance issues of living identity, women’s rights, and indigenous spirituality. She has been a featured artist at the House of World Cultures in Berlin,4Mercat de les Flors in Barcelona and Circulo de Bellas Artes in Madrid,5the Music Village Festival in London, the Lincoln Center’s La Casita Festival in the US,6concerts in Paris and Monte Carlo, WOMAD in Yokohama, the Exposition on Nature’s Wisdom in Aichi,7the Asian Fantasy Orchestra tours of New Delhi, Bombay, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Miyazaki, Bangkok, Vientiane, Yangon, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh,8the Hong Kong Asian Arts Festival, the National Museum of Singapore9and the Singapore Arts Festival, performances and conferences in Huairou, Bangkok, Jakarta, Nanning, Shanghai, Seoul, Penang, Taipei, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, and many different parts of the Philippines.
Her book, The Shared Voice: Chanted and Spoken Narratives from the Philippines (ANVIL Publishing, Fundacion Santiago) won in the 28th National Book Awards, Arts category. She is also currently working on a second book on the music of the Philippine babaylan (Visayan/Philippine shaman). In collaboration with composer Bob Aves, Grace has produced an audio and print series on Philippine oral traditions and instrumental music, which are being used by a number of teachers and students in the study of Philippine music, arts and culture. Grace herself has taught Philippine Traditional Arts at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, and Philippine Oral History at Miriam College.
Her book, The Shared Voice: Chanted and Spoken Narratives from the Philippines (ANVIL Publishing, Fundacion Santiago)10won in the 28th National Book Awards, Arts category.11She is also currently working on a second book on the music of the Philippine babaylan (Visayan/Philippine priestess). In collaboration with composer Bob Aves, Grace has produced an audio and print series on Philippine oral traditions and instrumental music, which are being used by a number of teachers and students in the study of Philippine music, arts and culture. Grace herself has taught Philippine Traditional Arts at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, and Philippine Oral History at Miriam College.
As cultural worker/administrator, Grace serves as Founding Director for the Tao Foundation for Culture and Arts, a non-government organization engaged in cultural regeneration and holistic development initiatives, for which she has been granted support by the the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the National Commission for Culture and Arts,Toyota Foundation, the Ford Foundation, UNESCO, the British Council, Advocates of Philippine Fair Trade, AusAid, and local communities and institutions.
To date, Grace has won over 40 awards, including TOYM or Ten Outstanding Young Men Award, TOWNS or The Outstanding Women Award in the Nation’s Service, National Book Award, numerous Catholic Mass Media, Katha, Awit, National Press Club, and other awards for her artistic and cultural contributions.
