Roddick gives his all and falls for the ball

I know, I know, this was supposed to be the beginning of an all-music blog, but while I haven’t got a place to dump all the other fancies in my head, I will always try to come up with a way to squeeze music into the equation.

In the form of a soundtrack.

On a warm sunny spring afternoon at the Wimbledon center court, two heroic figures meet at the finals of the most classic tennis tournament. For either players, it would be a historic bout. One is vying to break Pete Sampras’ record by winning his 15th grand slam victory while the other is a man who used to be the world number one, disappeared into obscurity and decided to get back in shape to reclaim his glory by orchestrating one of the biggest upsets in tennis history. Federer and Roddick had a lot at stake.

They play each other until the 5th and final set, on what seemed at first to be an almost impenetrable gameplay from both sides. Roddick serves splendidly and is stunning his opponent with uncharacteristic volleys. Federer on the other hand holds out even though he appears exhausted, giving it his all when Roddick finally show some cracks at 15-15. I was rooting for Federer at first but seeing Roddick’s spirited and utterly jaw-dropping performance, I wanted him to win in the end.

But like any sport, someone has to win and the other lose.

I am dedicating this post’s song to the courageous fight put up by the American, Andy Roddick.  Roddick, I’m sure you’ll remain in the conversation on the next grand slam. We’ll be watching you.

Download audio file (Masterminds Soundtrack - Youth of America.mp3)

Birdbrain - Youth of America [Download] [Lyrics]

Dangerous album cover

In the summer of 1995, I snuck into my uncle’s room with keys to his bottom drawer containing his most precious special edition tape of Michael Jackson’s  ”Dangerous” album.  The album is said to be the last plateau of Jackson’s music career before it went downhill relative to the high standards he himself set with previously historic sales.  I played the tape every morning while I stayed at my grandmother’s house that whole summer.  Every morning the first song I’d play would be “Black and White”  which my uncle told me was my generations version of Stevie Wonder’s “Ebony and Ivory”.    I never understood it until much later, upon hearing Stevie’s song throughout my life.

Every legend or celebrity we tend to render some respect to are often intertwined to a personal memory that we could connect with their creations. It shows that some mementos are created not only by people we personally know, but who leave a mark through their art or performance.

RIP Michael Jackson.

Download audio file (Michael Jackson - Gone Too Soon.mp3)

Michael Jackson - Gone Too Soon [Download] [Lyrics]

I also realised that the website is also a semblance of myself, of my ever fluctuating interests and at this point in my life when I want to stay focused, I seem to want to implement it on this blog as well. Finally.

If music is what got this blog rolling then expect that the next few months will be ALL ABOUT MUSIC.  Let me know what you think about that, if the random content is more your thing or a blog about music seems to sound more like my style.

Again, happy birthday Southisms.

Ironic Belo ad

Now since my sensationalist title actually worked, I would like to announce my strong suspicion that the Senate’s involvement in this scandal courtesy of Bong Revilla Jr. has siphoned our attention from the creeping in of the arbitrary constituent assembly (ConAss, for short – it being a charming pun intended) to the general public.  Sadly, I have been aware of this sneaky consortium for more than a year now but have rarely caught it on the local news.  How everyone managed to sit on the fence on ConAss until now remains a mystery even to its long time opponents.  I figure that it must have been all the side-shows that took place over the last two years that have kept people entertained but abysmally uninformed.

Speaking of side-shows, since the Kho-Halili sex scandal broke out I held myself back to comment on the issue because firstly, I would have to illegally obtain a copy of the video from a sidewalk banketa in order to observe its implications to either party.  I, as a student of the social sciences could not liberally incur analysis whether social, criminal, psychological or otherwise without having a full observation of the party’s behaviour and circumstance down to its naked facts.  However, to admit that I have the materials in aid of analysis would be held against me presumably under anti-pornography laws and anti-piracy laws. Incidentally these are the two contentious issues being discussed in lieu of this so-called scandal, apart from Kho Jr.’s small but legendary wang.

