sepbluesman

asian village radio show-episode 1

2011-08-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

1001 albums you must hear before you die (4)

2009-07-20T04:42:00.001-07:00

1001 albums you must hear before you die (3)

2009-07-09T03:25:00.000-07:00

1001 albums you must hear before you die (2)

2009-07-09T03:15:00.000-07:00

1001 albums you must hear before you die

2009-07-09T03:13:00.001-07:00

Together through Life

2009-05-02T01:12:00.001-07:00

The blood of Bob Dylan runs through my little baby’s veins. Well close. Actually, Che Dominguez’ blood was transfused into Judy’s body just before she gave birth to baby yol. Che (Thanks again Che!) is the wife of the great Boy Dominguez, visual artist but better known in our circles as Boy D- the undisputed Bob Dylan of Krus na Ligas!

But seriously, Yolena may yet be the youngest Dylan fan at 1 month old. She likes it when I sing Dylan songs to her. She particularly likes the newer songs from Time out of Mind (Make you feel my love), and Modern Times (beyond the horizon, spirit on the water, when the deal goes down). When the deal goes down hands down is her favourite (our favourite actually-me, judy and yolena) and is track 01 in the soundtrack of our new journey.

So, we’re now moving together through life—which leads us to the latest Dylan album. His 38^th if am not mistaken. Released last APril 28, 2009, Together Through Life is yet another timeless Dylan album. Yolena and I have listened to the new album on our few road trips together and i think she likes this one as well. I intend to buy the original album, and leave it unopened inside Yolena's treasure chest/box for her to re-discover when she's older.

New Morning

2009-04-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

At around 5pm today, March 19, 2009, feast day of St. Joseph, little Yolena was born. We waited two weeks in the hospital for her. We came here to Capitol Medical Center in the early morning of March 4 because Judy had bleeding and pre-term contractions. The doctors had to suppress these contractions because Yolena was not yet ready—the pregnancy was just a little over 36 weeks, and the baby was just 2.2 kilos. If she insisted then on coming out, she would have spent her first week inside an incubator. Because the contractions were suppressed with medication and the bleeding controlled, her nanay’s womb continued to be yolena’s incubator. For two weeks, doctors monitored her heartbeat ‘round the clock and thanks to the device called the Doppler, we listened in on her development. 140-150 beats per minute. Each report of a normal heartbeat comforted us. Every move inside judy’s tummy was an affirmation that she’s alright, gaining strength and getting ready.

Judy and I needed these positive signs and vibes. There were moments throughout our stay here when we felt overwhelmed by the difficulties. Judy’s delicate condition on account of the placenta previa required complete bed rest. She couldn’t stand up even to go to the bathroom. Because judy also suffered from acid reflux, she could not stay flat on her back also. Everything seemed dependent on some compromise here and there.

Another complication was judy’s rising blood pressure. Judy has never been hypertensive but here, the past two weeks her BP fluctuated between lows of 120/80 to highs of 170/90. Interestingly, her BP shot up during supposedly times of rest, usually in the middle of night. I breathed a sigh of relief everytime her BP plateaus to 120/80. The high BP can be indicative of another complication during pregnancy called pre-eclampsia or toxemia- how to i know all these terms? Thanks to the ever reliable guide book- what to expect when you’re expecting, which was like our bible from day one of the pregnancy.

In the face of the complications, we – judy and I, our doctors and nurses, tried to address one issue/problem at a time. First the bleeding and the contractions, then the hypertension, and then restlessness. We set our sights on one milestone at a time also. First was March 15, (37^th week of pregnancy) and then the next ultrasound (march 19), the 38^th week (march 22) and the scheduled CS on March 23.

March 19 10 am- Judy undergoes ultrasound. The ultrasound was meant primarily to examine the baby’s condition and judge whether she’s now ready to be born.

Around 1 pm- we were informed by one of the resident OB-gynecologists of the results of the ultrasound—everything was ok, the baby’s vital signs were all normal. She now weighed around 6.7 lbs. The only thing wrong was the low –normal amniotic fluid. The doctors assessed that because the baby seems to be ready already and that there is no need to wait any longer, the operation should be done today, 3 days ahead of the March 23 original schedule. We thought that we would be the ones to pick her birthday, but in the end yolena picked her own birthday. We were informed around 1pm of the 4pm delivery. We really didn’t have time to let our minds wander some more thus sparing us of any additional worries.

At around 3pm, i went down to the business center to settle our business with this business-minded hospital. When i returned, Dra Daza the anaesthesiologist was there already, seated next to judy’s bed , talking her through the procedure. She exuded an aura of certainty and control as she casually discussed with us how she will administer the spinal anaesthesia. She comforted us by saying that since we’re Lamaze students, that we would be better equipped to handle the procedure, Judy will be better equipped to handle the pain. Dra Daza even offered her services as our official photographer inside the delivery room.

At around 4:15 judy was wheeled in the delivery room. I waited outside, pacing, sitting, taking photographs and playing around with the video cam- anything to block off any negative thoughts, anything to ward off the worries. At around 5pm i heard a faint baby’s cry in the background, drowning away the the Capitol Medical Theme song that was just playing a few minutes earlier and still lingered in the air. As i heard the cries from inside the delivery room, i wondered if what i was hearing was my baby daughter’s first cry. By 515, the door opened and in the distance i saw a small baby wrapped in blue blanket being held by one of the nurses. Dra Daza called me to come closer for our first photograph together. My first glance at yolena’s face was magical. She seemed so fragile. Napa buntong hininga ako and thought of judy, I saw judy’s face in the face of our newborn.

I went to the nursery soon after to hand over the baby clothes. I spoke to the nurse, the same nurse who was carrying her the first time i saw her and she told me that the baby is ok and that i can view her in about three hours time and that i should wait in the room in the meantime.

Family and friends dropped by. Koyang was the earliest, he came to the room even before Judy was taken to the DR. JL also dropped by, anna and levi, jo and uyel, den and danny, Richard and anabel, judy tag, tatcee and tita susan. My family also came- john and tess, anna and Alvin. The call for viewing came at around 7pm. All of us trooped excitedly to the nursery to see her. Dra dela paz carried her and showed her to us through the glass window of the nursery. She looked so pretty. She yawned, cried, smirked, sucked her small baby thumbs for us to see.

Around 8pm i got a call from the DR that they wanted to give back the camera. I was eager to check and find out judy’s condition. I saw judy awake. I asked if she was ok and she gestured a thumbs up. I wanted to just get near her and hug her at that point.

Around 1130 pm judy returned to our room (room 520) where she now sleeps as i write this. Its now 10 minutes into a new morning. A new day for us- myself, judy and yolena.

Puso at Isip ni Jess Santiago (Jess Santiago's Hearts & Minds)

2008-08-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

Fifteen years since the release of Obando, Filipino poet and singer-songwriter Jess Santiago is now back in the recording studio putting together his third full length album of original songs.

Puso at Isip (or Hearts & Minds) – the working title of the album in the making, offers us a sampling of some of the best songs in Santiago's rich collection of unrecorded tunes written from 2001-2008.

Like his first two gems, Halina (1991) and Obando (1994), the new album promises to be yet another rich tapestry of words and images woven together by simple yet soulful melodies, a trademark of Jess Santiago's music.

