Mga Awit Para Sa Buwan Ng Wika: Ikalawang Bahagi (Ano Ba Ang Makabuluhang Pagmamahal?)

Katulad ng aking pangako ay inihahandog ko ang pangalawang bahagi ng ating tugtugan.

Kasama sa aking handog ang isang tanong na magpasahanggang ngayon ay walang tiyak na kasagutan para sa akin.

Ano ba ang makabuluhang pagmamahal? (To rephrase in a more universally spoken language, what is a purposeful kind of love?)

Itinatanong ko ito sapagkat maraming uri ng pagmamahal, maraming nag-aakala na makabuluhan ang kanilang pagmamahal, at maraming nagiging biktima ng inaakala nilang pagmamahal.

Tunay nga bang pagmamahal ang maging mapagpatawad sa ama, ina, o asawang nambubugbog?

Pagmamahal nga ba ang tawag kung gusto lang wakasan ng isang kaibigan ang inyong pagtatalo na walang naging tiyak na kalutasan, dahil ayaw lang niya ng diskusyon?

Paano ba ang magmahal sa bayan kung ito ay salamin ng kalabisan at kawalang-bahala ng kanyang mga supling?

Lubos ka bang nagmamahal kung handa kang mamatay para sa iyong paniniwala, o isa ba itong kahibangan o dili kaya ay kakulangan sa pagmamahal sa sarili?

Paano ba ang magmahal sa mga bagay na hindi nakikita ng iyong mga mata o nararamdaman ng iyong puso?

Katulad ng aking tinuran, mahirap sagutin ng tumpak ang mga tanong na ito. Isa ito sa mga "doble-karang" katotohanan ng buhay: totoong mahirap sagutin ang anumang katanungan tungkol sa pagmamahal, subalit kailangan pa ring magkaroon ng katanggap-tanggap na kasagutan. Dahil kung wala .... marahil ay lagi na lamang luhaan ang buong sanlibutan, at malamang, kahit saan ka bumaling ay bumabagyo, o umuulan ng niyebe, at wala kang masilungan.

At ano naman ang kinalaman nito sa Buwan ng Wika?

Ang isa pa kasi sa mga katanungan ko ay: paano ba ang magmahal sa sariling wika, kung sa totoo lamang ay hindi pa rin tunay na matukoy kung ano ba talaga ang ibig sabihin ng wikang Pilipino?

Lahat tayo ay may kanya-kanyang sagot diyan, subalit huwag nating kalimutan na isa itong paulit-ulit na isyu lalo pa kung tuwing sumasapit ang Buwan Ng Wika.

Eto ang mga awit para sa mga nagmamahal, para sa Buwan ng Wika. At para sa mga tagahanga ni G. Mel Maniego, ikinatutuwa kong sabihin sa inyo na kasama sa listahang ito ang isa sa mga orihinal na awit ng kanyang bandang The GoSignals, ang "Elisa". Makinig kayo!

1. POPONG LANDERO - "Buhay-Robot"
2. t.R.A. - "Kamalayan"
3. SIGNAL 3 - "Buhay Ko"
4. DONG ABAY - "Akrostik"
5. EINSTEIN CHAKRAS - "Hanggang Saan, Hanggang Kailan"
6. THE GOSIGNALS - "Elisa"

(nasa larawan: monumento ni Ninoy Aquino sa rally para kay Jun Lozada, The GoSignals)

Trash Radio Manila Episode 14 Part 3: Ano Ang Kulay ng Mukha Ng Tag-Init?

Still recuperating here from the (pleasant) damages of summer. We are, at long last, presenting Part 3 of Episode 14 (applause applause).

This segment's playlist:

1. APOLLO CREED - "Heavy Metal Summer"
2. THE AMBASSADORS - "Johnny Punk"
3. SHRAPNEL - "Believe"
4. SIGNAL 3 - "Spirit Of Rebellion"
5. T.S.A. - "Doom Soldiers"
6. TOLONGUEZ DEATH SQUAD - "Never Again"
7. SPARKPLUG - "Anybody"
8. PEACH FANTASTIC - "Only A Friend"
9. PUT3SKA - "Flying"

At dahil lumalaki ang utang ko sa inyo, mag-o-All Pinoy segment tayo ngayon.