What we could discuss without having to comment about small male appendages is that on the street, there is a somewhat peculiar status to the media crimes involving the sex scandal.  Although the Optical Media Board’s (OMB) crusade was to obliterate all forms of illegal media distribution, it has come to a point that piracy has become a huge counter-culture it is virtually impossible to stop even on Edu Manzano’s watch.  Hence, the DVD kiosks remain and raids are not as habitual and effective: from a policy standpoint, crackdowns turn out to be a lousy way to stop piracy per se.  Even when you pull out the roots, you have a full plantation to dispense.  What would be more reasonable than targeting the source is to stop the raids altogether and start investing money on promoting and protecting independent media.  Such is the case in India where people pay to see the movies and prefer it over the DVD.  That’s a different story but the point is since piracy is so popular and the public is more sympathetic to their friendly suki it is futile to spend taxpayer’s money on raids, when our police force ought to be out there fighting more worrisome crimes like rape, corruption and theft. One philosophy professor from Ateneo de Manila supports piracy because it makes media more accessible to people. Media is one way of educating people and piracy has made one kind of education cheap.  In the Philippines, if any harm is done because of piracy, it’s the loss of profit by our local movie industry especially independents and then there’s the proliferation of child pornography.

When it comes to pornography, I have a very specific stand on this issue and that is that any pornography ought not to exploit children and ought not to involve any man or woman who was forced or trafficked.  The latter is harder to distinguish from the numerous role-play sex videos readily available through the internet or the DVD stands.  And so what the OMB does is it confiscates ALL pornographic materials and puts the blame on the piracy culture.  They summon international anti-trafficking statutes to justify their confiscation.  These allegations are partly true.  Although pornography is legal in the country for people ages 18 and above, the proper charge against the confiscation of pirated pornography ought to be piracy alone, if the OMB has no evidence that the materials they’ve accumulated in the raids do not include child pornography.  They are revisited by the same legal gray area that questions the efficiency of piracy crackdowns in the first place.  I once asked a vendor how they managed to survive all the raids and that person told me that the “mayor” was okay with them selling pirated movies but pirated pornography was a complete contraband.

My advice to wankers out there is to stick to the internet because I would rather not have any of you get your grubby paws on any of the real contraband which is child pornography (that means screen starlets aged below 18: remember Barely Legal? Aha!  Then you are guilty as charged!)

Going back to the real topic of this post, the Kho-Halili sex scandal sprung so many questions that easily put limelight-seeking actors-turned-public-servants to the media fray perhaps because of vested interests.  Is it because of the elections that people are begging to be noticed on TV?  None of these fools have even made a lucid comment in aid of legislation.  This whole scandal is fuelled by VANITY so you be true to yourselves you vain shits. Stop talking and make your own movie!

And by the way, this scandal is really about invasion of privacy.  Can the media roll over and stop the frenzy?  Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of this trial’s exercise altogether?

(L-R) Me, Jett Pangan, JB Leonor, Kenneth Ilagan (Truefaith), Ricci Gurango (Hungry Young Poets, Mojofly)

New wave has got to be my unconscious genre.  I was born in the late eighties, so most of the music I remember from my earliest living memory is a combination of new wave radio hits and clumsily spurned grunge.

Growing up, I never knew The Dawn but when I did my homework prior to my interview I immediately recognised their songs.  Most probably, the only reason I would ever get the chance to hear their music is if someone older than myself had been picking the tunes on the radio and I just happened to be in the same room at that time.  The night before the interview, I sent everyone on my phonebook ages 30 up to see if any of them knew the band.  I get an urgent reply from my lawyer, our veterenarian, an engineer, so on.  People of considerable stature.  This is the generation the band sung to.  And so as someone who was barely born at the cusp of their prime, my Filipino music history was enriched and had a brush up last friday with The Dawn.

Unfortunately, my record of the said interview was of such poor quality I wouldn’t dare upload it to grate your ears. Instead, I wrote a transcript of the higlights of the interview that fans might appreciate.  Viola.

I see we have a couple of powerhouse sessionists that’s Kenneth of True Faith and Ricci of Mojofly. How come Buddy and Francis couldn’t make it?

(Jett) It’s really a coincidence because Buddy’s wife is having her graduation from her Masters today and Francis is taking a leave from the band.  Really busy guy.

You’ve been a band for more than 20 years.  Five of those years you spent in hiatus, did you ever think at that point when you first disbanded that hey, this is it?

(Jett) I really did think that that was it for us.  We were just fatigued and picked up on the new trends where we really didn’t fit.

All of you did several side projects during that time and we’re doing well on your own, how did it occur to you to have a reunion?