Around 13 songs have been hand-picked by Santiago to be included in the collection. These songs cover a whole range of themes and topics. There are expressions of the Filipino psyche and culture (Onli in the Pilipins) and the richness of the Filipino language (Loob).

There are overtly 'political' songs like Panginoon for example, based on a poem that came out of his Usapang Kanto column in Pinoy Weekly, a stinging commentary against George W. Bush's War on Terror. The song was written eight months before the US invasion of Iraq. Santiago's activism through his music manifests further in compositions like Daloy, a song written as part of a river rehabilitation campaign and Salot, a song with a strong anti-corruption message. The 'anthemic' quality of Santiago's songwriting is perhaps most evident in the songs bayan muna, his tribute to our country's martyrs and heroes and Pagbabago, written for and originally recorded by ASIN, a contemplative song about the struggle for change in this country.

Santiago's songwriting has also drawn inspiration from works of other artists and musicians. Included in the album are Eksenang tahimik, a 3-part poem inspired by a study made by the painter Antipas Delotavo, and Hamog sa Umaga, tagalog version of "achim iseul" (morning dew), a well-loved Korean song made popular by legendary South Korean singer-songwriter Kim Min'gi.

On a personal level, two songs stand out in the collection. 18, a beautiful song about a father's recollections on his daughter’s 18^th birthday; and Palatandaan, his tribute to veteran activists. These songs were originally conceived to be part of a concept album of "occasional songs" chronicling the different stages and moments in one's life.

Then there is Laging Ikaw, a masterfully crafted modern Filipino love song; and Pagsapit ng Dilim, a solemn ballad of love and longing.

As in previous efforts, the new album features Jess Santiago collaborating with friends. Ronnie Quesada, Dodjie Fernandez, Joey Ayala, Cynthia Alexander, Popong Landero and Gary Granada, Noel Cabangon and the Radioactive Sago Project all contribute their talents to the album along with very talented session musicians and singers including Simon Tan on Bass and Rene "chong" Tengasantos on percussions.

Pusot at Isip is yet another "labor of love" album by Santiago produced on a shoe-string budget. In order to augment the limited funds for this album and to produce a companion EP of Asian Peoples Music, we are soliciting the support of friends and 'friendly' organizations and network who have loved and supported Jess Santiago's music over the years.

Those who wish to support the project may write to koyangprojects@gmail.com or get in touch with Jess at 09292520120 or Joseph at 09173874531.

Musicians lend voice to the search for missing activist Jonas Burgos

2008-04-22T02:38:00.000-07:00

New recording of songs for the disappeared released

Adding their voice to the growing campaign against enforced disappearances, local Filipino musicians released today Huling Balita: Songs for the Disappeared, a collection of songs confronting the very serious issue of enforced disappearances in the country.

The album launching today (April 28, 2008) at Newsdesk Bar in Quezon City coincides with the first anniversary of the disappearance of activist Jonas Burgos, son of the late journalist and press freedom icon Jose Burgos.

“This project came about because musicians, who have heard about the disappearance not just of Jonas but many other political activists over the years, wanted to make a collective stand on the issue. We wanted to make a contribution to the campaign on the desaparecidos and we realized that the best way we can help is in communicating the issue of the disappearances, the stories of the disappeared and their families, in ways that are more accessible to the public” says poet and singer-songwriter Jess Santiago, one of the coordinators of the project.

“We wanted people to make the issue of the disappearances a personal issue, and the search for them a personal crusade” adds Santiago.

Produced on a shoe-string budget by the Free Jonas Burgos Movement (FJBM), Huling Balita, features ten songs that draw inspiration and offer insights into the issue of enforced disappearances. Eight of the songs featured in the album were recorded live during the Huling Balita Concert in UP Diliman in December 2007. Two bonus tracks were recorded in the studio.

The song Huling Balita, from which the album’s title is derived, by Jess Santiago, kicks off the recording and immediately sets the tone for the whole collection. A song written in the late 70’s at the height of Martial law, Huling Balita is a heart wrenching narrative of agony, of a wife’s search for her lost husband and the incessant questioning of a child yearning for her father’s return. The re-telling of the story about the disappearance is meant to spread the news, hoping to jolt people out of their apathy and indifference and inspire and move them to take a stand.

A range of emotions and themes resonate through out the album. Feelings of restlessness and longing are captured in Noel Cabangon’s “Awit ng Naghahanap” (Naghihintay, umaasa, Ika’y aming nadarama, Tibok ng yong puso’t hininga Larawan mo’y sumisilip, sa aming alaala ) and “Nasan Ka” by the Village Idiots (Nasan ka? Nasan ka? Hanap ka ng isip kong balisa, Buo kong katawan, nangungulila, Di masanay sa iyong pagkawala.). Yet feelings are not allowed to sink into despair and hopelessness as the victims transform their sadness into strength and muster the courage to continue the search against all odds, against continuing political repression and threats to their own lives.

Vigilance and defiance is another common message expressed through the songs. Granada’s song “Defiant” calls on the listener to “confront and defy” the forces that “bleed us dry” and attempt to silence the opposition. Einstein Chakras and Radio Active Sago Projects warn those in power of impending retribution and the judgment of history -- (Aagawin ng mga bata ang gobyernong di kanila, tatahiin ang napunit na bahagi ng isa, ang ibay isusumpa nitong yaring kasaysayan, na noong panahon nya’y binaliwala’t pinabayaan, Ayan na! from Ayan Na by Einstein Chakras) (Dahil balang araw, ang nagpapahirap ang pahihirapan Ang agpapakasarap ay kumunoy ang patutunguhan Ang naghahari ay magiging alipin Balang araw, mababasag din ang salamin from Radio Active Sago Project’s "Kung ano ang Meron").

The other contributions are from Bobby Balingit (Entrada), the free-style rap group Tribu, Anak ni Aling Juana (Naglaho), and Ms. Cookie Chua of Color it Red, doing an a capela version of “Saan” a song by Jess Santiago and Rene Villanueva.

“The artists, the songwriters and the singers featured in the recording, as well as the photographers and visual artists, whose works add life to the album, have all been so generous in contributing their talents and their time to this project” says JL Burgos, brother of Jonas and FJBM coordinator.

“We are of course hopeful that one day, and we hope very soon, that Jonas will be re-united with us again. In the meantime, the search continues for Jonas and many other missing activists” adds JL.

Your Fonder Heart

2007-05-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

Hi anais mitchell. You've written a beautiful song in Your Fonder Heart. It has been playing constantly in my head ever since i heard it for the first time only a couple of months ago. Good records are hard to come by here in my country where the norm has always leaned towards music of the mindless, soul-less but chart-topping variety. I dont even have your full album. Just this one song and i thank you for it.

My name is Joseph Purugganan from the Philippines. I work as a researcher/campaigner for an activist research organization called Focus on the Global South but am also an aspiring musician and songwriter. I play guitars and harmonica for the band The Village Idiots. We are independent artists hoping to promote and share songs that touch on social realities-issues that shape the lives of ordinary Filipinos. We aspire to be purveyors of what we call People's Music, maybe much in the same vein as perhaps many of the folk singer-songwriters there in America old and new.

