New Kapampangan rock music video - Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mothers' Day (Masayang Kayaldawan da ring Ima) to all of our dear mothers! Before I left for the US, we were able to shoot the band scenes of Mental Floss' music video for their RocKapampangan song "Ing Lugud Ning Indu" (Love of a Mother). We really intended to finish the video by Mothers' Day, but sadly, we didn't.

So I'll just say: Abangan! Here are some screen captures from the video. If you notice, the vocalist is pregnant, too! She's soon to become a mother! Congrats, Nicole!






Meanwhile, here is an old video of Mental Floss performing 'Ing Lugud Ning Indu.' Don't you think it's a nice Kapampangan song?

Calling all Pampanga-based models and wannabes

Kalalangan Kamaru—known for making Kapampangan films, producing Kapampangan songs, spearheading Kapampangan projects like RocKapampangan, Kalam, Frequency K, and Cinekabalen—is branching out to Model Photography, with its subunit called "Kamaru Photography."

We are building our portfolio, and we are trying to fill it with different sets of our "dramatic character photography".










If you're a model (or model-wannabe, or model-material) based in Pampanga (male/female), and you want to add more creative photos in your set cards, then let's help each other out!

Just email sisig_man@yahoo.com.ph your FULL NAME, DATE OF BIRTH, HEIGHT, and please attach full body and close up pictures (preferrably no makeup). Indicate in your email, too, if you are willing to go sexy (creative sexy, not pornographic sexy).

For inquiries, 0918 699 2459

We don't just take pictures of you... We make you a part of an artwork...

Sandara Park: Jologs in the Phils, Kinda Cool in Korea

So I was randomly watching East Asian music videos when I encountered a song called "Lollipop" by a popular Korean boy group called Big Bang (songs of which I have in my MP3 player currently), featuring a girl group called 2NE1.



I was watching the video, it was kinda bubblegum-pop/hiphop cool. But one of the members of 2NE1 was somewhat familiar in my brain. Then, in the middle of the music video, I had this thought:

She friggin' looks like Sandara Park (of Star Circle Quest fame, partnered with Hero Angeles and Joseph Bitangcol)!

So I researched on the girl group, and boom! It's Sandara "Dara" Park!

To like Sandara Park as a singer/dancer ('Sumusunod') in the Philippines is kinda jologs or uncool, but look at her under YG Entertainment (Korean label)! She's kinda cool.

Just goes to show that a lot of Philippine producers are baloney. I am nationalistic and all, and have always believed that Pinoy artists have what it takes, but our producers are just too mediocre to send a Philippine wave abroad. Sorry.

BALANGINGI (Nosebleed) WINS @ PHIL DIGI AWARDS!

1:30 am.

Just got home!

World Trade Center, Metro Manila—our Kapampangan short film Balangingi (Nosebleed) wins the ETC award for best short film at the 1st Philippine Digital Awards! Dakal a salamat pu!

I'd love to elaborate, but, sorry, I need to rest for now.Have to return to manila tomorrow/later for Cinema One Originals 2009. I'm submitting a screenplay there, too.

Para king Indung Kapampangan!

(L-R): Jason Paul Laxamana, Writer-Director-Editor of Balangingi, etc.; Jayvie Dizon, lead actor; Jeremy Cortez, dubbing assistant; Diego Marx Dobles, Asst. Director-Music Scorer-Location Manager, etc. Photo was NOT taken during the Awarding. Photo was taken backstage after the last run of Oedipus Rex at the Angeles University Foundation, where Dizon played the lead role as well.

'Balangingi' is Jack TV/ETC short film category finalist

I was told just minutes ago that my Kapampangan short film Balangingi (Nosebleed) is a finalist in the Philippine Digital Music & Short Film Festival.

Jack TV and ETC have joined Isys business solution and Blue Fish Asia in the Phil Digi Awards. The Stylish and posh ETC and the Outrageous and Manly Jack TV channels launched their new categories in the Phil Digi Awards Short film competition. The Jack Short Film Category and ETC Short Film Category are the latest addition in the Phil Digi Awards Short film Competition.

