There aren’t many people in this small rural town who, without some struggle, can find the Philippines on a map. Fewer still avidly discuss genealogy, sociology, or ethnography. I’m growing so bold in my attempts to find someone to communicate with that last night I dared to mention the Manong Generation at a dinner party. While I was met with dull blank stares, at least they were polite enough not to yawn. Thus, today I’m indulgently departing from my normal blogging about the past to draw attention to living artists that have drawn inspiration from the Manong Generation.
If I had the ability to recast last night’s dinner party inviting any Pinoy I wished, this would be my guest list:
Apl de Ap
In 2006, when a vast majority of music videos were merely soft porn, Apl de Ap’s “Bebot: Generation One” paid homage to the Manong Generation. The video deftly covers examples the struggles Manongs faced on a daily basis by following a group of farm laborers from the asparagus field into town for a night of taxi dancing.
Stockton History & Behind the sences: Bebot in Little Manilla
Generation One
Bebot
~Black Eyed Peas
(Lyrics and rough translation)
*Bebot bebot bet :Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet :Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Ikaw ay aking : You're my
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Ikaw ay aking : You're my
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Ikaw ay : You're a
Filipino! - Filipino! - Filipino! - Filipino!
Hoy pare, pakinggan n’yo ako : Hey friend, listen to me
Heto na ang tunay na Pilipino : Here I am, a true Filipino
Galing sa baryo - Sapang Bato : From the barrio of Sapang Bato
Pumunta ng L.A. - nagtrabaho : Went to L.A. and I worked
Para makatulong sa Nanay : In order to help my mother
Dahil sa hirap ng buhay : Because life got so hard
Pero masaya pa rin ang kulay : But I’m still proud of this brown skin
Pag kumain - nagkakamay : Still eat with my hands, no spoon and fork
‘yung kanin - *chicken adobo : We eat that - chicken adobo*
‘yung *balut - binibenta sa kanto : The balut* - sold on the street corner.
Tagay mo na nga ang baso : Pour the shots, let’s share
Pare ko, inuman na tayo : My Friend, let's start drinking
Filipino! - Filipino! - Filipino! - Filipino!
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Ikaw ay aking : You're my
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Ikaw ay aking : You're my
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Ikaw ay : You're a
Filipino! - Filipino! - Filipino! - Filipino!
Masdan mo ang magagandang dalaga : Checkin’ out the beautiful ladies
Nakakagigil ang beauty mo talaga : Your beauty is mesmerizing me
Lambing na hindi nakakasawa : This romance, I’ll never get enough
Ikaw lang and gustong makasama : You’re the only one I want to be with
‘yung bahay o kubo : I’ll live in a mansion or a small wooden hut
Pag-ibig mo ay tutoo : Because your love is true
Puso ko’y laging kumikibo : My heart keeps telling me
Wala kang katulad sa mundo :You’re the only one in my world
Pinoy ka - sigaw ng - sige : If you're a Pinoy* shout, c'mmon
Kung maganda ka - sigaw ng - sige : If you're beautiful shout, c'mmon
Kung buhay mo’y mahalaga - sige : If your life is of value shout, c'mmon
Salamat sa ‘yong suporta : Thanks for your support
Filipino! - Filipino! - Filipino! - Filipino!
Filipino! - Filipino! - Filipino! - Filipino!
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Ikaw ay aking : You're my
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Ikaw ay aking : You're my
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Bebot bebot bet : Baby, baby, boo
Ikaw ay : You're a
Filipino! - Filipino! - Filipino! - Filipino!
Pinoy ka - sigaw ng - sige : If you're a Pinoy* shout, c'mmon
Kung maganda ka - sigaw ng - sige : If you're beautiful shout, c'mmon
Kung buhay mo’y mahalaga - sige : If your life is of value shout, c'mmon
Salamat sa ‘yong suporta : Thanks for your support
Pinoy ka - sigaw ng - sige : If you're a Pinoy* shout, c'mmon
Kung maganda ka - sigaw ng - sige : If you're beautiful shout, c'mmon
Kung buhay mo’y mahalaga - sige : If your life is of value shout, c'mmon
Salamat sa ‘yong suporta : Thanks for your support
Filipino! - Filipino! - Filipino! - Filipino!
La la la la la la la . . . .
la la lo . . . .
La la la la la la la lo . . . .
*Bebot: a beautiful, sexy young woman. Akin to baby or boo
*Chicken adobo : a well known Filipino chicken stew.
*Balot: snack consisting of a boiled fertilized duck egg
*Pinoy: Filipino male
Noel Gamboa
Noel Gamboa captures the music, laughter, and love of dance embedded deeply within Filipino culture. His simple line dances set to contemporary Tagalog music are fun and easy to follow.
Noel’s latest project “"Sayawan Na!!!" (Let's Dance!!) is an interactive Pinoy music and dance show about the lives of Filipino Immigrants set in folklore, comedy, and dance, wherein the audience participates in every scene by dancing as guests to the various parties that are celebrated within the show.”
Peter Bacho
Peter Bacho’s grasp of language astounds me! This man is a master at the art of imagery, painting with words to capture people, places, and dialects that are sadly slipping further away from us with each passing day. His collection of short stories, entitled “A Dark Blue Suit,” is my personal favorite.
A man of wicked wit, you will enjoy reading “The Seattle Times” http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19980301&slug=2737015
and Whidbey Student Community interviews with Peter Bacho http://whidbeystudents.com/childrensyoung-adult
(about a quarter way down the page, under the book review).
Vince Gotera
Vince maintains one of my favorite websites, “Man with the Blue Guitar” (nod to 30’s poet Wallace Stevens) http://vincegotera.blogspot.com/
His culturally inspired poetry, especially “Madarika” http://vincegotera.blogspot.com/2009/05/al-robles-rip.html#poem
and “Manong Chito Tells Manong Ben About his Dream over Breakfast at the Manilatown Café” http://vincegotera.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-memoriam-al-robles-manong-chito.html#poem, invokes pieces of the old San Francisco that Uncle Raymond knew and loved so well.
There now, with the addition of my wonderful husband, my dream party guest list is complete. This rant is over. The self-pity is all out of my system. I’m lucky to have friends that invite me to dinner.
And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming!
No comments:
Post a Comment