In a burst of inspiration driven by melancholia and self doubt, i wrote a translation of your song in Filipino with the help of poet/singer-songwriter Jess Santiago. You may not know the exact meaning of these words but we tried very hard to remain true to at least what we felt was the essence of the song. So here it is. I hope you would appreciate this and view this as another measure of how your music has transcended boundaries.

in solidarity

Joseph

Your Fonder Heart (Taospuso)

Anais Mitchell (salin ni joseph p. sa tulong ni jess Santiago. Mayo 2007)

come out, come on, come outside ( tara, tara na, tara sa labas)
don’t you hide your handsome face from me (huwag mong itago ang ganda ng yong mukha)
I want to see you half-lit in the half-light (gusto kang maaninag sa banayad na liwanag)
laughing with the whites of your dark eyes(ang ngiti ng yong matang )
shining darkly (sa dilim kumikislap)

Way over yonder I’m waiting and wondering (Doon, akoy nag-iisip, naghihintay)
wither your fonder heart lies (ang puso mo kaya’y saan humihimlay)

come out, the streets are breathing (tara, mga kalsada ay buhay)
heaving green to red to green (berde’t pulang ilaw nagsasalit-salitan)
come with your nicotine and wine (mag-yosi’t maglasing)
tambourine keeping time (sabayan ang tambourine)
come and find me in the evening (hanapin mo ako ngayong gabi)

way over yonder I’m waiting and wondering (Doon akoy nagiisip, naghihintay)

wither your fonder heart lies (puso mo kaya’y saan humihimlay)
way over yonder I’m waiting and wondering (Doon akoy nagiisip, naghihintay)
whether your fonder heart lies (Puso mo ba’y tunay kung magmahal)

come out, come inspired (tara, lumabas kang puno ng pagasa)
you will not come to harm (walang mangangahas na saktan ka)
if I cannot take you for a liar or a lover (Totoo man o hindi ang iyong pag-ibig)

I’ll take you for my brother in arms (ikaw ay aking kasama at kapatid)

way over yonder I’m waiting and wondering (Doon akoy nagiisip, naghihintay
wither your fonder heart lies (Puso mo kaya’y saan humihimlay)
way over yonder I’m waiting and wondering (Doon akoy nagiisip, naghihintay)
whether your fonder heart lies (Puso mo ba’y tunay kung magmahal)

Anti-Democratic Bank

2007-05-14T01:59:00.000-07:00

March 5, 2007. KYOTO, JAPAN - In the heart of the beast. A Japanese protestor lends his voice to the opposition against the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at a march along busy, commercial Shijo Street in Kyoto. Japan is the biggest contributor to the ADB, which turned 40 years old this year. Activists have pointed out that there is no reason to celebrate ADB's 4Oth birthday as its policies and projects have only led to more poverty, environmental destruction, and debt for countries in Asia.

beat photography

2007-05-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

May 7, 2007, KYOTO--The website said it is near the north entrance of Doshisya University and the Imperial Palace and close to the Imadegawa Subway Station. I made the pilgrimage to Honyarado upon the gentle persuasion of singer-songwriter/poet Jess Santiago who visited this place last year. The small poster announcing Koyang’s performance here still hangs in the bathroom wall.

Spent the whole afternoon with Japanese Photographer Kai Fusayhoshi. Kai is an interesting individual. He showed me some of his photo books where I got a glimpse of the beauty and character of Kyoto in black and white. His works have drawn references as much to fellow photographers as to poets and intellectuals. Allusions to Charles Bukowski, Kant, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg as well as to Japanese intellectuals, novelists and artists accompany his photographs providing hints to the ideologies and idiosyncrasies of Kai and Honyarado. His photographs are soulful.

Sitting here in Honyarado looking at the black and white photographs some almost as old as I am, you can feel the history of the place. I feel lucky to be here, to be photographed by Kai and to photograph him. He says that soon this place maybe no more. Some “stupid dispute with the landlord” he says.

In the meantime, let me enjoy my all malt Japanese beer in peace.

The Art of Reinvention

2006-10-18T01:10:00.000-07:00

I felt like John Malkovich was screaming at me as I was browsing over dvds and so I decided to pull out the one that had his name from the tightly-packed box holding a mix of big time Hollywood blockbusters, the classics, and never- heard foreign films.

The film turned out to be Colour me Kubrick or Appelez-moi Kubrick! (I got the French version). I cant say im really familiar with the work of Stanley Kubrick but I have seen some of his films. I saw Full Metal Jacket during my Betamax years, and much later A Clockwork Orange on VHS from the library of Tumbang Preso, an old hang out of activists and artists along Visayas Avenue.

The last Kubrick Film I saw was oddly enough the one that catapulted him to fame- Lolita. I also remember watching Eyes Wide Shut, oddly enough again in Paris in 1999. I think Kubrick died soon after the showing of that film and that some other director , I don’t know maybe Steven Spielberg actually put the finishing touches to the film, I cant remember anymore.

I like his films but I don’t know what he looks like. This could be the subtext of Colour me Kubrick, a true…ish story. The film chronicles the life of Alan Conway, brilliantly played by Malkovich, a con-artist who posed as Stanley Kubrick. Conway gets whatever he wants out of life- sex, vodka money, free food, free taxi rides, accommodation in fancy hotels, even prescription medicines by pretending to be this famous legendary American film director that everybody knows yet nobody really knows. Conway gets away with his con-game because people know about Kubrick but they don’t really know shit who he really is, what he looks like, where he’s from.

So in the first few scenes, you find yourself being amused at how Conway pulled this performance of a lifetime off. How he managed to seduce his willing victims. These people were willing victims because they wanted to believe that they were all talking, sharing drinks, sharing the bed with Kubrick. They all wanted a piece of his fame. They were all consenting adults. So in effect, it was not at all a solitary song and dance number but rather a performance of two, or three people all wanting to be someone they are not; all masters or mistresses of re-invention.

The beginning of the end for Conway comes when a former lover of his (or him as Kubrick) spills the beans and a story appears on the newspapers. The story then turns from a comedy to a tragedy at this stage. And the bright colored tapestry of the film, the glare of the cherry red furniture across bright green walls are replaced by shades of gray. Conway begs his former lover not to leave him saying he only did it (pretend to be Kubrick) because he wanted to escape from being himself. But Conway seemed better at playing Kubrick than playing himself, so his performance flops and his lover leaves him crying. Cut to the next scene where, Conway is walking along the beach, the sea breeze almost shedding his clothes off , bottle in hand, he stumbles and falls to the ground as the main song by Bryan Adams “I am not the man you think I am” plays in the background.

For his final performance, Conway managed to elude conviction when he convinces a do-good psychiatrist that he was in fact a victim himself. That his psychiatric condition actually cost him much of his life’s savings, paying for expensive dinners, staying in fancy hotels, etc. His argument was that it is not really easy being Stanley Kubrick.

Conway died in 1998 and then the real Stanley Kubrick soon followed.

Violent eviction in Goiania

2005-02-20T19:29:00.000-08:00

settlement in Goiania, Brazil demolished. Photo courtesy of Indy Media

By HOMELESS 16/02/2005 At 23:57

A large military policy operation with 2,500 men has started this morning (February 16) for the eviction of the land occupation Sonho Real (Real Dream) in the city of Goiânia, Brazil. Two people got killed, over 800 people got arrested and several people are wounded (five were very seriously wounded). Among the arrested, two Indymedia volunteers, one from Goiânia and one from Indymedia New York.

