This 2020, we won’t be able to attend the iconic Metro Manila Pride March because of the pandemic. Soon, we’ll be able to step out of the door to see and hug the people that makes us who we are. We’ll celebrate our identity and our triumphs and I’m sure, it’ll be a wild party. In the meantime, let’s celebrate the party in our homes as we welcome the newest members of the community and to commemorate the month of Pride.

Comments

They say that art is at its best when driven by intense emotions. No emotion is more intense than the pain that the masses feel amidst the numerous challenges in our country. The TUBAW Music Collective aims to capture the dreams, struggles, and triumphs of the masses through their music. 

Being a citizen of our country is a challenge in itself. From the persistent traffic, mind-boggling taxes, poor healthcare, and high living costs, the “Filipino Dream” is bleaker than its foreign counterpart. Life has it worse for indigenous communities in our country with capitalism exploiting their non-conformity to the urban lifestyle, taking away homes, education, and livelihood from these communities. The cherry on top of this burdensome cake is the continued dominance of officials who offer scraps in their term after promising the world during their campaign periods.

These struggles are what the TUBAW Music Collective aspires to shed light on with their music. TUBAW or Tubong Mindanaw, Tulong Mindanao Music Collective are a group of musicians who produce and perform songs dedicated to the working class since 2016. In their Artist’s Bio, it states that it is their goal to inspire the younger generation “to take part in achieving just and lasting peace.” They have notably shown support for the causes of saving Lumad schools with their album PARAGAS: Mga Awit ng Pag-ibig, Pakikibaka, at Pagsulong. Their music can be heard on streaming services such as Spotify with their 2nd album Kalinow available on the platform.

Kalinow can also be downloaded for free by visiting their Facebook page here. The album features 12 tracks that communicate their advocacy and ignites the passion to seek for change.

Kapayapaan

Opening the album, this song immediately captures the vibe of its namesake. Using instrumentals that bring you back to the peaceful beaches, it conveys the message of finding the root of war and resolving it to achieve peace. It directly calls out aspects that ails our current society, such as the dependence on foreign aid and disrespect towards human rights. 

Misyonero

Following the first song, this song gets the ball rolling with its introductory lines. It calls for the masses to take part in the lifestyle of the communities in the mountains and stand by them to fight for their land. It takes the energy from the first song and takes it up a notch to get its message across. 

Bayani

Taking a more somber tone, this track is a departure from the rather direct message from the previous two tracks. The song gives thanks to a hero/heroes and proclaims the inspiration that they have provided. Once again, it focuses on one central message: fighting for peace in the entire country.

Tuloy Ang Laban

Picking up the energy once again, this song aims to serve as a battle cry. It places emphasis on the current issues today, particularly with promised changes that have done little to ease the real problems of the country. As the title suggests, there is power behind each lyric that is meant to rile up the listeners.

Paasa

The next track takes humorous instrumentals with melancholic lyrics. Keeping with the central message of the album, the persistence of killings and the absence of actual help. As the title suggests, it pertains mainly to false promises of change and how injustices keep the masses down.

Tala

This song is an ode to the working class in our country. It carries an uplifting tone meant to encourage and brighten their advocacies. This song echoes the same vibe as Bayani where it serves as a tribute more than anything else.

Ngayong Gabi

A departure from the nationalistic themes of the prior tracks, this aims to tell a love story. This could be considered the “pop anthem” track of this album, showcasing simple elements to place emphasis on the lyrics and the vocals of the singers. It’s a beautiful song that brings hope and love in its lyrics.

Alab

Another departure from the usual style of previous tracks, deviating from the instruments and musical theme that the prior songs took on. Nonetheless, this track makes its statement clear: igniting the passion for justice, truth, and peace. 

Paper Tiger

Concluding the album, this song from its introductory instrumentals sends a message of calm defiance. The only song in English in the entire album, this song sends a particular message of defiance towards the killings in broad daylight. It sends a message of defiance towards the robbery of land and the arson of properties such as schools and homes. The closing track for Kalinow is brooding, passionate towards achieving justice and peace for the entire country.

