Ever performed Kapampangan stuff in your school?

When I was a kid (1990 up), I, together with my classmates, never got the chance to perform anything Kapampangan, especially because performances always employed the use of recorded music.

I remember as a pre-schooler that what we used to sing were Jose Mari Chan's English Christmas songs such as Christmas in our Hearts and other Jackson 5 Yuletide classics. Not to mention, the popular Tagalog Christmas songs. Then, our commencement exercises for Pre-school employed Ako'y Munting Tinig (I Am But A Small Voice) as our graduation song.

Came Elementary, we became more exposed to what the Western recording industry could offer. Calisthenics were done using Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, and other foreigners' music. During Linggo ng Wika, of course, Kapampangan was nowhere to be found, as all the performances came in Tagalog recordings too.

With no Kapampangan poems or declamation pieces, teachers and students rode with the flow of celebrating Wika instead of Amanu. Our graduation song, then, was in English: If We Hold On by Diana Ross.

It's the same bubble when I got into High School at Chevalier School (CS). Even though CS played folk songs every morning at the gymnasium, we would only hear Tagalog songs such as Ang Mga Ibon... and Magtanim Ay 'Di Biro.

Rock shows featured student bands performing Tagalog and English rock songs - all covers - since they couldn't cover any Kapampangan rock song (or were not innovative enough to think of making Kapampangan music). Film screenings never featured anything Kapampangan, since all local films during that time have been always in Tagalog.

But now that Kapampangan is starting to invade the media of film, record, publishing, and Internet, it is now highly possible for younger students and teachers to perform homegrown music and adapt Kapampangan pieces for contests. This is one example, where kids from a school in Sindalan, San Fernando City perform ArtiSta. Rita's rendition of Ing Malsinta/Beria.

Alben keni.

Funny how all these happened when our schools kept insisting Rizal's famous quote: Ang 'di magmahal sa sariling wika mas masahol pa sa malansang isda.

To the Kapampangan artists, especially those involved in verbal art, just continue producing superb Kapampangan material. They will someday be utilized by teachers for their instructional businesses and other extracurricular activities. This, if ever, will be another step in fortifying our native culture in our own land.

Someday, I hope graduation songs, Christmas songs, and even Alma Mater songs would employ the Amanung Sisuan.

Lyrics to Ing Malsinta and Beria

Ing Malsinta

Lalaki:
O ba't mo ketang Sabadu
Migpasyal ku keta kekayu
Inyang abatiauan mu ku
Pepatagal mu kung asu

Babai:
Inya pin pepatagal da ka
Karetang asung de familia
Ban kanita makilala
Ing tune mung pamalsinta

Beria

Lalaki:
Beria ku, bandi ku
Moderna ning pusu ku
Mate ku, makananu
Nanung iyambag mu kanaku

Babai:
Pagaua ra kang kabaung
Karetang manibe rutung
Ba'ra kang e ayaun
Ding bulati lalam gabun

Sali kung samientu
Para kng kutkutan mu
At ban nang siguradu
Padobli ke pang kandadu

Invitation to join KAMARU Online

Click keni to join KAMARU Online!

KAMARU Online (the e-group) is a cyber club of patriotic Kapampangan Youth who hold dear the cultural heritage and language of the Kapampangans and strive for Kapampangan literacy both in writing, reading, and speaking, and using Kapampangan perspective in producing new Kapampangan art.

KAMARU members bravely accept the responsibility of being involved and active in the cultural and linguistic revival of the Kapampangan nation.

The ugliest trait a Kapampangan kid could have as a Filipino is losing his roots and native cultural identity in the fast-materializing global village.

What do we do?

1 - Study the Kapampangan language, Kapampangan history and cultural heritage, and everything else Kapampangan - culinary art, folk art, literature, etc.

2 - Produce new, modern, and young Kapampangan artworks that are competent enough to represent our homeland locally, nationally, and internationally.

3 - Invite other people to join in our cause of promoting Kapampangan to the youth and representing the Kapampangan race in the global village.