Jack TV is looking for chic, witty and funny short films, may it be with a Live cast or better yet an Animated one as long as it can tickle the funny bones and can made a ton of laughs, it's a sure ball for the Jack TV Short film category. ETC on the other hand is looking for reality based Short films, so for those who has a keen and sassy eye for making reality based Short Films, the ETC Short film category is for you.

Since people love Balangingi (and it seems it's effective as comedy), we decided to make a 15-minute version of it and submitted it to the Jack TV category. I don't know how the screening committee reacted to it, especially since it's in Kapampangan, but, uyta, it's a finalist.

It will be a two-day event, but I might be attending just the second day (even though I also want to attend the first day, which has a series of discussions on artist management and other stuff about commercial music, an area I would love to know more about).

The second day, the program will be more of a film and business forum:

8:00 – 9:30 Registration
9:30 – 10:00 Opening Ceremony
Opening Remarks
10:00 – 10:30 Trends and Opportunities in animation
10:30 – 11:00 Producing an Original Content in Animation
11:00 - 11:30 Setting up your own Business in Animation
11:30 – 12:00 Animation Open Forum
12:00 – 1:00 Screening of Short Film Entries
1:00 – 1:30 Movie copyrights and Publishing Rights
1:30 -2:30 Producing an original film contents
2:30 - 3:00 Finding Grants
3:00 – 3:30 E Commerce
3:30 – 4:00 Broadcasting and Marketing your Content
4:00 – 4:30 Film Business Outsourcing through the internet
4:30 – 5:00 Trends and Technologies in Film Making

At 8PM of March 12, it will be the awarding of the winning entries of PhilDigi Awards. The event will be graced by the presence and performances of Heber Bartolome, Dulce, Hilera, Typecast, Session Road, Zelle, Moonstar 88, Yosha, DJ Benjo and more.

I'm after the screening of the finalists, because I enjoy observing the reactions of people. Balangingi proved to be effective to Kapampangans; now let's see it fare in Manila. I'm not sure though if many people will be watching, but nonetheless, it's something I'd like to see.

Cinekabalen Call for Entries Poster

Click to enlarge, baby.

The 1st Cinekabalen Philippine Film Festival

Makiabe na ka!

It is time for the Kapampangans to participate in the next wave of Philippine Cinema by holding its first ever Kapampangan Film Festival! The Cinekabalen Philippine Film Festival will be an annual event that will aim:

• To make people, especially Kapampangans, aware of the existence of Philippine Kapampangan cinema and to celebrate the capability of Kapampangans to make films
• To encourage Kapampangans, especially students, to make films that tackle the Kapampangan experience
• To promote the patronization of the Kapampangan language for aspiring filmmakers
• To hone the skills of aspiring Kapampangan student filmmakers through seminars, lectures, and workshop
• Provide a venue for aspiring competent filmmakers to showcase their work/s
• To organize a cooperative film community or network among the Kapampangans, especially universities with communication courses

The highlights of the festival will be: 1) the screening of Philippine Kapampangan full-length films, short films, music videos, and documentaries; 2) panel discussions on indie filmmaking; and 3) a short film competition.

Rules and mechanics of the short film competition:

- everyone is allowed to join (no age limit), except members of the core organizing committee

- animated entries are also allowed

- no music videos, only narratives

- no limit of number of entries

- dialogues must mainly be in Kapampangan

- setting of the story does not necessarily have to be in Pampanga or other Kapampangan-speaking regions like Tarlac and Bataan

- film must have English subtitles

- strictly 10-20 minutes in length

- in digital format (submit final work in playable DVD)

- any topic is allowed

- extreme violence and obscenity and unnecessary abuse of foul language are discouraged

- use of copyrighted music is not allowed

- deadline of entries (final DVD, registration form) will be on July 31; they must be shipped or submitted in person to the Juan D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies, Holy Angel University, Angeles City

- 8 to 10 finalists will be chosen (depending on the quantity of submissions) to compete in the festival; prizes are at stake for the top three best short films; special awards (best male performer, best editing, best screenplay, etc.) will also be given

Inquiries: text JASON @ 0918 699 2459 or email sisig_man@yahoo.com.ph

Visit: http://cinekabalen.multiply.com

Kapampangan tries Ateneo Video Open 10

Kalalangan Kamaru tried to join in the annual Ateneo Video Open (AVO), since I am still a college undergrad. We entered four of our Kapampangan works in three categories:

Balangingi (Nosebleed) - Short Narrative category
Ing Bangkeru (The Boatman) - Short Narrative category
Sexmoan Adventures - Documentary category
Alang Anggang Sugat - Music Video category

All these are viewable on YouTube.