The occupation started in may 2004 in an area which has been abandoned for years and quickly gathered 3,000 families. In January, Justice ordered the eviction of the families and since then police have been terrifying the families with death threats and sudden attacks. In February 11, police showed up suddenly and shot gas and concussion bombs and fired rubber bullets against the people. One child got hit by a concussion bomb. On February 15, in another attack, police shot bombs and fired with guns. Two people got hurt. After pressure from social movements and human rights groups, state of Goiás Governor Marconi Perillo committed himself not to send police to evict people in a violent way (you can hear his commitment in this recorded audio. Today's attack and the so far confirmed death of two people showed he did not stick to his words.
You can pressure authorities for the release of the arrested and for the investigation of the murders:

Marconi Ferreira Perillo JúniorGoias State GovernorPhone # 55 - 62 - 2131456 r.231Fax # 55 - 62 - 2131479 or 2131481E-mail: governador@palacio.go.gov.br
Jonathas SilvaPublic Security SecretaryPhone # 55 - 62 - 2651000 or 2651050Fax # 55 - 62 - 2651001 or 2651002E-mail: Isabela@go.gov.br

Feb 19, Indymedia Report

After the violent eviction suffered this Wednesday, the 16th of February, many of the families from the occupation Sonho Real spent the night at the Catedral of Goiania. Others stayed in a Gym, because no other space was provided for them after their eviction. IMC reporters are now hearing a great number of reports of police violence and authority abuse. Even neightbors from the occupation have made reports about being attacked by the police. Some have sought medical attention. A rally was called for today, the 17th of February at 9 AM in front of the Catedral of Goiania to protest against the violence and to demand punishment for the perpetrators. During the rally the homeless held a funeral for the two 2 militants killed in Wednesday's raid, Pedro Nascimento Silva and Wagner da Silva Moreira. During the demonstration some undercover cops were identified by the squatters while they were trying to arrest of one of the leaders of the Occupation. Trying to avoid prison, the homeless surrounded the police officers who shot many times in the direction of the crowd. In as attempt to escape, they ran to a square near the Military Police who proceeded to set up a police line and protect the undercover cops. Still coming in are many uncomfirmed reports of murders and extreme police violence, in addition to the reports about the missing bodies. A recent post to IMC reports bodies that had been hidden in tanks or burned by the police). At this time, some of the arrested remain in jail and it is estimated at least 50 people missing, based on the various eye witness reports.

Sem Terra

2005-02-15T01:49:00.000-08:00

Young girl and her baby sister. MST camp outside Porto Alegre, Brasil. 1 February 2005. Photo by sep

Without land.

One of the most visible and vocal groups at the Fifth World Social Forum in Porto Alegre was the MST-the Landless Workers Movement in Brazil(http://www.mstbrazil.org/). MST is at the frontlines of the global war against poverty. For years, MST has been reclaiming people’s right to land and development through their radical strategy of land occupation.

With the help of people from Via Campesina, the international network of peasant movements, I together with the other members of the Focus delegation, visted two MST sites outside Porto Alegre. First was the camp where around 80 families live, cramped together in makeshift huts made out of black plastic bags erected on a small piece of occupied land near the highway. The ‘camp’ represents stage one of the occupation. Life in the camp seems harsh and difficult with no electricity, inadequate water, limited food and with the people there exposed to all the elements-the cold breeze at nite, rain, dust and the harassment from both the police and the private para-military guards of the idle property. From camps like these, MST communities launch their campaign to reclaim lands. They engage in dialogue with government, conduct mass mobilizations to make idle lands productive for the benefit of peasant communities.

I have stayed in impoverished communities before and have stared at faces hardened by deprivation and defeated by hopelessness. While the people in the MST camp still do struggle with their own personal demons of alcoholism and violence, what I saw in the faces of the people there, especially the children, was dignity and determination instead of defeat.

The second site we visited, a little farther away from the city, was a community re-named Filho de Sepe (“son of Sepe”). Sepe was a local hero that the community chose to honor by naming their new home after him. In sharp contrast to the camp we visited in the morning, the ‘settlement’ --as they call areas that they have successfully reclaimed—was a picture of a productive and vibrant community where people worked together to accomplish their collective goals. Here, small but decent houses made of concrete have replaced the black-plastic huts we saw in the camp. The settlement still faces a lot of challenges to make it viable and sustainable especially amid the threat of corporate globalization, but to me it represented a symbol of hope for the many who are struggling for dignity.

At the MST settlement we sat down and chatted with Marco, one of the leaders of the community, over a home-cooked meal of rice, potatoes, baked beans, and vegetables—to many of us the best and definitely most satisfying meal we've had during our short stay in Brazil.

2005-02-15T01:48:00.000-08:00

The MST flag is hoisted at the opening march of the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brasil. 26 January 2005. Photo by sep

2005-02-15T01:47:00.000-08:00

two girls inside their make-shift house under the MST flag. outside Porto Alegre, Brasil. 1 February 2005. Photo by sep

2005-02-15T01:45:00.000-08:00

Children playing cards at the MST camp outside Porto Alegre, Brasil. 1 February 2005. Photo by sep

Photos from Porto Alegre

2005-02-14T21:16:00.000-08:00

Little boy oblivious to the electrifying presence of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who spoke at the WSF

2005-02-14T21:13:00.000-08:00

midday at gasometro.

2005-02-14T21:11:00.000-08:00

at nite our spirits danced to the rhythm of samba and bossa nova

2005-02-14T21:06:00.000-08:00

Resting against the branches. 31 January 2005. Porto Alegre

2005-02-14T21:04:00.000-08:00

FDC flag at sunset. 26 January 2005 in Porto Alegre

2005-02-14T20:59:00.000-08:00

a korean activist carries their flag.

2005-02-14T20:55:00.000-08:00

over a hundred thousand people joined the opening march of the WSF 2005 filling the streets of Gasometro with songs and dances from all over the world.

2005-02-14T20:39:00.000-08:00

shouts of "Viva Viva Palestina"! reverberate at the closing march of the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre. 31 January 2005

Senyor Cohen

2005-01-18T02:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Heather by Leonard Cohen 2004

January 5 nang huli kaming magjamming ni koyang sa lilim ng talisay. Ibinahagi niya ang kanyang mga bagong awit at sinuklian ko ng mga hiram na kanta mula kay Leonard Cohen. Simula nun ay nasa Leonard Cohen mode na ako. Paguwi ko sa bahay nung gabi na yun, salpak sa CD player: leonard cohen, pagsampa sa my bros. mustache para sa 12-2 set namin ni boy d: leonard cohen, kagabi sa opisina ng grey matter: leonard cohen pa rin. Ngayon sa opis habang pinipilit na habulin ang mga deadline: leonard cohen uli. Ito ang isang kanta mula sa pinaka bago niyang album na Dear Heather.

Pagsaluhan natin.

There for you

When it all went down and the pain came through
I get it now I was there for you
Don't ask me how I know it's true
I get it now I was there for you
I make my plans like I always do
But when I look back I was there for you
I walk the streets like I used to do
And I freeze with fear but I'm there for you
I see my life In full review It was never me It was always you
You sent me here you sent me there, breaking things I can't repair
Making objects out of thoughts, making more by thinking not
Eating food and drinking wine, A body that I thought was mine
Dressed as Arab dressed as Jew, O mask of iron I was there for you
Moods of glory, moods so foul
The world comes through, a bloody towel
And death is old, but it's always new
I freeze with fear And I'm there for you
I see it clear, I always knew
It was never me I was there for you, I was there for you
My darling one, and by your law it all was done

smile in the shadows

2004-12-13T22:18:00.000-08:00

Mumbai lady. Marine Drive, Mumbai, India. January 2004. photo by sep

I don’t remember her name. In fact I don’t recall even asking and she never bothered telling me. But I won’t forget that late afternoon by the beach. She was moving around painting people's hands with henna. I’ll always remember her smile and how she, like the rest of us there, seemed oblivious to what was happening beyond the wonderful confines of the beach at sunset.

