RSS Feeds: Filipino Music Talent
Americans may have invented the music videos, but they certainly aren't the only ones producing them. My case in point is about Filipino music videos. Many music videos are more than just music videos. Classic music videos, such as "Thriller" (Michael Jackson) and "Blue Jean" (David Bowie), are mini-movies. The Filipino music videos are no different in that regard, although I haven't seen any quite that long. You just have to view one of the many Tagalog music videos on YouTube to appreciate true Filipino music talent.
Parokya ni Edgar
I saw the music video for "Mr. Suave" on The Filipino Channel (TFC) when I still lived in the US. The song is performed in Tagalog, but it's catchy enough that you don't need to know what the words mean.
The band is most lauded for its original rock novelty songs and often satirical covers of famous songs. The band has transcended musical genres while providing comic relief to their listeners.
Cueshé
I heard "Ulan" hundreds of times before I decided to track down the music video on YouTube. It's another song in Tagalog and I don't understand most of the lyrics, but I like it nonetheless.
Cueshé is a 6-piece OPM (Original Pilipino Music/Original Pinoy Music/Original Philippine Music) Pop-Rock band that hails from Cebu, Philippines.
Black Eyed Peas
"Bebot" is a Tagalog song from the Black Eyed Peas' 2005 album Monkey Business. The term "Bebot" is Filipino slang for "pretty woman", "hot chick", "hottie", or "baby/babe". The Black Eyed Peas is a three-time (maybe more since I last looked) Grammy Award-winning American hip-hop group from Los Angeles, California.
My older son was prancing around (back when we were in the US) and repeating a verse from this song long before I knew what it referred to. Although it's an American band, at least one member hails from the Philippines and he displays his Filipino music talent whenever he can.
The Papaya Dance
Invented by Filipino celebrity Edu Manzano, the Papaya Dance became a dance craze that swept the country and was even aired on American news stations.
The popularity of the dance dwindled, as so many fad dances do, but it was entertaining while it lasted.
There are many more examples of Filipino music talent on YouTube and you just have to search with the right terms in order to find them.
Misconceptions
My wife, a Filipina, calls the Filipino "the great imitator". I beg to differ. Sure, I've heard a lot of cover bands in the Philippines using American music for their material, but it only takes a few samples of their original music to see that Filipinos have just as much talent as any American in the music industry. Take a look at Arnel Pineda, for example.
Truly, the only people who can't appreciate Filipino music are those who've never taken the time to experience it. My own relatives in the US are among that group of people.
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I am a follower of Filipino music. I love Parokya ni Edgar. They started out cross-dressing during their videos! The Eraserheads and the Apo Hiking Society are also two of the best groups there are. Both their songs have been rehashed by younger groups and these songs still earned platinum. It's a pity the Apo will be retiring this year soon.
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