Out of the four entries that we submitted, only one was fortunate enough to be deemed "finalist worthy" by the Loyola Film Circle of Ateneo De Manila University: Sexmoan Adventures.

I am not quite sure of what AVO is looking for, and I sometimes scratch my head thinking why some of our entries, especially the music video, didn't make it as finalist when you take a look via YouTube the chosen finalists. Maybe we just love our works too much, or maybe beauty is indeed in the eyes of the beholder. But sociologically speaking, since it's a contest and they're the screeners, we would have to accept their judgment—at least for the AVO. It's their contest anyway.

On the bright side, Sexmoan Adventures, a Kapampangan documentary, made it to the finals and we are delighted. However, knowing the entry An Pasko Ni Tinyo by a fellow Iskolar Ng Bayan, I have already told my fellow Kamaru members that I am personally seceding to that fine piece of craft, which has already garnered the Best Thesis title in UP, Best Student Docu in the Catholic Mass Media Awards, and second prize in CCP's Gawad Alternatibo.

Documentary and Experimental finalists will be screened on February 13 at ADMU. We'll try to be there just to live the spirit of friendly competition. Although really, we expect to come home empty-handed (in some other year, oh sweet cash prize and trophy!).

Never mind that we spent P400 for the reg fee of the four entries (P100 each). Never mind that we had two batches of shipping to Ateneo from Pampanga worth P450 (P225 each). Not to mention the DVDs (three copies per entry, so all in all, 12 DVDs were purchased). That's a total of about P1,000 in participating in this contest (an amount which I can earn in one week, thanks to my twice-a-week journalistic stint in a local newspaper)!

Our sole fulfillment is the capability of a Kapampangan work to stand side by side with other finalists.

Good luck to all the finalists!

My Kapampangan short film @ CCP this Feb!

February is heralded the National Arts Month in the Philippines, and because of this, there is a huge Philippine International Arts Festival to happen in the whole month of Feb.

"The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is making an innovation in the usual National Arts Month (NAM) it has been organizing in the past 18 years. Beginning this year, the NCCA will start calling it the Philippine International Arts Festival. The talents of Filipino artists will be presented while at the same time promoted to the rest of the world. Artists from all over the Philippines will join the events of the PIAF. Local governments and arts groups will also take part with this event, thanks to funding from the NCCA. This year's theme is Ani ng Sining. Instead of celebrating only in Manila, numerous events are slated to happen in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao."

One of the events will be Sinerehiyon. This is a showcase of nascent cinema from the regions. From the highlands in and around Baguio to the heart of Bicolandia that is Naga City; across the thriving Visayas cities of Cebu, Bacolod and Iloilo; and through Mindanao between Cagayan de Oro and Davao, a new generation of artists is telling stories of their own cultures and people in cinematic form. This will be from February 17 to 19 at the CCP.


Representing Kapampangan cinema is this short film I wrote and directed Ing Bangkeru (The Boatman)! We're gonna go there to see our work screened at a national event! Glory be to the regions!

YouTube: 'Kaplas' Kapampangan music video

It's done! Please watch the official music video of Kaplas by the Nora Aunor Fans' Club band from Guagua. Song is part of the RocKapampangan album, the first ever Kapampangan rock album -- a compilation of 16 Kapampangan band songs from 16 Kapampangan bands from Pampanga and Tarlac

Kamaru Kapampangan short films to be screened?

Two of Brillante Mendoza's internationally acclaimed films will be screened at the Holy Angel University theater in Angeles City. Kaleldo (Summer Heat) will be screened on January 23 while Manoro (The Aeta Teacher) will be on January 31.