Thanks to a borrowed Leica, i was able to capture her smile in the shadows.

Dylan’s Chronicles

2004-12-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

Bob Dylan's CHRONICLES: Vol. One published by Simon & Schuster

The new Bob Dylan book is out. In “Chronicles: Volume 1” Dylan, who penned such beautiful yet sad narratives like the Ballad of Hollis Brown, the Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol, Seven Curses, Blind Willie Mctell and John Brown, shares his own story for a change. Chronicles is Dylan’s personal account of significant moments in his life and career. I haven’t read the book, but if the excerpts that I have read and listened to are any indication, Dylan’s stories may prove to be as interesting as his songs.

A CD version, with excerpts from the book wonderfully read by Sean Penn, is also available. In one such excerpt, Dylan tells of his frequent visits to his idol and friend Woody Guthrie. Guthrie, who Dylan calls “The true voice of the American Spirit”, was already confined by then to the Greystone Hospital, a mental institution. Dylan recounts visiting him, bringing "cigarettes and playing songs for him." Dylan sang for Woody, Woody's own songs like Dust Bowl Blues, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Tom Joad, which Dylan all knew by heart. In one of these visits, Woody tells Dylan about boxes of songs that havent been recorded and said that Dylan was welcome to them. Woody gave Dylan directions to his house in Mermaid Avenue, Coney Island. Like a true disciple, Dylan took the subway and made the trip to Woody’s house. Dylan recounts “a babysitter opened the door. Margorie was not there but Woody’s son Arlo who was just about 10 or 12 years old then told the babysitter to let me in.” Dylan left Woody’s house without seeing the boxes of songs that Woody told him about. “40 years later Billy Bragg and the group Wilco would get access to these songs bringing them full life. Maybe they were not yet even born when I made that trip” said Dylan.

You can listen to the excerpts by visiting http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6099172/site/newsweek/

Halina: 27 anyos

2004-11-23T01:59:00.000-08:00

Halina by Jess Santiago. Cover photo by Nico Sepe and art dIrection by Fidel Rillo. 1991

May 2 klase ng kanta, sabi ni Woody Guthrie- the dying songs and the living songs. Ang dying songs daw ay mga “kanta na nagsasabing walang dapat ipagmalaki sa pagiging manggagawa, pero kung mabuti at masipag siya, balang araw maari siyang umangat at maging ‘boss’, at makapagsuot ng puting kurbata at amerikana at balang araw mga kanta ay isusulat tungkol sa kanya.” Meron namang mga ‘living songs’-- “mga buhay na awiting nagsasabing may dangal sa paggawa; mga awiting humihimok sa manggagawa na ipagmalaki ang kanyang sarili at kanyang trabaho; mga awiting nagnanais na pagbutihin ang buhay natin; mga awit ng protesta laban sa mga bagay na dapat tutulan.”

Ang Halina ni Jess Santiago ay isang buhay na awitin. Nung nakaraang linggo, 14 ng Nobyembere 2004, sa main theatre ng Cultural Center of the Philippines, lumutang at pumaibabaw sa katahimikan ng teatro at muling nabuhay sa isip at damdamin ng mga tagapakinig ang awit at kuwento ng Halina. Muling ipinakilala ni Koyang si Lina, manggagawa sa pabrika, si Pedro Pilapil, magsasaka, at si Aling Maria, maralitang taga-lungsod. Sa mga sandaling iyon, ang kanilang mga kuwento ang bida-- binalutan ng ilaw mula sa spotlight ang kanilang buhay at pakikibaka. Sa sandali ring iyon bawat kalabit ng gitara, bawat katagang binitiwan ng pabulong at pasigaw ni Koyang ay makabuluhan.

Buhay na awitin ang Halina dahil binigyan niya ng mukha ang buhay at pakikibaka ng mga karaniwang mamamayan. Buhay siya hanggang ngayon dahil patuloy ang pagsasamantala at karahasan sa mga paggawaan, sa kanayunan, at sa kalunsuran. Ngunit higit sa lahat, nananatiling buhay ang Halina dahil patuloy ang pagpupunyagi ng mga manggagawa, magsasaka, at mga maralitang taga-lungsod para sa mas magandang bukas at patuloy silang nag-aanyaya ng ating pakikiisa.

Mabuhay ang Halina. Mabuhay ka Jess Santiago!

23 November in Dhaka

2004-11-23T01:06:00.000-08:00

I was looking for old trade campaign files from my delhi trip last nite trying to prepare for my presentation for Isis and saw this written at the back of one of the papers. I realized a bit later that it was written exactly a year ago today

23 November Dhaka airport

Joy described this airport , which she doesn’t like, as dusty. I was picturing it that way as I was disembarking the plane. What greeted me though as I stepped inside were soldiers. Their long fire arms looking more faded than their uniforms. All around you see security personnel, mostly men. I’ve seen only one woman guard so far. She caught my eye because she was wearing a blue sash over her blue uniform.

I’m seated in front of this big digital clock. 3:14 now. I’ve been here since noon. Just sitting, strying to read a book—Gabriel Kolko’s Another Century of War, a heavy read for passing time at the airport.

Some guy who I thought all the while was Indian Airlines personnel took my ticket. I was a bit suspicious and got a little worried when he took off with my ticket. He did return 30 minutes later with my boarding pass and new tags for both my checked-in and hand-carried bags. I knew this personalized service would eventually cost me something. I said ‘thank you’, when he handed over the boarding pass and tags, knowing that that wasn’t enough. He said “please give me tip sir, I am a poor man.” I jokingly said to him “ I am a poor man also. He said with a smile “ no sir, you are not poor.” I gave him 100 baht, the only other currency I have to spare.

Bangladesh is a poor country. This fact is often mentioned as a reference to to how the Philippines has remained underdeveloped or has stagnated since the 50’s. Then we were second only to Japan in Asia, so the refrain goes, now we are only slightly better than Bangladesh.

Sitting here however, in what I can describe as an airconditioned, slightly bigger bus station, like one of the bus stations serving provincial routes to Baguio or Bicol, I am tempted to think that the Philippines is much better off than Bangladesh. But measuring a country’s progress based on how its airport looks can be problematic. What if a lavish, modern airport gets erected as a showcase by a corrupt government amidst debilitating poverty? In reality majority of poor people don’t really have any use for such flying facilities.

I’m rambling, I’m really writing these thoughts to occupy my mind...

Im alone and blue in this Dhaka bus station. 3:28. The monitor has now shown the gate number for my flite to Kolkota. Another lonely, desolate place to wait.

6pm Kolkota airport

One actually has to go out of the international terminal and walk about 100 meters to go to the domestic terminal. At first I thought, “great, no walkway like the one in Bangkok”, but then I thought the one in Manila is worse, where one has to take a cab just to go from one terminal to the other.

