the showbiz news of the day

i’m taking a break from writing for and planning Creative Explosion, to share a moment/interaction between me, the snippet on a showbiz news show in the Philippines, and my aunt. this post is a gut reaction, and will not contain facts or research as backup. so take it as it is.

i was trying to take a nap on the couch while my aunt was watching The Filipino Channel (TFC). thought i could do it. nothing of particular interest was being talked about on the daily show, Showbiz News Ngayon (translation: Showbiz News Now/Today). then i perked up when i heard the story on Freddie Aguilar, a musical legend, artist, and nationalist, commenting on how international Filipino stars like Charice Pempengco (did you see her on Ellen and Oprah? or maybe when she sang a duet with Celine Dion?) and Arnel Pineda (current frontman of Journey), have no originality, and echoed the rumored comment of Mariah Carey, that Filipinos are like monkeys, because all they do is imitate.

in the brief interview, he questioned the conduct of the artists; pointed out that even with their fame, and success at fulfilling their dream of singing in Las Vegas, or performing a duet with international (white) stars, they were still singing songs of white people (in this case, more specifically, Americans). he asked why these rising stars couldn’t sing true Filipino songs, so that the world can hear Tagalog and recognize it.

now my aunt, starts to speak (to the tv, to me, to herself, i dunno), and says (translated): how can they sing Tagalog songs? no one’s going to understand it. come on now, Freddie. i wanted to tell her that wasn’t his point. then she repeats what she just said. and that’s when i got up, left the house, and started to write this post.

the exchange between the artists on the television show, and my aunt’s comment reminded me of a question i was asked just a few weeks ago. i was at a bar with some friends, and somehow we got to the topic of Filipinos being good dancers and whatnot. someone asked me why that was–you know, where did that stereotype come from. my short answer, as i was tipsy, was that performance, like singing and dancing, are critical to Filipino culture and expression, but that it stems from centuries of the colonized performing for the colonizers.

i think this is what Freddie Aguilar is criticizing. yea, he could’ve not “insulted” the artists mentioned by not referring to them as “monkeys”. but, i’d like to believe that he’s pushing for Filipinos to realize and recognize that they have power, and should be more than puppets, singing the songs people want to hear. it’s about redefining Filipino Power (fuck the colonizers!). basically, don’t sell out. but it’s not that easy, is it? nor is it that simple. as perfomers, what can you do, or more importantly, who are you without a fan base, without an audience? makes you question why people do it. because they can? because it’s fun? because they get attention and respect? because it’s for your “people” (however you define and designate your people)?

as a performer, i struggle with these questions all the time. i know why i do it. i know what motivates me. should it matter whether or not people agree? well, to be honest, i lean more toward Freddie Aguilar’s politics (really, that wasn’t obvious?), and i can certainly be self-righteous about them. ultimately, we have to recognize the value of the exposure (and maybe i’m stretching here, but the validation of our talents as a people) that Charice and Arnel have provided for Filipinos globally in the past year. but then again, does certain exposure and how it’s interpreted culturally, psychologically, etc. do more damage to a nation of people that it outweighs the benefits?