I asked Direk Dante and the Holy Angel University whether we could screen our Kapampangan short films as front act to the full-lengths. They agreed! But it's not yet certain. He said he will pick 3-4 short films to screen before his works.

I will be submitting the following for consideration:




If ever these or some of these get picked, they will be screened for the first time in a huge public venue! And as front act to an idol in the film industry. It'd really be an honor. It'd feel kinda like a starting band performing as front act to Eraserheads or something.

I have another Kapampangan short film -- my very first! But I am not very confident in showing it in public because I was still in my learning stage when I did it. Its title is Anak Ning Kapri (Son of the Kapri). How ironic that that film was produced with the highest budget among all of Kamaru's short film productions! Yet, for me, it's the ugliest, hehe.

'Balangingi' short film official trailer

Here is the official trailer of Balangingi. Kalalangan Kamaru presents another Kapampangan short film ('Nosebleed' in English). It is an "intellectual" romantic comedy following a mind-boggling and unstable relationship of two intellectuals (read: nerds).

written and directed by Jason Paul Laxamana
crew: Diego Dobles, Arn Lagazo
music: Diego Dobles
starring: Jayvie Dizon, Frency Rodriguez, Raco Del Rosario, Crystal Herrera, Menchi Dobles

Xoo seems to be a standard teenager who lives boringly like everyone else, but unknown to people in his surroundings is what happens in his head--philosophizing about things average people would deem mundane, down to the minutest detail. One day, he is forced to attend a blind date. To avoid turning off his date, he struggles to suppress his intellectual side.

This short film gives a peek to that minority in Philippine society who are unlikely to survive socially by being themselves--the Filipino intellectuals. Or as laymen would call them: Nerds! As parents call them: Pilosopo!



We will be submitting this to the Cinemalaya short film category. We hope it would be a finalist.

Kamaru Year-end Report

2008 has been a very challenging yet fruitful year for Kalalangan Kamaru, which has spawned several Kapampangan works in the field of mass media. Even though composed only of a small number of young individuals, it did not let its pitiful size be an excuse for accomplishing big things for the Kapampangan homeland.

Before the year 2009 enters, allow me to make a review of 2008 by remembering the events Kalalangan Kamaru has been involved in.

RocKapampangan

February marked the launching of RocKapampangan, the first ever Kapampangan rock album in the history of Philippine music. Co-produced with Holy Angel University, the album featured 16 Kapampangan tracks by 16 Kapampangan bands from Pampanga and Tarlac. The project has been featured in GMA-7's "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho" with its segment titled "Promdi Rock" and in several other local shows in Pampanga.

Ing Bangkeru

To contribute to the small number of Kapampangan films, Kamaru in cooperation with Holy Angel University, produced a 10-minute screen adaptation of the anonymous Kapampangan ballad titled "Ing Bangkeru." Starring Jim Paolo Salvador and Alexandre Tiotuico, the short digital film is available for free viewing on YouTube.

Frequency K

To promote modern Kapampangan music through radio, Kamaru approached GVFM 99.1 to propose the station's first ever Kapampangan FM musical talk show, hosted in the Kapampangan language. The management gave a free weekly one-hour slot to Kamaru, the title of the program being Frequency K: Kool Maging Kapampangan. For months now, it has been playing new Kapampangan songs, broadcasting news about Kapampangan culture, and featuring live acoustic Kapampangan performances from various Kapampangan musicians. The show is heard every Saturdays, 7 PM.

Kalam

Kamaru tied up with San Fernando-based cable station Infomax-8 to co-produce the first ever Kapampanganovela in Philippine broadcasting history. "Kalam" is a fantasy series in the Kapampangan language that explores Kapampangan folklore in an urban setting. Although the show is not yet running and wouldn't be running anytime soon, the project and the show altogether has astounded Kapampangans—from politicians to students, from cultural workers to linguists, and from non-Kapampangans to kabalens. The first public screening of the pilot episode was held at SM Pampanga in celebration of the first ever Aldo Ning Amanung Sisuan.