To YOUNG KAPAMPANGAN ARTISTS: If you're an artist (writer, musician, filmmaker, comic book maker, actor, etc.), KAMARU may serve as a support group (promotions, man work, contacts, suggestions, and financial aid, if available) as long as your work is Kapampangan-inspired.

ANAK KAPAMPANGAN
MANGASYAS, MANGASANTING, MANGALAGU, MANGABIASA!

Makiyabe!

(NOTE: This is just the online club. There is a real club which you might be interested to join. Contact sisig_man@yahoo.com.ph if you're interested)

'Anak ning Kapri' trailer

The results of the Cinemalaya 2007 short film category will be out anytime soon. I am deeply nervous as regards the results. Will Kalalangan Kamaru's attempt in making a short film in pure Kapampangan make it?

View the trailer below.

The latest issue of Singsing magazine is also out, where a short writeup on Anak ning Kapri will be found. It features the going-gone folk arts of Pampanga like burarul-making, kuran technology, and pukpuk, plus a great deal of stories regarding the legendary Kapampangan character Suku (Sinukuan).

Attempt in Kapampangan Art

Although I have an above average capability in visual art (based in academic reputation), I don't really consider it an ability with which I could go around with enough confidence to claim it's my talent.

But recently, inspired by Mr. Vicente Manansala's artworks, I decided that I would hone it gradually until I can claim visual art a homegrown talent of mine, like writing and theater. For a start, here's what my shaky and uncertain hands were able to churn out.


I call it Ing Magdarame (the flagellants of Pampanga). It's not purely handmade. I made us of my knowledge in digital enhancement, too, which I consider part of visual art.

'Atin Ku Pung Singsing' in reggae

So far and as far as I know, there are five contemporary versions of the popular Kapampangan folk song Atin Ku Pung Singsing, each by different acts.

First is Totoy Bato's basulto version which has slight melody modifications in the repetition of the song and acoustic guitar accompaniment.

Second is ArtiSta. Rita's Broadway version which starts off mellow then proceeds to a vaudeville-like version in the latter part.

Third is the acapella version involving the impressive five voices of jazz singer Mon David with a Gregorian monk version inserted in the middle.

Fourth is the Millennium version (piano-laden) released by the Holy Angel University Center for Kapampangan Studies as carrier single to the Paskung Kapampangan CD. It has a Tagalog version sandwiched between the traditional Kapampangan lines, probably to cater to already Tagalized Kapampangans (shame on you!). It's the most emotional version I heard.

The fifth one is what I am actually featuring today. It's a hip reggae version by a band called Tropical Depression, which I commend for modernizing folk songs.


When I heard the song via a Friendster testimonial in the page a person I already forgot, I researched on the source of that version. I found out that it was Tropical Depression, so I looked them up through Friendster and asked them a few questions.

To my surprise, none from their group is Kapampangan by any means! And it's sad how it is a non-Kapampangan band who was able to think of modernizing the endeared folk song of Kapampangans. Here's the exact reply of the band to me:

It has always been the band's thrust to help re-introduce traditional songs to the youth as what we have done with "Atin Cu Pung Singsing", "Baleleng", "Dandansoy", a couple of Mang Levi Celerio's works and, hopefully, more in the years to come.

Although none of us are true blue Kapampangans, and had to learn the dialect [language] in three days, we felt the need to revive the song to show people that if we just took time out to learn the cultures of the different regions, then we might be able to bridge the gap between our divided country.

Mayap ayabak, abe =)

Papadom

Unity through diversity. That's the way to go.

However, what surprised me more was the fact that it was Grace Nono who did the vocals! Grace Nono is from Mindanao and I, from now on, look up to her for having respect and appreciation to the diverse cultures of the Philippines.

I also read somewhere that she visited the Center for Kapampangan Studies once. Way to go. I hope there were more musicians like her (and Tropical Depression).

But then, there's only boom tarat tarat.

If you want, by the way, to listen to the lovely reggae version of Atin Ku Pung Singsing, click the title on my podomatic on your right.

Susug: Episode 2 of my Kapampangan YouTube magazine show Meto Kapampangan is out! Check out ini.