Ing bándang Tibuan

Weeks ago, I searched cyberspace for possible rock or alternative bands whom I might someday tap in a Kapampangan propagation project for the younger generation.

I found a lot of these bands (known as combos to the more elderly, and the music sometimes tagged Satan's music by the ultraconservative), but only a few were enthusiastic with the idea of making Kapampangan songs.

Among these bravehearted and patriotic bands who are not fraidey cats in using their amanung sisuan to express themselves artistically, only one band (so far) has adopted a Kapampangan word for a name: Tibuan. For that, they will be the first young Kapampangan musicians whom I will feature here in my blog.


So to know them more, I asked them a few kutang:

Ninu ko ngan?

Gaddiel "Guido" Cortez - axeman
Ambo Lacap - vocals
Razer Dimabuyu - drums
Merwin Alfonso - bass

Nanung tigtig ing gagauan yu?

Blues and Rock'n roll.

Nu ko ngan ibat a lugal? Nanung iskuela yu?

Guido - Porac; Holy Angel University
Ambo - Pandan; Holy Angel University
Razer - Angeles City; Holy Angel University
Merwin - Porac; Angeles University Foundation

Bakit TIBUAN ing apili yung lagyu ning banda yu?

Maka-relate ke kasi kng lagyu mi; 'Tibuan' means roots/origin, at ing musical influence mi plain old school rock.

Atin kong kantang Kapampangan?

Ala, e mi pa sibukan ginaua pero atin kami mu rin balak gaua agyang mapilan mu, bang agyang mapakananu mu atin yang profoundness ing lagyu mi, hehehehe.

[We haven't tried yet but we plan to make some, so that there would be some certain amount of profoundness in our name.]

Ninu ring titingalan yung tau (e kaylangan musikeru) at bakit?

Dakal. Metung na karin i Gandhi. Simpli mu ing sangkan mi, uling metung ke kareng taung papabor kng lugud ampong kapayapan.

[Lots. One of them would be Gandhi. Reason is simple: we're one of those bunch who favor love and peace.]


Nanung asabi yu kng Kapampangan music scene, pelalu na ing rock scene?

Malalam ing musikang Kapampangan, tutu ampong e maglaram. Oneng pangaras king rock scene keti, asabi ku na alang kakuenta-kuenta. Uling bala mu eganagana kareng artist tamu keni mangalili la kareng mismung daramdaman da.

Metung pa, alang pamisasanmetung kareng musikeru. Imbis na sana miyabeyabe la, ing malilyari mipapagmayabang la. Kayi, marinat ing palakad da ring manibala karing events keni. Pati ing marinat a pulitika liban na ning music scene keni inya mababauas ing artistry da ring kayanakan a musikerung Kapampangan.

[Kapampangan music is honestly deep. But when it comes to the rock scene, it's crap. Almost all of our artists are confused themselves with the things they're hearing. Also, there is lack of unity in the part of the musicians. Instead of fostering harmony, they often boast at one another. Then, people holding events and concerts run shows the dirty way. Even dirty politics has entered the Kapampangan music scene. That is why the artistry of young Kapampangan musicians is decreasing.]

Nung sumulat kong Kapampangan, nanung buri yu: K-Orthography o C/Q Orthography?

K-orthography siguru, oneng siguru magamit la ding adua mu rin. Mengari ya king Biblia, C/Q ing magagamit, lalu na kareng dalit.

[Maybe K-Orthography, but perhaps, we may just use the two. Like in the Bible, C/Q is what is being used, especially in dalit.]

Nu karin kng Pampanga masanting tutugtug?

E maulaga kekami talaga nung nanung lugal ing tigtigan mi, basta makatugtug ke mung masalese kng arapan da ring tau ampong aparamdam mi ing music mi, okay ne kanita.

[We don't really care about the venue where we play, as long as we play well in front of the people and let other people hear our music. That'd do.]

Nung gaua kong Kapampangan rock album, nanu ing palagyu yu kng album?

Self titled siguru. Ala kung aisip ngeni e, hehehe.

[A self-titled one, probably. I can't think of any right now, hehehe.]

Nanung pamiyaliua ning Kapampangan karing aliuang Pinoy?

Ala. Ing amanu mu siguru.

[None. Just the language perhaps.]

(To say ing amanu mu [just the language] is ironic, because amanu is like 85% of what makes culture, and culture is what gives identity to a certain social group. -Jason)

Nung gaua kong music video, nu karing kng Pampanga ye buring i-shoot?

Kng asikan, kaibat malangi ing gabun atsaka madalumdum. Kayi panayan ming sumala ya ing aldo.

[We want to make our music video in a place where the earth is dry and the sky is gloomy. Then we wait for the sun to shine.]

Sikat yang Kapampangan quote ing: "Nung kng leun at tigri, e ku tatakut, keka pa?" Kaninu ye buring sabian ini?

Kareng tau sigurung e maniuala kng gagauan mi.

[We'd love to say that quote "I don't even fear the lion and the tiger, so why should I fear you?" to people who don't believe in what we do.]

Sanu ing mas Kapampangan? Indung Tibuan (place where one grew up) o Indung Ibatan (place of origin)?

Pareju lang Kapampangan ren! END

[Both are Kapampangan.]

Check them out at tibuan.blogspot.com.


Regarding the handlers of concerts and events, they indeed need some ego-busting food sometimes.

I heard that the Kapampangan production group who declined my project for a Kapampangan rock album (and even dared to tell me that he and his group only works for big companies) is now secretly pursuing a similar project, the idea of which he got from me. Worse, he's saying bad things about me.

Say whatever you want to say, however untruthful, but make sure you sincerely support young Kapampangan musicians. If your motivation for doing that album is ego and glory alone instead of cultural empowerment, shame on you. Instead of supporting your fellow Kapampangans, you prefer to trash them away then pirate their ideas, all because of selfish motives.

Nonetheless, a huge thank you to you if you make a Kapampangan rock album, after all the years of Tagalog-dominated Tigtigan Terakan concerts that you held. It's at least still an empowerment.

[ANNOUNCEMENT: In case I don't perish or become victim of pestilence in the following days, the second episode of my YouTube magazine show Meto Kapampangan will be out by next week. The episode is about children engaging in Crissotan, a poetic debate named after Juan Crisostomo Soto.]