(JB) I just wanted to play the drums again.  And I thought why should I be playing with anyone else when we had these guys here?  I called Jett, Caloy, Kiko and even Atsushi.  I just wanted to play music again, and you know it was a good thing to have a breather to have dealt with all the clutter we’ve accumulated, because after that it was just about the music.

I want to talk about your newest album The later half  of the day and noticed a number of new wave covers.  Some of your old songs have been “jazzed up”, I would say, to a point they are distinctively mellowed from the originals.  How did you come up with that?

(JB) We wanted to do something rock bands never do, at least in the Philippines.  Because normally, we want our music loud.  But we agreed to push through with the concept anyway, did a series of shows in Makati, in Greenbelt to be exact, and they proved very successful.  I thought people were going to thrash it. (Laughs) But people flocked it, they actually loved it.  We did five or six more shows and then we decided, it made sense to make an album out of it.  Surprisingly it was selling very well.  Basically putting old songs in a new way, that’s what new wave’s all about.

What was the idea behind the movie based on your band called Tulad ng dati?  Did Mike just approach you one day?

(Jett) Oh yes, definitely.  He’s a big fan of the band.  He worked for us shooting another video, but he wasn’t directing.  He was like just watching there.  Really anticipating the chance to talk us because he had this idea for a long time to come up with a film about our band.  One day, we borrowed a video camera and did it.  It was just refreshing working with Mike because he’s very passionate about film and the story.  He had been developing it for years, made us read the script and we talked about it, and we put in our input.  By the way, the film won Best Film in Cinemalaya 2008 and that was just an utter surprise.  Then it was a flurry of opportunities for the band.  We even had a musical based on our songs.

I posted a notice online to see if any of your fans would chime in with their questions for you.  I have one here that is a bit peculiar, it’s from Mickeyboy:  If you were stuck in an island, how did you get there?

(Laughs) (JB) That’s a really profound existential question! An island, huh.  It depends how I got there.  What’s my favorite mode of transportation?

(Jett) I know what’s your favorite mode…

(Laughs) (JB) Well, really I’m trying to come up with a wholesome image here.  Say, I got there on my imaginary yatch packed with hot chicks!  But there you go.

I have another one here from a fan named Cheska, she asks:  Do you guys have any openings?

(JB) Are we talking about a physiological opening? (Laughs)

But more to the point, I understand that you wanted a female vocals initially.  JB, you were there with Ted Diaz when you formed the band.  I know about this story but I want to hear it from you.

(JB) Actually, it was Ted’s idea to get a female vocalist, whereas I, you know, I’m good with anything.  And so this guy (points at Jett) shows up with a girl who he was helping out and she had a hard time singing.  So he was demonstratively helping her out and when he sung on the mic he just blew away the place into high heavens!  You Jett, you really broke those speakers.

(Jett) Which reminds me, I haven’t paid for their damaged goods. (Laughs)

I have here a question from Ria, how did you guys manage to stay together for a long time?

(Jett) Wow. It’s all about the music.  We never imagined getting this far.  Plus, we’re all in a way educated enough not to get in to physically hurting each other when we fight. Basta, music is always number one.

My friend Blogie wants to ask you guys, how did you get the strength to move on after Teddy passed away?

(Jett) That’s a very good question, because at that time, we felt there was no band without Teddy.  And so we were like, let’s not talk about it, let’s bury our friend first and talk about the band later.  We wanted time to mourn because we didn’t just lose a bandmate, we also lost a friend.

(JB) So we asked ourselves, if Teddy could speak to us now what would he say? Were we just going to let up? He’ll probably say, “You wimps!” if we didn’t let the band go on.

You said earlier that you’re currently recording a new album.  Tell us what’s new with The Dawn.

(Jett) We have a new one coming up this June or July, it’s a lot louder than the album we released in 2008.  We also have a new video that will be showing on MYX.  It’s called Love will set us free.

(JB) I want to talk about the video briefly, the director’s cut that is.  It’s set in a museum, and there is this statue in the middle of it of two beautiful women, naked, and are embraced.  As the video progresses, the mold on the statue gradually washes away.  And at the end of it, they walk away from the Museum. Love will set us free.

(Jett) We’re still getting it through MTRCB.  So it’s uncertain yet that it will actually be shown on public television.  They are seriously contemplating on giving it an X-rating!  I mean, can you imagine our band being x-rated?