Kalinow does not only send messages through its tracks, but the entire album itself paints a narrative. It calls for defiance against injustices and empowers the voice of those who shed light on these injustices. The strong and powerful message is clear from the first track to the album and reiterates it again on the last. Tubaw remains consistent with the core message of their group while also showcasing their talent as a collective.

The musical styles of this album highlights the strong suit of the group. Vocals were never the sole highlight but rather the entire song as a whole. The arrangements make each song appropriate for a soundtrack of an equally strong revolution-themed film or play. They tell a narrative through their music and whether it serves as an accompaniment to a bigger form of media or standing on its own as an album, it inspires vigilance and deflates conformity.

Comments

If there’s an Achilles’ heel in the contents which Vincentiments spews, it is in the director’s self-proclaimed irreverent works. 

“Jowable” director, Darryl Yap, received backlash for the recent episode of the KPL series which included stereotyping single parents. KPL or Kung Pwede Lang shows fantasized no-holds-barred sentiments in situations that require moral decency.  Its latest addition to the long-running viral series, AYUDAmn, calls out the failure of some local government units to provide relief goods to residents despite the promises of doing so. Even with the upfront and relatable language which serves as the formulas for most viral KPL videos, AYUDAmn had netizens clamoring against parts of its message. 

“Single parent? Single parent eh multiple ang kalandian niyan! Multiple benefits niyan! Daming kabit niyan. May ka-chat pang AFAM,” belted the lead character to emphasize that cherry-picking of relief recipients is existing, sorely implying how single parents should not be included in the list. The statement did nothing but proved that the struggles of most single parents could easily pass off as comedic antics, and not only for Vincentiments. 

In 2017, Majority Leader turned Senate President Tito Sotto made degrading remarks on single mothers in a confirmation hearing involving Professor Judy Taguiwalo. He referred to single mothers as “na-ano”, a street language that simply states “got knocked up”. What made the situation even worse is the snickering following Sotto’s crass joke. Taguiwalo, on the other hand, reiterated how teaching women’s studies as her profession does not sit well with the comment. “We respect all kinds of families and that includes solo parents,” she bluntly states and ends with a polite thanks. An ethics complaint against Sotto was made but it was dismissed by a Senate panel. 

Now, Director Darryl Yap issues an “apology” regarding the remarks made on his latest video. In a Facebook post, he starts by saying amidst his art’s branding on being unapologetic, it is not a reflection of his personality. He apologizes and takes full responsibility for whatever damage his video had caused, but is followed by cautionary tapes on how people should not expect the next videos to dissipate its provoking element. 

For an apology, Yap does a job in the same notch as his works, especially seeing as KPL videos specialize in faux revolution against oppressive states (through language that only executes blunt ranting) while still proliferating messages that cultivate a culture of discrimination. This is not the first time Yap has been called out and made public commentaries on his works.  

In a patriarchal society that still manages to put on traditional lenses for how single parents are regarded, when will we ever let people, who know not a fraction of their struggles, be accountable? Single parents, more so single mothers, are often boxed into tropes which cage them as irresponsible, promiscuous, knock-overs. Because of this, they receive a large weight of verbal stoning that had long been existing for centuries. People are getting away with it because they hold a seat of power or, in this case, they pass it off as a work of art. 

It is true that previous messages of the series did its purpose of representing people’s untamed turmoils in situations where they feel threatened or oppressed. In terms of letting the government know the pulse of its citizens, KPL’s AYUDAmn did a perfect job of voicing it out in yet an id-takes-over manner. The problem, however, is that its stereotypical message about single parents perpetuates a degrading picture of the likes of Josie in “Anak”, Widowed Grace in “Four Sisters and a Wedding”, and “Ang Tanging Ina”’s Ina Montecillo, instead of championing their fearless fight amidst the struggles of raising a family alone. 

With the surge of contents that aim to deliver a provoking purpose for discussion, people should know where to draw the line. While it is true that art is an expression, it should be known that art should also hold sensible and progressive expressions that aim to point out what changes are needed for a better society than continuously pursue age-old ideas that should have never existed at all. 

Comments