Anyway, the walk outside Kolkata was good. It allowed me a glimpse of the place. And after 7 hours breathing dusty airport air, the air outside was a relief. As I was walking, I wanted on several occassions to get my cameras and shoot. Right outside the international terminal, I saw people doing road repair. I also saw their yellow cabs—nice, fat, yellow cabs circa 1950’s, I guessed. A little later I saw several of them parked in a single line. Nice photo in my mind. The photograph accentuated by a flock of black crows against the night time sky. More photos like these in the next days, I hope. I hope ill be able to click the shutter next time.

An orange butterfly is hovering near me. Could this be an omen? A good one I hope.

Life’s brutal ironies

2004-11-09T19:30:00.000-08:00

Vote for peace concert in Bangkok. 30 October 2004.

I was in Bangkok recently and was invited to perform at the Vote for Peace concert at Suan Santi-chaiprakarn in the old-part of town. The day I arrived, a state of non-peace greeted me as news of death and violence in Narathiwat province, a predominantly muslim province in the South of Thailand, were all over the papers. After a brutal dispersal of protestors, at least 7 people lay dead and later 78 others-- arrested and dumped face down inside a cramped truck with hands tied behind their backs -would lose their lives from suffocation. Vote for peace is a campaign initiated by United for Peace and Justice Thailand in order to make peace an election issue. It is a statement of peace groups against US President George W. Bush and his re-election bid, and a stand against the heavy handedness and militarism of PM Thaksin. Intolerance and violence took the lives of 85 people in the South, just days before the peace concert. Later that week, Bush the butcher or as Jess Santiago calls him “The patron saint of war” would get a fresh mandate from the American people.

I ended up singing just one song, Chimes of Freedom by Bob Dylan. A refrain in the song goes "Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind, striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind, and the poet and the painter far behind their rightful time, we gaze upon the chimes of freedom flashing!”

Peace

bird dance

2004-10-18T01:30:00.000-07:00

Performing the "kalusisi" (bird dance) at the opening ceremonies of lakbayk tribo 2004. 16 october 2004. quezon city. photo by sep

uphill battle

2004-10-17T23:12:00.000-07:00

all geared up for the uphill battle. lakbayk tribo 2004. 16 october 2004. quezon city. photo by sep

Lakbayk Tribo 2004 kicked-off last 16 October at the Quezon City Memorial Circle. Now on its 6th year, the nationwide bike caravan continues to advocate for peace, indigenous peoples' rights, and the environment. For more photos and the full story please visit http://www.mobilemediaph.com/escape2004/live/10.18.lakbayk.html

the sweetness follows

2004-10-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

Someone sometime ago pointed out my seeming fondness for “ sad and suicidal” music. That was even before she learned of Elliot Smith’s death from an apparent suicide on a sad day in October 2003. And while I may argue that my music collection is not entirely gray with sadness and that in fact it is filled with vibrant colors and rhythms , I couldn’t say I totally disagree with the comment. Aside from Elliot Smith, I’m a fan as well of Jeff Buckley, who 7 years ago drowned in the murky waters of the Mississippi river. While Buckley did not actually commit suicide (or did he?), he died, like Smith, way too early. These two songwriters were of my age. Buckley died at 30 and Smith at 34.

Why write about death on a Monday morning? Well, I read an interesting review of Smith’s last (or latest?) album called “From a Basement on the Hill” which got me wondering about my own life and the music that’s been accompanying it all these years. I realized that sadness and sweetness punctuate my soundtrack.

From a Basement on the Hill by Elliot Smith

For many fans, Elliott Smith's greatest gift to the world was his sadness. He was thirty-four when he died on October 21st, 2003, from two stab wounds to the chest. But the more we learned about his death, the less we knew. For a while, everybody (including the police) assumed it was suicide; then others started to suggest, ominously, that it wasn't, and a coroner's report, issued last December, said the evidence was inconclusive. So bereaved fans were left with nothing but their own dull grief, which came to seem like an echo of Smith's own implacable melancholy. Their sadness was his.

But sadness was never what set Smith apart from the other rumpled punky strummers. By 1994, when he started branching out from his post-punk band Heatmiser to record solo albums, the real surprise was Smith's sweetness. He was a punk who cleaned up good, who could turn an excruciating song about dope addiction into something whistle-able and Beatlesque. When he ambled onstage at the 1998 Oscars, fluorescent in an all-white suit, singing an expurgated "Miss Misery" (from the Good Will Hunting soundtrack), it somehow made sense. With songs like that, why shouldn't he have been serenading millions of listeners?

The crossover started and ended that night, and not just because he lost the Oscar to Celine Dion. His appealing 1998 album, XO, had grander production but slighter songs than 1997's marvelous Either/Or, and after 2000's Figure 8, he more or less disappeared. Now, days before the one-year anniversary of his death, comes From a Basement on the Hill, the album he was still tinkering with when he died.

It starts thick and hazy, with "Coast to Coast" slowly fading in; atop an elegant jumble of guitars, he sings, "I've got no new act to amuse you/I've got no desire to use you." Like most of the fifteen songs here, this one hints at drugs and death, wasted nights and wasted lives. This is an album about the seductions of oblivion, and a few of the more densely arranged songs mimic the characters in the lyrics, stumbling around without quite connecting.

More often, though, Smith teases extraordinary wit and warmth from songs that float lazily toward happiness. Despite the foreboding title, "Strung Out Again" is a lilting, slyly persuasive ode to a pleasure that comes and goes like the ocean: "The tide's coming in/And I'm strung out again." Then there's "Memory Lane," a bitter two-and-a-half-minute cautionary tale, sung and fingerpicked so gently that it sounds like a lark. And the woozy "Don't Go Down" begins with something resembling a joke: "I met a girl, snowball in hell/She was as hard and as cracked as the Liberty Bell."

Yes, there's plenty of sadness here. On "Pretty (Ugly Before)," Smith and his former Heatmiser bandmate Sam Coomes sing, "I felt so ugly before/I didn't know what to do." But the harmony tells a different story, and the two repeat the complaint until it sounds like a blissful affirmation.
The album's centerpiece is "A Fond Farewell," which is exactly what Smith fans need: an upbeat but ambivalent song with a contagious chorus that sticks in your head after the rest of the CD is over. When he murmurs, "This is not my life/It's just a fond farewell to a friend," you can't tell what, exactly, he's eulogizing: A bad habit? A good lover? Himself? But you can tell it will be missed.

KELEFA SANNEH(Posted Oct 28, 2004)

Man called Uncle

2004-09-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

Outside the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi. 12 September 2004

The line to the mausoleum encircled the entire building. People were arriving in busloads. School kids in their cute uniforms, local and foreign visitors standing in line under the sun, waiting for their turn to see and pay their respects to Uncle Ho. And wait we did. Counting the time spent depositing our bags and our cameras, we waited in line for maybe 30 minutes. At one point a woman behind us, a Vietnamese, became a bit impatient and voiced out a soft complaint. To which Queen, our Vietnamese companion and guide quickly retorted “we should be patient when seeing Ho Chi Minh.” After struggling to read aloud and pronounce correctly the message written on the big banner at the entrance that translates “Long Live the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” amid gentle laughter from the others in line, we finally had our chance to go inside and see the man everybody calls uncle. We were greeted at the entrance by a deafening silence; the chilling coldness of the room and the blank stares of the mausoleum guards. Inside, the remains of Viet Nam’s great leader lay still, flanked by two more guards, their crisp white and yellow uniforms complementing perfectly the blood-red majesty of their national flag.