(JB) Good luck to that.

On board the Red Ball Express

The road from Bukidnon to Davao is the last stretch for cargo trucks en route from other parts of Mindanao to the trade port at Sasa, and as told to us by manong ”Gerry” a driver of 12 years, it is the most arduous.  The road is full of abrupt curves and rocky parts that ought to be driven on with caution, especially in the dark.  Many deaths have occurred along this path and in Gerry’s career he can name a few of his colleagues.  He laments as he points out an area with an abandoned truck at the side of the road, “Katong usa ka biyernes dara namatay tong kauban nako.” (Just last friday, one of my colleagues died right there).  There was a black stain on the street that looked like mud, which Gerry morbidly insisted was blood.

That night, we had mixed feelings about getting home.  It rained hard all afternoon and the biting mountain wind felt too daunting.  It was a carefree decision to wait for it to subside for a few more hours since we were at a coffeeshop by a gas station.  Our party played poker until we lost track of time then came sun down.  After conferring with locals, we found out that the rural transits would only stop terminal to terminal.  And so our only chance to get home was if we got on a non-airconditioned bus, a chartered van, a friend willing to pick us up and finally a hitch.   Our first option was a non-airconditioned bus, but every time one passed by it swept by too fast.  We were stranded even after the coffeeshop and the gas station had to close for the day.  To while away the idle time, we drank wine, some coke and ate packed dinner.  Back in Davao, the night would have been as young as us.  But in the midst of the provincial highlands, we were the only ones awake.

When Jerry spotted us and decided to halt, Karla was apprehensive to climb up the truck and I suppose, some of it rubbed off on me until I said to myself, “There’s five of us”.  I have never hitchhiked before in my life but I’ve always wanted to.  All the reservations I might have to that possibility was due to the obvious fact that it’s not safe to do alone. 

Hitchhiking is a game of chance and has the same risks of being exposed to a potentially dangerous stranger.  This option should only be open when your party is desperate to go home. Yes, traveling is naturally more exciting when it’s spontaneous and less expensive, in fact, Gerry refused to take our money.  But I don’t think it’s wise to travel by intentionally hitchhiking all the way.  Besides, it is virtually impossible to get to hitch on a truck whose driver doesn’t want to run the risk of being caught by monitors, as it is grounds for suspension.  A traveler’s wanton ways could cost someone’s job.

As it turns out, hithhiking was as fascinating as I had thought it to be.  I was quickly enthused by the driver who had stories to tell about other hitchhikers and of the road.  The idea that I was on a twelve-wheeler truck carrying pineapples from Mao, Lanao due for shipment to Japan was infinitely more intriguing than taking the bus from point A to point B.  I imagined what it would be like to regularly hitchhike, and my conclusion was that the journey had an indirect sideshow, like it was its own mobile entertainment.  The stories that could be told between the hikers and drivers amounted to more travel experience that Confucius would probably be proud of.

May the universe gift your soul with more good vibrations, “Gerry”.

Late March and early April was by far an interesting time for get togethers of writers, artists and musicians.  The Young Davao Writers guild spearheaded a new version of their four month old poetry readings by infusing other artistic elements.  It has brought awareness for the need to confer with each other, as the young literary world faces a crisis of the seemingly lack of creative movement.

Litorgy is the movement of the young: the first of a series of multimedia renderings by different young Davao artists: musicians, visual artists and writers.  It was likewise guested by luminaries of the Davao art scene: Macario Tiu, Maria Morales and Chuch Fournier to name a few.

Plans of launching the next soiree are on the works and is believed to be called, Literotika.

Dear (omit: fellow) graduates,

How do you make a graduation march look cinematic?  That long arduous function that ushers in a new generation through a new threshold of social expectations.  What an irreplacable joy it is to have the discipline and diligence indeed to have come this far! Congratulations to all my friends whose paths I’ve crossed and are now crossing a path still ahead of me.  Bid your farewells to the academe, by all means do so, you truly deserve that goodbye!  I commend your determination and above all your courage.  If anything, the university life is but a riddle to the Life that often eludes our temporal meander in this world.  And let me tell you something about the world: it is teeming with opportunities, strife, crooks, unemployment, interesting colleagues, friends, traitors, money, happiness, struggles, creativity(!), companies, countries, dinner parties, society, love, hate, poverty(!), TAXES, obligations, governance, subordination, family, documentation, promotions, post-graduate, independence, boredom, youth, etcetera etcetera etcetera…  Take it from someone who took on the world before taking on herself.  We all have our answers to own one day with a strong heart and mind, charateristics of heroes and heorines.  And that my friends, is truly cinematic.