Kapampangan music videos

2008 has allowed Kamaru to spawn three official Kapampangan music videos: two from the Tarlac-based band Mernuts and one from Angeles City's 5 Against The Wall. "Oras" and "Alang Anggang Sugat" are the official theme songs of the Kapampanganovela "Kalam," while "Aliwa Kang Talaga" is Mernuts' contribution to the RocKapampangan album. Although the TV series soundtracks are regularly played via Infomax-8, "Oras" was also able to penetrate MTV Pilipinas in its morning OPM show "Tong Hits," making it the first ever Kapampangan music video to be aired regularly on the said channel.

EmoKapampangan

EmoKapampangan was a minor yet fairly-patronized project of Kamaru on the Internet. It is the first digital one-panel comic strip in Kapampangan which featured a young emo couple composed of Yubs and Clacla. They are often accompanied by the stray animals Karag and Damulag. Around 50 issues were released.

Kalam Campus Tour

Kamaru has rounded key schools in Pampanga such as Holy Angel University, Angeles University Foundation, Angeles City National High School Special Science Class, Holy Family Academy, Chevalier School, and UP Pampanga to not only screen the pilot episode of "Kalam" but also to discuss about the current state of Kapampangan culture and language and other related topics such as cultural diversity, regional media, and the global celebration of linguistic diversity. "Kalam" has also been screened twice in UP Diliman, first, in line with ACLE (Alternative Classroom Learning Experience) care of UP Aguman, and second, as invited by several organizations including a Linguistics organization and Stand UP. Kamaru is proud to say that the pilot episode has never failed to amaze every set of audience it encounters in different schools, may they be Kapampangan or non-Kapampangan.

Archipelago Music

Kamaru's first ever project that is not exclusively for the Kapampangans. Archipelago Music is a blog project that seeks to promote OPM from the regions, may they be in Cebuano, Ilocano, Waray Waray, Cuyonon, Ilonggo, Kapampangan, Maranao, Ifugao, etc. The project aims to make ethnolinguistic communities in the Philippines aware of the music scenes in several regions aside from Manila. Watch out for "hybrid regional songs" co-produced by Kamaru, such as an upcoming Hiligaynon-Kapampangan song.

Urban Kamaru

In the field of journalism, Kamaru has been granted a column on Central Luzon Daily under the Features section. Appearing every Monday and Wednesday, Urban Kamaru tackles Kapampangan, Filipino, and global issues regarding culture and language. The column is maintained by Jason Paul Laxamana, the head of Kamaru.

Kapampangan Environmental PSAs

To reconcile environmental and cultural awareness, Kamaru produced four Public Service Announcements for television, which tackled the importance of trees, planting as counter to global warming, water pollution, and air pollution. Astounded with the simple yet powerful PSAs, Councilor Jimmy Lazatin of the City of San Fernando acquired two of the PSAs for distribution in TV and cable stations within Central Luzon.

Sexmoan Adventures

Kamaru extends the use of the Kapampangan language to the field of documentary-making, as it produced "Sexmoan Adventures," a 22-minute light documentary exploring the attitude of Sasmuan residents toward the seemingly scandalous former spelling of their hometown: Sexmoan. The complete documentary is available on YouTube.

Balangingi

The year is wrapped up with another Kapampangan short film titled "Balangingi" (Nosebleed). Unlike the usual Kapampangan films that tackle the rural and poor life of the Kapampangans, "Balangingi" seeks to create a film featuring a fresh topic: the life of a Filipino intellectual immersed in a society of average-minded individuals. The film is currently in the phase of post-production.

These have been the major activities of Kamaru for the year 2008, aside from the participation of its members in other worthwhile events such as the mangrove-planting project of ADCL at Pampanga Bay, Kapampangan language and literature seminars in the Holy Angel University and UP Pampanga, and the filming of the Cannes Film Festival-finalist "Serbis" at the Family Theater of Angeles City.