From the album Revenge Of The Punk Elite, which Apollo Creed released some 5 years ago comes the witty track "Heavy Metal Summer". Apollo Creed, as you may well know, has been around for some time, and have even contributed two tracks to the "Onwards To Galaxy" compilation of years past, which also includes Spank and Piledriver. More about Apollo Creed on their MySpace site.

Out of the Queen City of The South come sugba, puso, buwad, bulalo steak, and two out of the many delectable Cebu bands in existence. The Ambassadors released their pre-Lighter Records album Chaotic World (from which "Johnny Punk" came from) in 2001. Shrapnel is an S.R.A. (Struggle For Radical Action) collective veteran, and have been around since 1994. Their song "Believe" is included in this playlist.

We have featured Signal 3 in our past episode, and we are featuring them once again. This time we are playing "Spirit of Rebellion". T.S.A., our hardcore tormentors out there in Singapore, come next with "Doom Soldiers".

Tolonguez Death Squad is one of the bands that contributed to the Know Your Enemy Compilation which is released by Dirty Shoes Records just a few months ago. Included in the compi is the militant "Never Again". Sparkplug (which I believe is already defunct, but correct me if I'm wrong) used to be together some five years back, doing gigs mostly south of Manila. They came out with a song called "Anybody" around that time.

Peach Fantastic comes from Los Angeles, and is part of the Lokalpinoy Vol. 1 compilation. The band was able to release an album titled 100% Natural, but I believe these guys have already disbanded. Too bad, for they do pretty refreshing pop tunes, such as "Only A Friend". And Put3ska, have they really disbanded? The lads played together last year to commemorate the life of their original drummer Luis Guiang, just when nearly everyone had thought that Put3ska had ceased to be. Riddles the answer to which not even The Riddler can provide....

So people, enjoy what is left of the weekend and play this segment loud while you're at it.

And, lest I forget, there are many cool people celebrating their birthdays this month as well. Take a bow, A, V, M, P, F, y'all (magpainom na rin kayo)- have a great one. ;)

Click here for high bitrate playlist.

Picture credits : Pics of Apollo Creed, Shrapnel, T.S.A., and Tolonguez Death Squad are from their respective MySpace sites. Last photo shows Eldie Siochi of Put3ska.

Trash Radio Manila Episode 3 Part 2: All-Pinoy. O, Di Ba?

Today's segment is testament to the often-neglected fact that the Filipino artist is as creative as he is socially and politically aware, and all he needs is the proper venue, sufficient logistics, and your support.

Coming from the self-released album Sampol, which is the acoustic precursor to the studio release Flipino, is "Tuyo," Dong Abay's ode to things we take for granted and more. The track is followed by "Satanas" by Plazma-Marlowe-Choc, from the indie-released Dekoding Rhythm compilation by the Ampon hip-hop collective.

The Mindrape track comes from several years back courtesy of Cebu's S.R.A. (Struggle for Radical Action) punk collective that has remained steadfast through the years. Fresh for 2008 is the Dirty Shoes Collective release called Know Your Enemy, from which comes "Oras Sa Kamay" by Suspeks. If you want a copy of this album, you can write Dirty Shoes Collective at dirty_shoes_records(at)yahoo(dot)com. Or, as the collective says, "Punta na lang silang tandem, marami doon."

Signal 3 is a defunct Fil-Am street-punk band, with the album Kingsley United featuring the anthemic "Kapit-Kamay." The segment ends with the band called Einstein Chakras and their contribution to the Rock Against The Round Compilation CD. "Hangga't Maaari (Ayokong Pumatay)" is a fitting finale to this inspiring set of songs.

Sana'y maibigan niyo at tangkilikin ang sariling atin. Mabuhay ang musikong Pinoy!

1. DONG ABAY - "Tuyo" (from Sampol CD)
2. PLAZMA-MARLOWE-CHOC - "Satanas" (from Dekoding Rhythm Compilation CD)
3. MINDRAPE -"Standards" (from Eight And Counting S.R.A. Compilation CD)
4. SUSPEKS - "Oras Sa Kamay" (from Know Your Enemy Compilation CD)
5. SIGNAL 3 - "Kapit-Kamay" (from the Kingsley United CD)
6. EINSTEIN CHAKRAS - "Hangga't Maaari (Ayokong Pumatay)" (from Rock Against The Round Compilation CD)

Playing at the defunct Kolumn bar last February 2006: Einstein Chakras