My deepest gratitude to all my teachers who showed no tolerance for my indolence and for that, evicted me from across disciplines to teach me a more important lesson.  I may not be your most studious student but I have learned indeed!  Thank you to the tertiary institution for its stubborness and legitimization of my rebellion, and having such a dry sense of humor: it has the last laugh, for now.  Thank you to my parents for worrying (sometimes, needlessly) for my future.  Mothers and fathers wish their children to grow up strong for they have the wisdom of the damage caused by powerlessness.  It may seem like an obvious choice, but we must learn to accept strength instead of weakness.  And tread our own path with fearlessness and zeal!

To those who are left behind, such as myself I have something to say to you: What now?  NOW, that we have the upperhand.  They just don’t know it!  All the choices we’ve made and the mistakes many people have said we’ve made, to them we say: So what!  I know, I know.  But know that there is no reason to feel defeatist when we’re really the ubermench!  This simply means that we are not easily defined by society instead we let society be defined by us.  We are a huge chunk on the neighborhood which gives us the leverage of the minority.  History has taught us that the minorities are the activists and the activists are the agents of change.  As most people proceed through life comfortably and are unaware of the dangers, we have already become masters of our own discomfort and have skillfully laid out our options.  We are the troubleshooters with a unique point of view.

Finally, thank you to the universe!  I have graduated from that social and psychological torture called a “god” and I thank the masters Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beuvoir, Michel Foucault, Sigmund Freud, Ayn Rand, Robert Green Ingersoll, Bertrand Russell, Jean Meslier, Michel Onfray, the Zeitgeist and many other freethinkers I have met in this young life and have inspired my post-christian secularity.  To take care of humanity is a soulful task yet an immense responsibility that we do entirely alone.  No earth, no heavenly consultation, no tradition is the sole basis of our personal, ethical, biological, artistic, intellectual evolution.  Borrowing the thought of this important adage, the Captain of my ship, master of my soul: is The “I“.

March, you graduates.  I offer you a line from the song written by a great man by the name of John Lennon.  The last song he ever recorded moments before he was gunned down is a very apt anthem of  a struggle for existential pinnacle.  And thus, the master spoke:

Walking on thin ice,
I’m paying the price
For throwing the dice in the air.
Why must we learn it the hard way
And play the game of life with your heart?

Cheers and good luck to you all.

Download audio file (Yoko Ono - Walking On Thin Ice (Ft Spiritlized).mp3)

Yoko Ono feat. Spiritualized - Walking on thin ice [Download] [Lyrics]

Francis Magalona’s death is yet another signpost of a “dying” generation of Filipino music. Not to mean it very literally, but what used to be the scene of more talented and less populist driven musicians is burying itself in nostalgia and beneath all the new fads. The Eraserheads had their absolutely final reunion concert recently, and I can’t help but think, “There goes the old days”.

I try my best to be optimistic and pray for more critical work (that is critique-worthy).  And yet again, the Philippine arts are in crisis.  It has yet to find a voice for the generation I belong to.

In any case, thank you for all the memories.  Cheers.

Download audio file (Eraserheads - Alapaap.mp3)

The Eraserheads - Alapaap [Download] [Lyrics]

What’s the point in talking about a year that isn’t already?  I really have no point in all of this but I try to make it a habbit to have “closure” with every year that passed.  And I must admit that the only closure I had this year is coming to terms with my own arteur intellectual inclination.  But who cares about that?

You would care to know that 2008 was so memorable to me because:

The Eraserheads played a reunion concert and Ely Buendia had a heart attack!

Heath Ledger died.

The Beijing Olympics was so moving.

Did you know that Lav Diaz, a native of Mindanao, won the prestigious Orizzonti Prize Film Award from the Venice Film Festival? (Who cares, right?)

Gay Marriage was legalized in California AND illegalized through Proposition 8. (What irony!)

Gaza conflict erupted.

Barack Obama wins the US Presidential race.

Okay, it’s not a big deal.  My point is, new things are so much more interesting.  This year included.