2009

The members of Kamaru are praying for a more fruitful year of cultural service for 2009. These are the plans/activities (both tentative and set) of Kamaru for the coming year:

:: To wrap up the production of the first season of "Kalam" and have it aired regularly
:: The extension of "Frequency K" into either a two-hour radio program or a twice-a-week radio program
:: A production tie up with the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) to produce a mini-series on the Aytas of Clark
:: Production of Ara Muna's music video for "O Jo, Ika Ing Buri Ku"
:: Participation in film festivals in Manila and abroad
:: Participation again in UP Diliman's ACLE this February
:: The release of a Hiligaynon-Kapampangan song (Bronze P and Raco Del Rosario)
:: The release of a Waray-Kapampangan song (Exoduce and Mernuts)
:: Kamaru's trip to Palawan to present a lecture on pop culture as tool for cultural and linguistic revitalization, to screen "Kalam" and other Kamaru productions, and to produce a music video in HD for one of the songs of Bulyaw Mariguen, a Cuyonon band.
:: Production of more Kapampangan documentaries, particularly the followup to Sexmoan Adventures: Manibaug Adventures and Darabulbul Adventures.
:: Production of a full-length independent Kapampangan horror digital film
:: Help in the organization of the first ever Kapampangan student short film festival as an additional offering for either Sinukwan Festival or Aldo Ning Amanung Sisuan
:: Help in the organization of an event in UP Diliman in celebration of the International Mother Language Day (February)
:: Dubbing of Filipino animated content into Kapampangan
:: Release of a second set of EmoKapampangan

And many more to come! Miluid ya sa ing Balen Kapampangan!

Kalalangan Kamaru on Sip Magazine

There's this glossy magazine distributed in Metro Manila. It's Sip Magazine, the first ever magazine targeting coffee shop addicts.

Inspired by the ever-growing high-end Café market here in the Philippines, No Bounds Group - the freshest, hottest and most talented Events and Publishing team in the country today, in partnership with the largest coffee retailer in the United States and the leading per store café-coffee retailer in the Philippines – The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (CBTL)...

Our magazine targets young, dynamic yet very discerning café aficionados ages 18-35 years old in Classes A, B and Upper C (CBTL’s very solid target market – covering college students, yuppies and even lifestyle mavens). SIP hopes to represent, entertain and inspire this “restless and determined” market by featuring articles on the hottest trends in personal care, gadgets, fitness, travel, fashion, music and most importantly, youth volunteerism (in helping others and saving the environment).


This June in their Independence Day issue, they have a feature on our Kapampangan cultural development group, Kalalangan Kamaru, and our advocacy for Kapampangan. View the feature here:



In the July issue of Sip, Kalam will be featured, the first ever Kapampanganovela. It's as historical as Sip Magazine, because it's also a first in Philippine history!

Infomax and Kamaru announce call for actors

Here is a special news clipping from Infomax-8's I-Max News announcing the arrival of Kalam, the first ever Kapampanganovela in the country. We are still looking for interested actors. Please see previous entry for details.

Frequency K: Kool Maging Kapampangan!

We used to only have Arnel Panganiban's Kapampangan Ku, Pagmaragul Ku on GVAM 792 as the sole radio program based in Pampanga that features Kapampangan songs, mostly pulosas and basultos. When it comes to FM radio, Kapampangan is nowhere to be found. All we hear are English and Tagalog songs, making the Kapampangan youth more and more absorbed to these languages (hey, the songs are hip and cool; it makes the language of their lyrics cool as well then), away from their mother tongue, Kapampangan.

Well, not anymore.


I am also now DJ Jason Paul of the GVFM 99.1 Kapampangan weekly show, Frequency K (the letter K stands for, as you might have guessed, Kapampangan), along with DJ Diegs (Diego Dobles of Asthma band). In this show, we host in Kapampangan, play modern Kapampangan songs, admit Kapampangan greetings, and tell Kapampangan trivia!

Apart from that, we also guest live bands with Kapampangan remakes/compositions every episode. For our pilot airing, we guested Guagua-based band Pedro's Playground. They performed an original composition titled Dayang Kapampangan (Kapampangan Blood). The lyrics below.

We also have this segment called Lakwatseru, where we go to various schools and universities to record Kapampangan greetings and messages from random students and personalities we encounter.

