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Written by Ted Reyes
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Tuesday, 16 December 2008 |
IN the late 80’s and early 90s, the British music scene burst into the world scene once again. In a time when the charts were being dominated by American grunge bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, a handful of British artists took it upon themselves to counter the American grunge assault and invented, Britpop.
While the term Britpop was not coined by any of the founding British artists but rather by the British tabloids, it would become the name that would define a movement that had far reaching influence.
Fed-up by the grunge invasion British alternative rock bands decided to shun the “Yankee music” from across the Atlantic and came up with a counter-assault. The music, first and foremost did not tackle any of the prevalent grunge themes of alienation and despair, instead, it was all about being a Brit. In other words, it was British music for British people.
Bands like Blur, Suede, Pulp, St. Etienne, and later on, Oasis wrote and sang songs about what is important in the Britain the they were living in. Most of these bands even employed thick cockney accents to expound the fact that music can be as British as the Queen. Their subjects are often small town British stories or anything common in their culture. It was “Nationalist Rock” at its rockiest form.
Damon Albarn of Blur once said that their music is anti-Grunge. It was everything that Kurt Cobain was not. It was about their “British-ness.”
All Brits young and old admired these Britpop bands’ adherence to their national identities. Perhaps they realized how rich their musical tradition is. After all, their musical heroes are equal, if not, greater than their American counterparts: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath–these are not lightweight artists but generation defining groups that happen to be British.
Most appealing, however, is Britpop’s resolve to sing about what they really are, instead of abstract and heavy emotions as perpetuated by grunge. It is appealing because it makes sense for Filipino-American artists as well. Filipino-American artists should represent and bring forth their “Filipino-ness” to the American audience. Like the Britpop bands, we as a people have a lot to tell, and if we put these stories to words and music, it would introduce Filipino culture to foreign ears more than any medium there is.
Nothing is too mundane and too trivial in representing our heritage. Yes, we could sing in English, but with Filipino concepts. In the rock scene, The Kuwagos did this in their debut album back in 2007 and it is a marvel to behold. Chicago’s Bagwis did this too when they released Imulat Mo.
Now, my band the Happy Analogues will follow suit with our new album, School Tales, which will tackle school life in the Philippines. I know there are many Fil-Am rap artists like Deep Foundation and Apl De Ap, who propagate Filipino ideas through their music and we should all emulate them. If we write music that comes from what we really are, then everything will fall into place and we will be recognized and not be seen and judged as just a bunch of brown-skinned Asians trying to be American or British.
Tags: britpop grunge nirvana pearl jam blur suede oasis the kuwagos bagwis the happy analogues |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 December 2008 )
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Written by Ted Reyes
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Tuesday, 11 November 2008 |
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A Screen shot of Rivermaya's website announces their departure from Ms. Nakpil. NEW YORK– Music as an art form is powerful. It moves people, injects new ideas and enriches culture. It is the art form so close to the human emotion, that no other medium could make a person happy, sad, or anything in between as effective as the masterful combination of melody, rhythm and rhyme.
However, with its power comes an aspect that often times mar its inherent beauty: business.
Yes, as much as it is an art form, music is a business. And this inescapable side of music more often than not puts a halt to the symphony and leaves music lovers with a taste of bitter dissonance.
Case in point, the current Rivermaya problem.
Tags: Rivermaya the beatles eraserheads opm music filipino music perf de castro mark escueta bamboo nathan azarcon rico blanco ely buendia john lennon paul mccartney george harrison ringo starr |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 17 November 2008 )
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Read more...
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Written by The Editor
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Tuesday, 07 October 2008 |
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WHAT’S so funny? A Filipina in maid garb gyrating in front of a stiff Englishman while two other Englishmen watch on the side shouting orders at the poor Filipina to perform better. Where’s comedy there?
Here’s to the BBC: It ain’t funny blokes! It ‘s stupid!
To actually see this kind of television in the 21st century, more so, in one of the most developed country on Earth, England, is appalling– revolting, really.
It is a joke by racists for racists. It is a comedy sketch written by bigots for the entertainment of fellow bigots. What a shame!
Don’t these BBC people and producers of that show realize that Filipinas abroad suffer from the very treatment that they are using as a punch line?
Everyday, most Filipinas who are forced to work as domestic helpers abroad are abused by their foreign employers. They are sexually brutalized and are subjected to the most horrendous human rights abuses– They are beaten up, they do not get paid and so on.
It is an actual human tragedy happening right now.
And here comes this BBC show using the same tragedy as a means to get laughs. How stupid is that? It is beyond stupidity– it a SIN! These BBC producers are as stupid as their predecessors who banned The Beatles songs, “A Day in the Life,” “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” and “Hey Jude.” These people are utterly stupid and a waste of space in this universe. They should meet their antimatters and just disappear without a trace– not even their corporeal mists.
We global Filipinos demand an apology from the BBC. They should be sensitive enough, being a news agency as well, to the hard plight of overseas workers from 3rd world countries. They should be modern enough to acknowledge that human suffering is not a joke.
The Brits who did this are a joke to the human race. Watch the BBC Sketch on Youtube
Tags: BBC Filipina Maids Harry Enfield OFWs |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 07 October 2008 )
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Written by JaGoFF (CPMS)
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Monday, 29 September 2008 |
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The Chicago Promoters' Ordinance has been tabled (for the time-being). In other words, the issue is still very much alive and well, and we hold our breath until the next time it rears it's ugly head. The City Council has held meetings with "invited members of the Chicago entertainment industry" which roughly translates to the tens of thousands of Chicago artists (musicians, actors, artist, poets, fans, etc.) having no input whatsoever, and once again are left out in the cold. We find this to be disconcerting, to put it mildly. An ordinance that could have such wide reaching implications on artists, innovation, and the future culture of such a great city (let alone the rest of the country) deserves far more consideration then just some "face time" with what the city sees as it's prime money makers. One only needs look as far the broadcast radio, entertainment & recording industries to see where the potential for misuse and abuse lays. These groups are nothing but self-serving and have no interest in the concerns of the independent artist and DO NOT SPEAK FOR THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY - period, point blank.
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Written by The Editor
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Tuesday, 26 August 2008 |
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THERE aren’t many weekends dedicated to independent Filipino artists from all over North America. Not many events that make the local artists the real stars of the show.
Most of the time, local acts are front acts for bigger artists from the Philippines or side attractions for movie stars and comedians on TV.
It may be true for most weekends of the year, but not this coming Labor Day Weekend– not on Rock in the Box Weekend.
This coming weekend is our weekend. It belongs to every local Filipino artist in North America who has strived to bring music out there and make the scene healthy and alive.
The weekend also belongs to the many supporters of our local scene who have bought every CD, attended most of the gigs and gave the artists a million reasons to go on despite the big challenges.
The artists that are performing on August 29 at the Rehab and August 30 at Crash Mansion and the audience represent our struggles and our hopes. They are the faces of our modern music scene, and the keepers of tomorrow’s promises. We see them on stage, we hear them on the compilation album and we are assured that the music will go on.
What else is Rock in the Box Weekend for but to announce to the world that we exist, and that our community thrives regardless of color, creed, and geographic boundaries.
It is an event that explodes with the beauty of our togetherness. After all, we are one family.
In our weekend, there are no main acts and no front acts. Everyone is equal.
Let’s all have a good time and unpack history.
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