Ho died on September 2, 1969- exactly ten days and 35 years ago. Yet, he remains a central figure in Vietnamese society today. A leader revered and remembered.

Hanoi Moving

2004-09-19T20:45:00.001-07:00

Inside a bus headed for a rural village, I pointed the camera out the window and started clicking. These are the images that came out. Together with a few other shots around the city we see Hanoi moving.

2004-09-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

hanoi moving. september 2004. photo by sep

2004-09-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

hanoi moving.september 2004. photo by sep

2004-09-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

hanoi moving. september 2004. photo by sep

2004-09-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

hanoi moving. photo by sep

2004-09-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

Hanoi moving. photo by sep

2004-09-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

street vendor. Hanoi, Vietnam. September 2004. photo by sep

Nicaragua

2004-08-25T03:48:00.000-07:00

Frente Sandinista de Liberacio'n Nacional

I had dinner last night with a Sandinista. His name is Alejandro Bendeña and he was the former Ambassador of Nicaragua (under the Sandinistas) to the United Nations. He spoke a couple of days ago at the University of the Philippines in a forum organized by Focus on the Global South (where Alejandro now sits as a member of the Board), the Institute for Popular Democracy and the Third World Studies Center. Alejandro spoke at UP about the Revolution and about power. Last nite over dinner however, our conversation drifted to more interesting subject matters -music and beer. I asked Alejandro what the staple drink of the Sandinista revolution was. “Ahh, that was something that was never in short supply.” Pointing to my bottle of San Mig light, he exclaimed “beer and rhum.” Music was never in short supply neither. "You can't have a revolution without songs" was the slogan written on a banner at Salvador Allende’s inauguration. The “nueva cancion” (New Song)- the movement of progressive, political songwriters and musicians the likes of Victor Jara-was still very much alive then and was instrumental in keeping the revolutionary spirit throughout Latin America burning.

As I was chatting with Alejandro, the song Nicaragua by Canadian songwriter Bruce Cockburn kept ringing in my ear. So I asked Alejandro if he’d ever heard that song. “it’s a sad song to listen to now” he said. Pointing out a particular line in the refrain that goes “In the flash of this moment, you’re the best of what we are” he went on to say “thinking about it now, am not sure if indeed we represented the best of what we are. But it’s a great song, a classic.”

Alejandro and Bruce Cockburn's paths crossed when the songwriter visited Managua in the early 80’s. I have been a fan of Cockburn eversince a friend of mine from Canada gave me a copy of Stealing Fire (where Nicaragua is included). Speaking in 1994, Cockburn said “To me, politics is an external expression of something that people carry round in their hearts. The songs I wrote in the Eighties touched on issues because they had touched me personally, not because I had an axe to grind or an ideology. The songs in support of the aspirations of the Nicaraguan people, for example, were written because I was there and the situation touched me emotionally in a very personal way. There's no great difference between the mechanics for songs like that and for love songs."

Cockburn continues to write and perform personal and political songs to this day. And he and Alejandro in many ways continue to be true revolutionaries.

“Vive en la lucha por la paz”

Tagay

2004-08-18T01:40:00.000-07:00

rolly-folksinger. my bros. moustache, quezon city. 16 August 2004. photo by sep

Hinehele na ako ng tunog ng naguumpugang bote ng beer at mga nagbabanggaang opinyon sa Carliz nang magyaya si Ed na mag courtesy call kami kay Jessie Bartolome.

Inabot naming kumakanta ng JT si Rolly Maligad ng Coco Jam sa My Bros. Moustache sa Quezon City bandang 11:00 ng gabi, 16 Agosto 2004-kaarawan ng tatay ko.

Huli ko atang napanuod si rolly ay sa Mayrics nung 1997 pa ata yun. Kasama ko si Loy at Von, at si Leonard din ata. Nabilib kami sa suot na pantalon nung malupit na gitarista niya. Kulay pulang tight fitting na may malaking tatak na Versace sa likod. Sabi namin sa sarili, pagtanda namin at gumaling ng ganun kagaling sa gitara-bibili rin kami at magsusuot ng pantalong pula! Balik tayo kay rolly.

Ibang klase ang vibe ni rolly at ng Coco jam nung gabi na yun sa stage. Para silang naghahabulan ng tipa at ng hininga. Minsan parang kakapusin at mabibitin ang boses at gitara pero sa dulo ay nagsasabay din at maganda at malagkit ang performance. On the edge lagi ang tugtugan. May halong kaba sa panunuod. Sakto kaya ang mga bagsakan? Pag eksakto, ang sarap pakinggan at sarap palakpakan. Pag sablay naman, ok lang “next time bitter” (basa:better luck next time). Ganun ko naalala si rolly-stumbling. Stumbling with the words, stumbling through the dark pero malalim at madamdamin pa rin.

Kagabi ko lang narinig si Rolly na kumanta ng 'di reggae (although yung “dinamayan” ay malayo sa reggae at mas malapit sa kundiman) at mga “JT - folk”. Maraming requests pero parang na-miss namin ang tunay na boses ni Rolly kaya sinigaw ni Ed, “dinamayan” at pinagbigyan naman kami. Nagtuloy tuloy na ang mga original. “maskara” at ilang bagong (nung ko lang narinig) mga piyesa. Pagkatapos ng set, isinilid ang lumang gitara sa itim na garbage bag na tinalian sa neck ng strap ng gitara at nagpaalam.

Beterano si Rolly ng folk music scene sa bansa na nag blossom nung 1970’s. Pag-nagkwento siya tungkol sa panahon na yon parang nag-sit in ka na rin sa isang history lesson sa pinoy folk Asin, si Lolit, si Pendong, si Popong Landero, si Jess Santiago, si Nitoy Adriano (na bahista rin pala dati), si Chickoy, si Ronnie Duncan na “Bob Dylan ng Pilipinas”, at si Pete Velasquez na “Ronnie Duncan ng Malate” ang mga pangalan na dapat kabisaduhin sa leksyong ito.

Rolly Maligad- Folk Singer. Tapos na ba ang set niya o nagsisimula muli?

Tuloy tuloy ang tagay!

RP Taken for a (joy)ride

2004-08-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

SLOW MARCH DOWN this picture seems to be saying as farmers from munoz, nueva are on their way to a Stop the New Round! forum on the WTO at CLSU. August 2003. photo by sep

Officials from the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture have expressed their elation over the outcome of the recent General Council (that in effect became a ministerial meeting) of the World Trade Organization in Geneva. The basis for their overwhelming joy?

Their belief that the framework agreement that came out of the meeting reflects the main demands of the Philippines in the negotiations; and that, consequently, the negotiations for the conclusion of the so-called Doha Round will be beneficial to the Philippines.

Interestingly, the last time the heads of these two departments expressed this much happiness in relation to talks in the WTO was in September 2003, right after the historic (second) collapse of the WTO negotiations in Cancun, Mexico. Both Secretary Cito Lorenzo and Secretary Manuel Roxas II then called the collapse a positive development for the Philippines. Roxas echoed the sentiment expressed by many developing countries: “No deal is better than a bad deal.”

So what’s the deal with the WTO framework?

To understand the source of DTI and DA’s jubilation, I read the General Council Decision dated July 31, 2004, outlining the framework for the WTO negotiations. I looked at Annex A outlining the framework for establishing modalities in agriculture and found nothing that should make us happy.