Frequency K may be heard on GVFM 99.1 every Saturday, 7 PM. If you're in a band or you know a Kapampangan band interested to play live (acoustic setup only; song must be in Kapampangan) in our show, have them contact me @ 09186992459.

The objective of the show is to have the Kapampangan language penetrate the pop culture industry, in hopes of returning or increasing the ethnic pride of the culturally confused Kapampangan youth. We also want to propagate the idea to budding Kapampangan musicians that using our Amanung Sisuan in modern music is not grotesque. It's in fact hip!

As our tagline goes, uling king Frequency K, kool maging Kapampangan! (For in Frequency K, it's cool to be Kapampangan!)

Dayang Kapampangan
By Pedro'’s Playground

Atin kesabyan kekatamung Kapampangan
King pamagmalan atna katamung pangaselan
King pamaglutu, dadayuan da katamu deng tau
Sisig, tidtad, palabuk, deng pagmayabang tamu

(Things they say about us, Kapampangans
We're choosy when it comes to dressing up
We're renowned by people for our culinary skills
We take pride in sisig, tidtad, palabuk)

Aliwa tamung Kapampangan
Masyas tamu tetagan
Andyang nanung kasakitan
Misasanmetung tamu ngan

(We, Kapampangans, are distinct
We have a strong lineage
Whatever challenge we face
We're always united)

Andyang nanung problema, laging mipapanantabe
Uling king pamakiabe, balu ta' ing makatibe
Bansag da kekatamu, deng taung dayang asu
Ing e da mu balu, relihiyosu ta'ng tutu

(In every crisis, we look after one another
Because altogether we strive to be better
They brand us "with canine blood"
Little do they know, we're also spiritual)

Aliwa tamung Kapampangan
Masyas tamu tetagan
Andyang nanung kasakitan
Misasanmetung tamu ngan

(We, Kapampangans, are distinct
We have a sturdy lineage
Whatever challenge we face
We're always united)

DJ Diegs

DJ Jason Paul

'Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho' features RocKapampangan

Were you able to catch today's episode of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho on GMA-7? In today's episode, they had a story on what they tagged as "Promdi Rock" and other non-Tagalog recorded music.

Davao band 1017's Charing was also featured, along with the renowned Bisrock (Bisaya Rock) band Phylum and T'boli indigenous musicians.


Representing non-Tagalog Luzon are none other than the Kapampangans for their newly released RocKapampangan album. According to an interview made by their researchers with a certain expert on music, such movements are manifestations of wanting to oppose identity crisis. Gradually, young minds are beginning to think, amidst the proliferation of Tagalog and English records, why can't I sing in my mother language?



Sir Joel Mallari of Holy Angel University was also featured, saying that the RocKapampangan album inspired his balid (non-proficient in Kapampangan) son to perfect his native tongue gradually.

Here are some more screen captures of their feature on RocKapampangan.










If you haven't grabbed your album yet, rugo, nanu'ng panenayan mu?

Digital Film Workshop @ HAU

From January 10-14, the Office of Student Affairs of the Holy Angel University is holding a filmmaking workshop.


It will orient the participants, mostly student-neophytes in the field, on the different aspects of filmmaking such as script and story development, cinematography, directing, and acting.



I was the first resource speaker discussing to the participants the importance of story and script and oriented them about cinematography (art/science of capturing moving images on film/video). I told them the importance of realism in filmmaking, and so, if the setting of their story is in Pampanga, it will be outrageously awkward that Kapampangan will not be the language.


January 11 and 12, it was/will be my personal idol Brillante Mendoza (directors of internationally award-winning films, mostly with lots of Kapampangan elements: Masahista, Kaleldo, and Manoro; also Foster Child and Tirador) and also independent actor Coco Martin. He mentioned that he makes sure there are Kapampangan lines in his films when they are set in Pampanga, because filmmaking is capturing as much as possible honest reality.


(L-R: Coco Martin, me, Brillante Mendoza)

May the contestants in the digital film festival at HAU realize those things we mentioned not only about Kapampangan, but about realism in independent filmmaking.