The framework on agriculture, instead of decreasing the trade-distorting subsidies given by trade superpowers -- the United States and the European Union -- to their agriculture sectors, gives a clear go-signal for these two superpowers to dodge their responsibility by expanding and strengthening further the Blue Box Category of minimally trade-distorting subsidies in the WTO.

To add insult to grave injury, the framework provides for greater flexibilities for the Members with large percentage of Blue Box subsidies (i.e. the US and the EU) to ensure that they are not called upon to make a wholly disproportionate cut.

Sure, there was mention of Special and Different Treatment, Special Products and Sensitive Products in the text. But the items and provision regarding these crucial demands from developing countries remain unclear and many are subject to further negotiations. So while the text is crystal clear when it comes to protecting the interest of the developed countries, it remains so conveniently vague when it comes to accommodating the demands of the developing countries.

The language does not go any further than saying that all of these concerns from developing countries will be noted in the negotiations. That is to say, what developing countries got out of the framework on S&D and SP are no more than empty promises.If the SP provision in the framework remain vague, then I am afraid DA Assistant Secretary Serrano’s statement on the government’s move to include rice under SP category in the WTO and SP as an alternative to seeking an extension of the quantitative restrictions (QR) on rice imports are not only misplaced but dangerous.

Clearly, the flawed framework and our negotiators blind adherence to it may prove to be detrimental to our national economy.

true musician

2004-08-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

true musician's certificate by bianca.

This was awarded to me by bianca last saturday in their beautiful farm house in Batangas City, after hearing me play two songs that she probably never heard before. bianca is eight years old. Thanks bianca. And thank you also to my other "fans" tasha (7 yrs old), gabe (6 yrs old) and trish (she'll turn 7 on sunday. happy birthday trish!). If only we could all be more affirming!!

The street's a stage

2004-08-02T01:17:00.000-07:00

Actors-activists dramatize opposition to Arroyo's subservient policies that are holding us hostaged to US interests. Sona/ 26 July 2004, photo by sep

firing squad

2004-07-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

photographers aim and shoot at an anti-war mobilization near the US Embassy in Manila. 21 May 2004. photo by sep

Love and Beauty in the time of Decay

2004-07-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

juan isip

“Urbane”. I was searching for a word to describe the poetry and music of Bobby Balingit in Juan Isip. I encountered that term in a Billy Bragg CD called Back to Basics. Bragg’s music was called “urbane folk music”, whatever that means. So I looked it up. Urbane is an adjective for sophisticated, classy, refined. Whoever came up with that word must have lived at a time when urban still equated to sophistication and class; to confidence and certainty. The word must have been coined at a time when cities and the “metropolis” were the exclusive enclaves of the chic and off-limits to primitives. But was there ever such a time?

There have always been rats in the rat hole called Metro Manila , I thought. There has always been Cubao and its shiny black, slimy streets after the rain; with its young warriors throwing fluorescent bulbs like modern day spears; with all the sights and smells of decay. There has always been Quiapo with its pick pockets, fortune tellers and its fatalism. And movies like City after Dark and Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag. For me, the urban has always been about crowded, dirty and mean streets and the constant struggle for survival.

bobby balingit with the idiots. 10 July 2004. welcome rotonda. photo by sep

And that’s exactly the urban landscape that Bobby Balingit and his gang paint in Juan Isip. The album is a storybook filled with musings of street kids and dreams of prostitutes-the princes and princesses of the streets. Juan Isip is like an ice-pick through the heart- a visual, verbal, aural assault on the senses. When Bobby sings "Makitid na silid/ at ilaw na bombilya/ kamang kutson na nangangamoy" in Saranggola sa Gabi it's as if you're actually there in that dilapidated, god forsaken room. You're a voyuer close enough to smell the sheets. The songs of Juan Isip are more than an introduction to the characters of urban Manila, they invite us to look at the world and search for hope and redemption through their weary and jaded eyes.

Juan Isip is no more urban than say Jess Santiago’s Obando rural. Bobby Balingit and Jess Santiago are landscape artists and both these albums are their modern masterpieces. Both convey our stories. Alternately whispering and screaming about hope, angst, beauty, truth,and love.

2004-07-14T01:21:00.000-07:00

Stop the Killings! Little girl joins vigil for Angelo dela Cruz. Welcome Rotonda. 10 July 2004. Photo by sep.

2004-07-09T01:34:00.000-07:00

tambay kasama si tata gil at si koyang.June 2004. UP theatre. Photo by Jess Aznar

howl

2004-07-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

Mang Rudy and Leonard. Howl Session at PRRM. January 2002. Photo by sep

Holy, holy, holy Mang Rudy
At ang mga musikerong namamahagi ng mga kanta sa kalye

Holy ang mga kundimang inipon at binaon mula Visayas at Mindanao
Holy ang mga kwento ni manang ng mga paboritong awitin sa mga amateur contests sa probinsya

Holy ang pagiibigan at alalayan ng dalawang kaluluwang ligaw sa maingay at magulong lansangan ng kyusi; Naririnig ko si Tom Waits at ang kanyang BLIND LOVE habang nakikita ko kayong papalapit; hinahawi ng inyong mga ngiti ang nakakabulag na usok ng barbecue sa carliz

The only way to find you, is if I close my eyes/ and find you with my blind love/ Must be blind Love/Only kind of love is stone blind love

Holy, holy, holy si Manang at si Mang Rudy
Long time no see.

(pasintabi kay G. Allen Ginsberg+)

shoe shine at goregaon east train station

2004-07-06T00:39:00.000-07:00

Mumbai. January 2004. Photo by sep

This photograph was taken on a dusty afternoon at Goregaon East train station in Mumbai, India. The trains(as everything else in Mumbai)move at a crazy pace and during rush hour are bursting with people. So this scene of a man nonchalantly having a shoe shine right at the station is like the calm before the storm.

My old friend Steve

2004-07-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

I got hold of Steve Earle’s Transcendental Blues album a couple of months ago and it has been spinning oh so constantly in my cd player. If I were to compile a cd about my own struggle to transcend, two of Mr. Earle’s songs would surely be included- transcendental blues and the classic My old friend the blues. These two songs written almost 15 years apart (My old friend.. from 1986 album Guitar Town and transcendental blues in 2000) express so plainly and yet so eloquently the pain of lost love and yet almost in the same breath the soothing and liberating power of music over the pain. Thanks to steve earle’s blues I know its just a matter of time before I get my guitar and my harmonicas packing and hit the road to transcendence. Rock on!

transcendental blues

2004-07-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

Steve Earle's Transcendental Blues

I have spent most of my life (like most people) avoiding transcendence at all costs, mainly because the shit hurts, Merely defining transcendence can sometimes be painful. I once heard that "Transendence is the act of going through something". Ouch. I see plate glass windows and divorces. Someone else told me that it was "rising above whatever one encountered in one's path" but at this point in my life that smacks of avoidance as well as elitism of some sort. I am compelled to look back on years of going through, above, as well as around my life looking for loopholes to redefine everything including any and all of the ideas that I have held close to my heart along the way-Art-Freedom-Justice-Revolution-Love (a big one)-Growth-Passion-Parenting (a really big one)- and I find that for me, for now, transcendence is about being still enougn long enough to know when it's time to move on. Fuck me

Steve Earle
Chicago
January 2000